Colour me bright

Pune’s streets have transformed into a colourful arena,with dazzling hues melting into the sea of people. Shoppers are buying things that are not strictly utilitarian but those which reflect their personas. Shopping attitudes are embracing more style and razzmatazz,rather than sticking to the plain and durable. Shares Ajaz Baig,owner,Heritage Handicraft Emporium,”People are really fascinated by colours,in fact our Indian customers mostly go for bright and vibrant colours. A colourful home decor is the ultimate preference.” Look no further than Lubaina Maimoon’s rented pad. The financial analyst feels,”My home decor is dominated by bright colours. It just adds so much life to the room. No longer are bright shades considered off the shelf. And while the sober shades like creams and browns are still considered ‘safe bets’,I have used a lot of colour in my room ranging from purple curtains to colourful lamp shades to give a good mix. A bit of earthenware neutralises this look. I think these bright colours add a lot of spunk to my space.”

In the veritable kaleidoscopes that the city’s market areas are,shops,pavement vendors,balloon-sellers,vehicles,flamboyant pedestrians ignite a multi-coloured reverie that can be beheld for hours. Jay Chabbra,who runs Jackson Shoes on MG road,says,“Everyone wants to try something new today,no one wants to stick to the boring,drab colours. Yellow and red shoes sell like hot cakes nowadays. We have shoes with skulls printed on them and they are mighty popular!”

Shazad Kanojia,shop owner concurs,”I have been selling all kinds of glares since the past eight years. Pink,flashy golden,greens sell well. Black remains the best option,but people are more open to unusual colours now.” One can also see this sneak into a lot of other accessories also like shoes,bags. Ranjeet Mehra,who has been flaunting his fluorescent green shoes,opines “I bought these shoes simply because they stand out. I am bored of wearing the same old whites and browns. In fact I own an electric red pair too and it just adds to the overall look.”

There is colour in the air too what with all the spruced up tresses swaying in the breeze. Reena Popat of b:blunt hair dressing academy and salon,says,“The general look of Indians has changed so drastically in the past 5-10 years. People have become more experimental,which is good news for hairdressers as it gives us more creative space. The Hindi movie industry and the accessibility of western media forms has opened up sensibilities to unconventional ideas. A good colour job can enliven a hair cut like nothing else. Companies today are coming up with such a wide range of colours that people can mix and match according to their desires.”

With much of the city displaying a colourful zeal,it sure looks like life is all about being a coloured strip!