Virtuous Retail to open VR Chennai Mall in 2018

Virtuous Retail South Asia Pvt. Ltd., India’s largest institutionally owned developer-operator of lifestyle shopping centers, has announced the brand launch of its flagship retail center VR Chennai at a gala event held at the India Retail Forum 2018.

Following the successful launches of VR Surat in May 2013, VR Bengaluru in 2016, and the acquisition of North Country Mall, now known as VR Punjab – in early 2017, VR Chennai is an exciting addition in the series of developments under the Virtuous Retail umbrella.

Inspired by the soaring Gopurams of the temples of Chennai, and the technicolour of the Madras Check, this striking contemporary addition to Chennai’s rich heritage will redefine the city’s landscape.

To bring the flavour of the centre alive, VR Chennai presented an interesting entertainment mix for the visitors at the India Retail Forum 2017 – stand-up comedian Aravind SA, as well as a fusion Bharatanatyam performance. Arvind, the popular Internet sensation, is one of the leading stand-up artists from South India. These engaging performances not only had the audience enthralled, but also highlighted to the retail community in India, the essence of Chennai’s unique charm – how today’s Chennai holds onto its traditional heritage but also embraces the elements of the modern world to its lifestyle quite seamlessly.

With over 1,000,000 sq. ft. of retail, community, entertainment and leisure space, VR Chennai offers a mix of the best of local, national and international retailers and programmes to connect communities and attract residents and tourists of every age and aspiration.

Some of the brands that will have their retail stores at VR Chennai include H&M, Aeropostale, Sephora, Forever 21, PVR (with IMAX), GAP and a flagship Apple store. National favourites like Lifestyle, Home Centre, Louis Phillippe, Allen Solly among others will also set up shop at VR Chennai.

The residents of Chennai are sure to appreciate the multitude of easily accessible entertainment options. The unique F&B concepts and intense local flavours fuse to deliver an unforgettable dining experience. A public realm buzzing with carefully curated programmes and activities, facilitates a social and community hub. Tapping the city’s rich cultural fabric, visitors will enjoy an events program that includes the best of traditional dances, local theatre, Jazz recitals, Rock concerts, book reading clubs, TED Talks, awards shows and many more.

“We envisage VR Chennai as a lifestyle destination where people will congregate for all kinds of celebrations and events. VR Chennai is a community destination where we will institute cultural programmes along with world-class retailers and brands. We are very proud that VR Chennai is going to be an economic, social and cultural landmark.” said Managing Director, Virtuous Retail South Asia, Rohit George.

Building on the success of the previous flagship Centres, Virtuous Retail will introduce its innovative ‘Master Retailer’ formats, including a premium luxury hotel and thoughtfully designed community event spaces ‘The Sanctum, The Sacred Precinct and the Holy Garden’ tastefully curated with art installations that celebrate Chennai and the rich culture and heritage of Tamil Nadu. VR Chennai will also introduce ‘Foodbox’ which offers multi-cuisine, all-day dining options for an unrivaled experience to make every family outing special. Strategically located in Annanagar, VR Chennai will be the state’s first experiential lifestyle destination. With a flourishing cosmopolitan population, the buzzing suburb of Annanagar comprises of the upscale residential neighbourhoods of Kilpauk, Mogappair and Nungambakkam townships.

Chennai’s OMR to get Marina Mall

OMR Mall Developers Pvt Ltd (OMRD) plans to construct a 5,40,000 square feet shopping centre, Marina Mall, on the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR or Rajiv Gandhi Salai) in Chennai.

The company has raised a debt funding of Rs 244 crore from Kotak India Real Estate Fund for the completion of its shopping centre. OMRD is a special purpose vehicle promoted by Mukrim Habeeb and developer Allied Investments and Housing Pvt Ltd

A 126-room hotel and a residential property will also be developed at Marina Mall, with an additional 4.50 lakh square feet of car park. The project is expected to be finished within 8-10 months.

"This funding will help fast track the development of our Marina Mall in Chennai, which we expect to become a shopping destination. This will be the only Grade-A shopping centre in a 25-km radius, housing top national and international brands and fulfilling the social need of the OMR stretch," said Habbeb.

The mall has been designed to give a 360-degree view from the main atrium. The centre will have an eight-screen multiplex, a large family entertainment centre and about 100 stores, including key retailers such as Lifestyle, Spar Hypermarket, Inox, Pantaloons, Reliance Trends, Max Fashions, Home Centre.

Chennai will add 4 malls to existing 12 by 2020

The city will add four new shopping malls to the existing 12 by 2020, increasing its total mall retail space by 38% -from 5 million sqft to 6.9 million sqft.

