And while I was there...

A few shots I got while visiting Lady Liberty...

Standing Tall

We visited the Statue of Liberty this weekend. Though, the excursion is a bit worn-out for the seasoned traveller -- who likes to explore the unknown... Statue of Liberty sounds a bit too touristy to me as well. Yet, I enjoyed it!

Visiting Lady Liberty can be quite exciting for anyone visiting New York City or even New Jersey. The trip, not only allows a peek into the American history and heritage, it is an ode to every immigranat in this country. And, of course, it is of great visual appeal and offers many great camera shots. Add to it a nice breezy ferry ride on the Hudson River.

The statue itself is enormous and a must see. One cant even gauge the size of it unless he sees it for real. Very few know about the statue's history -- that it was a gift from France to America on the occasion of American independence. The statue was built in France itself and then shipped all across the Atlantic Ocean to America, where it was installed next to the Ellis Island just off Manhattan.

What could be more surprising? that an exact replica of the statue (at a much smaller scale) is also installed in Paris on the Seine River... And is also visible from the Eiffel Tower.

For many years, the statue served as the American landmark. Ships travelling through the Atlantic Ocean, knew they have reached New York when they could see the statue from afar. They then docked at the Ellis Island, where the passengers had to clear immigration before entering the US.

Today, the Ellis Island still harbors the American museum of Immigration. And one can take a look at the old immigration records by stopping at the Island en-route the Statue of Liberty. All ferries make a stop at the Ellis Island, which is also included in the fare.

And why is the statue green? It is built with sheets of copper. Over the many years, the metal has reacted with oxygen and water and has changed the statue's color from original bronze to green.

The Circle Line ferries run from Liberty State Park in NJ and Battery Park in New York. Make sure you chose a bright sunny day and don't forget to take your camera along, or you will Miss the great views of the world-famous Manhattan skyline, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Verazzano Bridge.

A sloppy show

After attending his show at the NY fashion week last Friday, I am almost tempted to label Sabyasachi Mukherjee's Spring-Summer 2008 collection as sloppy! I am sure that raises a few eyebrows here and there, but I am driven by my honesty.

I won't say I am a fashion expert...but as a New York journalist, I sure have seen tad-a-few shows in the City to be able to comment on one. Being a New Yorker itself teaches you some very basic lessons of fashion. And if you live in this high profile city and want to jive-in with the rest of the Big Apple(ites), you sure would be following some good fashion sense.

Coming back to Sabyasachi's collection. Well, I am having to work some extra brain cells to be polite. No, I am not his critique....neither do I despise the designer...in fact I have been a fan of his...till last season, so to say. As much as I appreciated his collection at the New York Fashion Week in 2006, I also wore a Sabyasachi-inspired Saree for my own engagement this summer.

And, whatever I write here is out of sheer disappointment I went through last week. I think I was hoping for something much better. or shall I say much..much..much better.

For whatever I have understood about fashion shows and organizing one, I know for a fact that the success lies in its planning. I have interviewed many Indian and New York based designers and most of them suggest that not only should one have the best of the designs to show off... one must also plan for the right models...and for the right accessories to go with the designs...shoes, hair.. accesories...music...seating arrangement...and everything else.

Sabyasachi's show seemed to fail on many counts apart from the clothes. The designs did not offer anything fresh or out of the box. None would say that this was one of his spectacular shows where he presented something new. They were the same Sabyasachi cuts...same colors and same patterns.

But even if we leave the designer's creativity aside, even the planning wasn't up to the mark. Most models walked the ramp in their sneakers...and by New York fashion standards, that wont be flying too well. For the upscale New Yorker never thinks of anything less than stilettos and pumps.

There were also no accessories used to complete the looks. No hair-does... no hand bags and no jewelery. So the collection looked pretty much incomplete.

I do understand that coming from India, its a huge investment for anyone to show in NYC...but then if you are doing it...do it right! For the benefits that you may reap may even be better!