Over the course of the next three years, 34 new malls, spread over 13.6 million sqft, will come up across the country, with Hyderabad accounting for one-third of this space and Chennai 11%, says a report by international realty consultant Cushman & Wakefield.

Malls in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune, the report says, will supplement space in their current inventory by around 20% in the same period.

Of the new malls coming up in Chennai -where Phoenix Market City (1 million sqft) is now the largest -two will be in Velachery and one each in Anna Nagar and Navalur. VR Mall in Anna Nagar, nearing completion, will measure up to Phoenix in size, the report says.

Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pure are the only major cities where new malls opened this year; none were opened in Chennai, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Malls in Delhi added 3.1 million sqft last year, while Chennai and Hyderabad drew a blank. Mumbai was the only city to add mall space in 2017 (1.1million sqft) over 2016 (8.5 lakh sqft). Pune dropped from 8.37 lakh sqft last year to 6 lakh sqft this year.

While there was a 55% jump in mall space leasing (2.3 million sqft) across the country between January and September 2017, new supply , at 1.9 million sqft, during the period was a yearon-year decline of 63%.
Developers have regained confidence, with investors showing greater commitment. Private equity funds invested an estimated `7,959 crore in malls between January 2016 and September 2017, the report said.

After a prolonged period of slow growth, the retail sector has regained momentum, it said. "Increasingly it is understood that retail malls will continue to hold importance as a "destina tion going beyond stores and selling," the report said.Even e-commerce firms are establishing a physical presence through "experience" stores in malls and on prominent high streets, it said.

"With the estimated size of retail sector pegged at Rs 1 trillion by 2020, at a CAGR of approximately 15% between 2016 and 2020, the scope for retail real estate remains high. With foreign retailers entering the country and aggressively expanding, brands prefer to be located in malls that are likely to have higher occupancy levels," said Cushman & Wakefield India country head and MD Anshul Jain.

The only city not expected to see any change in the mall sector in the next few years is Ahmedabad, which remains a large high street retail city, the report said.

Whatever you do, do not drape your saree like Shilpa Shetty

There's a very, very fine line between beautiful and weird when it comes to experimental fashion. The latest thing that has caught tinsel-towners' attention for experimentation is the traditional Indian saree.

Yes, we agree that the six-yard wonder was being draped in exactly the same way (more or less) over the past many decades. And yes, a refreshing experiment or two in that direction was more than needed. But what Shilpa Shetty wore recently actually made us feel a little bad for playing around with such a beautiful traditional piece of clothing.

This is what Shilpa Shetty recently wore:

Now, we're all for experimental fashion. But this saree is just taking things to a whole new level of weird. The IKAI saree is not just looking uncomfortably draped--we wonder how she's walking in it--but it also looks incomplete. The attire is more of a skirt with pallu, worn with a contrasting coloured crop-top. And those Louboutin pumps are just the wrong pick for the attire, especially the colour.

The sad part is, Shilpa has experimented with sarees in the past too, and has emerged looking rather beautiful in them. Here's the case in point:

This one experiment, however, just went a little over the top, Shilpa.

My father wanted a Bengali girl for me, I needed a boy: India’s first Miss Trans Queen

The 26-year-old realised she was a woman trapped in a man’s body when she was just a child and has seen a lot of heartbreaks and broken friendships after she decided to change her gender.

She started the transformation process through hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after she moved to Delhi and has held her high ever since.

Nitasha, who is pursuing a management course, will now represent India in the Miss International TransQueen in Thailand in March 2018.

We caught up with the Kolkata girl to get a peek into her life’s struggles, her beliefs, and how her Miss Trans Queen title could change things for the transgender community in India.

How long does the transition process take to change one’s gender?

It takes around three to four years. Throughout the process, I was talking with my psychologist and my cousin brother. It’s tough because you need to understand who you are as a person and who you are as a soul.

When did you realise you wanted to be a woman?

Right from childhood. When my school friends from St Xavier’s went to play football, I stayed home. I was fond of badminton though and played a lot. But, mostly I was nurtured within the walls of my house and watched TV and stayed home. My mother died when I was very small so my dad played the role of a mother and father both. My brother (seven years elder) also supported me a lot because I came out to him in Class 6, though I knew about myself since Class 4.

He thought that it was a phase I was going through and that I would fall out of it and start liking girls, but I told him I am a girl myself. In fact, when I was in Class 10 he told me that it’s high time I started watching p**n. So, he gave me an adult CD and I gave it to my father, who freaked out. My brother didn’t talk to me for a week. After finishing my schooling from St Xavier’s and graduation from National Institute of Media and Communication, I moved to Delhi to start my transition phase.

What sort of reactions did you get when you told people you wanted to change?

I had a lot of friends leaving me and people talking behind my back. Initially, I felt bad but I held my head up high. I hardly had any friends during that phase. It was basically my friend Raunak, who was there for me, and my father, back in Kolkata.

When I finally came out to my father, I told him, “I am the reincarnation of your wife, so you cannot throw me out. This is when I was in Mumbai, had become a girl, and my father had come to meet me.”

Even before my transition, my father was trying to convince me that I should get married and that he would look for a Bengali girl for me. Which is when I told him, “But I want a Bengali boy!”

What are the issues faced by transgender women in India?

There is a lot of discrimination; there are rapes and no family support. When a person is taking such a decision, the family just throws them out. When you go out and people look down on you, it feels really bad. Due to this 70% of the transgender population is going under depression because society discriminates against them and looks down upon them. There is no monetary or job support and many end up in the s*x trade.

Sometime back, I also came to know about a transgender woman who was not accepted by her family due to which she decided to leave her house. She ended up in a circus, performing as a freak show. Though people used to laugh at her, she used to feel good because she could finally be what she thought herself as. But, the situation kept worsening for her, and ultimately when she died, there was no one there to even cremate her.

What needs to be done for the transgender community in India?

There need to be a lot of employment programmes. Thai airlines, PC Airways has [transgender women] air hostesses working with them, why not Indian airlines? Why not Indigo? Why not Vistara and the others? There need to be special boards formed that help provides money to transgender women for their education. There also needs to be a lot of awareness and education about transgenders in the villages. I even have a book coming out in a few months titled, “Nitasha: The voice of many” by Alka Vasudeva. She had seen me and said she wanted to write a book about me.

There also needs to be member of Parliament (MP) seats for transgenders. Only a transgender MP can understand the issues our community is facing.

What happens when you eat like a Victoria's Secret model for a week?

If you’ve ever tuned in to a Victoria’s Secret fashion show, chances are you’ve wanted to know the secret behind their impossibly long limbs, tiny waists and thighs that don’t meet in the middle.

But, it turns out that being a VS Angel and maintaining the physical image associated with the brand is a seriously gruelling, and damaging task.

In a bid to debunk what people deem as healthy, two YouTubers decided to take on the diet of a pre-show Angel only to be left feeling worn-out, moody and seriously underfed, the Daily Mail reports.

Candace Lowry and Michelle Khare teamed up for a new video where they decided to spend four days eating like one of the famous super models.

Despite citing a dietician consulted by Shape who said, “I wouldn’t recommend this diet to anyone,” the pair decided to go ahead but explained that they wouldn’t be going the whole hog.

Instead, they limited themselves to two ‘normal’ days of eating like a model before moving on to the arduous pre-show liquid only diet for another two days.

Their routine was based on the habits adopted by one of the most prominent and longest-serving Angels, Adriana Lima, who revealed the lengths she went to before an event in an interview with The Telegraph in 2011.

Nine days before the show, Lima claimed that she would drink nothing but protein shakes made with powdered egg and a gallon of water. Then, two days before showtime she would cut back on the water before the 12 hours leading up to the show where she would consume nothing at all.

“No liquids at all so you dry out, sometimes you can lose up to eight pounds just from that,” she said.

For the first day, the YouTubers ate a diet of oatmeal, egg whites and orange slices followed by a ‘boring’ dinner of broccoli, quinoa and chicken breast.

But by the second day, Michelle was already complaining of feeling very ‘tired’ and by third admitted that she was struggling with a terrible mood bought on my practically starving herself with the liquid diet.

“This diet is terrible and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemies,” Michelle said.

“It's not a healthy way to lose weight and it's strange to me because... no one as a regular person would go through this and these models are supposed to represent the people buying the clothes.”

At the end of the experiment, Michelle insisted that the liquid diet days were nothing more than survival and that it had caused her to have trouble sleeping.

7 Things That Don’t Impress Me Anymore - Joshua Becker

Joshua Becker about a measure of success and respectability in the modern world:

I began to look at the world a bit differently since I decided to keep less stuff. I looked from another point of view on how the society measures a success. Too often those who earn, spend, and save more than others automatically become "successful."

But it’s bad. I know several wonderful people who decided not to focus on material things — and that’s why they are not considered to be successful.

The dependence on public approval has run deep in our mind. That’s why many people look for ’worthy’ occupation, building a face of their success.

Here’s a short list of things which don’t impress me anymore:

1. Fashion label

I’ll never understand why a brand on the label is so important. People pay to be a billboard on two legs far too often. I’m not surprised to see a logo on a shirt, a wallet or watch. Instead, I admire those able to impress with their personality or character.

2. Number of carats in jewelry

There’s a chapter in my new book about Brian and Nicole, who are married for five years, and they refuse something every day to pay off a debt for an engagement ring. Maybe someone admired the gem’s size, but most people didn’t even notice it. Was it worth such efforts?

3. Price of a car

Sure, safety is a thing of extreme importance, especially if we spend the majority of time driving. But now, high-priced and sports cars become more than just a transport: it’s rather a good way of causing the strangers’ admiration for 60 seconds on the stoplight.

4. Square footage of a house

Private houses provide us with stability and calm, and I was really proud buying a house for my family. But several years ago, we moved to a smaller one, and I haven’t regreted it, not even once. When I drive by big mansions I remember how happy my family is in our small, but cozy home.

5. The size of a bank account

Nowadays, the absolute measure of success is the size of personal wealth. We’re not the first applying this criterion: similar standards existed at all times. But maybe the size of our bank account isn’t an appropriate measure for success? Maybe a number of good deeds we’re able to do during our life will be a better measure?

6. A model of a smartphone

Recently, I was walking in the park with my children and their friends. I was flabergasted that their main topic were technologies. Which iPhone do you have? What number iPod is that? Guess who got a new smartphone on their B-day? Children under the age of ten spend time discussing modern technologies. I was ready to interrupt them, but remembered just in time that adults, actually, are just the same.

7. Photos on social networks

Almost everyone publishes beautiful pictures from his/her life — from new clothes and restaurant food to photos from concerts and airplane wings. These pictures are sifted through, and the best of them are published. It’s weird that then we accuse glossy magazines and advertising of an excessive use of Photoshop while we always edit our lives before sharing them on the Web.

Let’s try to impress and inspire people around us not with our things, but with our own lives and experiences.

This Woman Spent $14,000 to Look Like a Disney Princess. And There’s the Cutest Reason for It

Remember how when you were a kid, you dreamed of being in a fairy tale or even turning into your favorite fictional character? Meet Sarah Ingle from Denver, Colorado, a girl whose childhood fantasies came true. The 25-year-old regularly transforms into one of nine Disney princesses as part of her ’Princess Ever After’ project. A marketing manager by day, in her spare time, Sarah visits sick children in hospitals and volunteers at different events.

This is what Sarah Ingle actually looks like

And this is her as Snow White

Rapunzel

Cinderella

Merida

Elsa

Sofia

Aurora

Belle

Ariel

Men And Women — We Are So Different

Draw funny and honest comics about the differences between men and women. And yes, we’ve got our peculiarities, but remember, the main thing is that even though we’re different, we just can’t live without one another.

Nia Sharma ranks third among sexiest Asian woman; beats Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt

Jamai Raja fame actress Nia Sharma is on cloud nine for becoming the third sexiest Asian woman. She has beaten a plethora of the most stunning Bollywood actresses including Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif.

Deepika is ranked number one followed by Priyanka Chopra in the list, while Nia has attained the third position and fans are more than happy about it.

The actress started her career with Kaali – Ek Agnipariksha and later went on to get immense fame for her role in Jamai Raja. 

Apart from her shows, she has grabbed many eyeballs for her super sexy dresses at award functions, where she stood out of the rest of the crowd. Also her latest trips to Dubai and USA have helped her earn a huge fan following. She has been giving major goals to the young crowd. 

No seizure of gold jewellery up to 500g per married lady in Income Tax raids

Amendments to the I-T laws do not seek to tax inherited gold and jewellery as also those items that are purchased through disclosed or agriculture income, the government said today. 

The Lok Sabha earlier this week passed the Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, which proposes a steep up to 85 per cent tax and penalty on undisclosed wealth that is discovered by tax authorities during search and seizure. 

Dispelling rumours that jewellery would be covered under the amended law, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said the government has not introduced any new provision regarding chargeability of tax on jewellery.

"The jewellery/gold purchased out of disclosed income or out of exempted income like agricultural income or out of reasonable household savings or legally inherited which has been acquired out of explained sources is neither chargeable to tax under the existing provisions nor under the proposed amended provisions," the CBDT said. 

NO SEIZURE OF GOLD FROM MARRIED WOMEN

During search operations, conducted by I-T Department, there would be no seizure of gold jewellery and ornaments to the extent of 500 grams per married women, 250 gm per unmarried women as also 100 gm per male member of the family, it said.

"Further, legitimate holding of jewellery up to any extent is fully protected," it added.

The Bill, which is currently under consideration of the Rajya Sabha, will amend Section 115BBE of the Income Tax Act to provide for a steep 60 per cent tax and a 25 per cent surcharge on it (total 75 per cent) for black money holders. 

Another section inserted provides for an additional 10 per cent penalty on being established that the undeclared wealth is unaccounted or black money, taking the total incidence of levies to 85 per cent. 

CBDT said: "Tax rate under section 115BBE is proposed to be increased only for unexplained income as there were reports that the tax evaders are trying to include their undisclosed income in the return of income as business income or income from other sources. 

"The provisions of section 115BBE apply mainly in those cases where assets or cash etc. are sought to be declared as 'unexplained cash or asset' or where it is hidden as unsubstantiated business income, and the Assessing Officer detects it as such." 

PENALTY 

The Bill also proposes to raise penalty under I-T Act for search and seizure cases by 3-fold to 30 per cent, a move aimed at deterring black money holders, from 10 or 20 per cent currently. 

Once the amendments are approved by Parliament, there would be a penalty of 30 per cent of unaccounted income, if admitted and taxes are paid. 

This would take the total incidence of tax and penalty to 60 per cent. While proposing to amend Section 271AAB, the government has decided to retain the provision of levying penalty of 60 per cent of income in "any other cases". 

That would raise the incidence of tax and penalty to 90 per cent. During 2015-16, the I-T Department conducted 445 searches which discovered undisclosed income of Rs 11,066 crore. 

Total assets seized were Rs 712.68 crore. Also 545 searches conducted in 2014-15 have led to admission of undisclosed income worth Rs 10,288 crore. 

Total assets seized amounted to Rs 761.70 crore. Besides, 569 searches in 2013-14 saw admission of undisclosed income of Rs 10,791.63 crore and asset seizure of Rs 807.84 crore. 

This took the total undisclosed income which was admitted during searches to Rs 32,146 crore. 

Search and seizure operations are conducted by the tax department when the Assessing Officer believes that the assessee is unlikely to produce books of accounts or likely to suppress books of account and other documents which may be useful and relevant to an income tax proceedings.

Milan Fashion Week 2014: Moschino's Colourful Barbie Doll-Inspired Spring Summer 2015 Collection

Italian fashion house Moschino has gone Barbie-crazy with its Spring/Summer 2015 collection, which was showcased during Milan Fashion Week and streamed live online in high-definition. 

The collection paid homage to the iconic children's toy by featuring a plethora of voluminous blonde wigs. Daywear, evening gowns, summer dresses and swimwear in signature Barbie doll designs from the 1980s were arrayed in bright neon colours, gold and silver Lamé fabrics and shimmering organza ruffles. 

A model wears a Moschino dress in the traditional hot pink Mattel colours, complete with the brand name written in the Barbie font

Moschino does a great version of Exercise Barbie, complete with monogramed three-quarter pants tracksuit and matching pink dumbbells

Then there's Bath Time Barbie in diamanté-covered towels

Summertime skater Barbie came down the catwalk in matching bikini top, shorts and roller skates

Summer swimsuit dress Barbie flirts with the camera

Some of the models came with matching accessories, such as the Moschino suitcase and hanger-shaped handbag

Neon colours are in this season as Moschino teams a yellow and white robe dress with giant oversized sunglasses and not one, but two handbags

One of the most amazing pieces of the Moschino fashion show was a bow-shaped top that looked as if it had been stuck to the model's chest

The models were decked out in voluminous blonde or brunette wigs, pink lipstick and pink nails

Turquoise business woman Barbie sashays down the runway

Moschino rocked a pink quilted jumpsuit on the runway with a matching high heel handbag

Legally Blonde's Elle paid a visit to Milan Fashion Week to attend the Moschino fashion show, complete with a heart-shaped diamanté-covered bag

For Spring/Summer 2015, Moschino showed off a shiny gold lamé top and trousers look, complete with matching gold purse and gold high heels

Moschino's new line included a cocktail dress with organza ruffles that was definitely a Barbie dress design from the 1990s

This model is wearing a more typical Moschino design, but it works as a Barbie outfit too

Flashback to the 1980s – this purple dress was definitely inspired by a Barbie dress design

One of the boldest pieces in the new collection, Moschino combines modern design with Barbie-style prints

Women can rock suits too – Barbie influences this classy design

Close-up of the models – each one is designed to perfectly emulate the iconic girls' toy

A living Barbie doll – this elegant evening gown is a signature Barbie look

My first Barbie to life – Moschino shows off its version of an iconic character's design