Neon is sweeping the fashion world since last year and it showed up in the runways of both Spring Summer 2013 and Autumn Winter 2013 .... Fashion editorials all over the web has been proclaiming the return of the neon 80's for sometime now .... but for us here in India .... Neon is really not a trend .... we have been neonising our world since time immemorial .... where the western world use neon sparingly as an accent .... we Indians go the whole hog .... nothing is too bright on our tan skins ... we love colour .... the brighter the better .... Way back in 1956, legendary photographer Norman Parkinson traveled the length and breadth of India for a photo shoot for British Vogue .... when Diana Vreeland, then editor of Harper's Bazaar saw the images, she exclaimed famously ... "How clever of you Mr Parkinson, to know that pink is the navy blue of India" ..... what she meant obviously is that if black, navy blue and nudes was the common colour palette for westerners .... for Indians, colours like Rani Pink (shocking neon pink), lemon yellow, Sindoori red (neon orange red), parrot green,  Aasmani Neel ( neon sky blue), Firozi (neon tuquuoise blue), Santari (neon orange) is the common colour palette .... after all the Indian National Bird is the Peacock (the male) and the National Flower is Lotus .... and the best equivalent of western graffiti and Japanese Manga in neon can be seen on Indian truck decorations !!

Neon makeup from Sephora, Delhi

When The Iron Lady (2011) , the famous Margaret Thatcher biopic was released with Oscar Winner Meryl Streep in the title role .... the part of the world we live in did not really know or spared some thought about the sartorial choices of Britain's only female Prime Minister ..... After all, India has a strong tradition of Saree clad women politicians .... foremost image being that of our own only female Prime Minister ... the inimitable Indira Gandhi ...... But after the release of The Iron Lady and Meryl Streep's inevitable Oscar win .... Lady Thatcher and her fashion sense was once again in the limelight .... and our generation of post-cold war globalized Indians took eager notes of 80's power dressing .... adapting the whole idea of western power suits in corporate and formal life ..... But long before Maggie Thatcher, our own Indira Gandhi had the concept of power dressing down pat .... And no wonder that is why we see so many fashion parallels between both the world leaders .... Both were famous for their "helmet hairstyles" ..... Both favoured local textiles and fashions .... Both had signature neck wear .... In a way the feminized version of the neck tie - pearls for Lady Thatcher and a Rudraksha bead mala for Mrs Gandhi ... And both were a perfect showcase for restrained dressing, albeit carefully crafted by their media advisers .... Where the fashion never upstaged who they were .... Two crafty strong willed ladies who led their nations through turbulent times in a strongly patriarchal political establishment !!

On 19th march, DLF Promenade, Delhi organised a Fashion Bloggers Meet to introduce fashion bloggers and their readers with its participating brand's Spring-Summer 2013 collections .... A styling contest ensued with Fashion Guru Suneet Varma  as judge ..... Delhi Style Blog participated along with other Fashion Bloggers from Mumbai and Delhi .... and we won the contest :) .... The mere fact that one of the capital's swankiest mall and one of the country's most prestigious business house (DLF Group) organised this meet is heartening (represented by DLF Promenade and DLF Emporio Senior VP and Mall Head, Ms Dinaz Madhukar)  ..... because until now, Fashion Bloggers in India were in the nebulous zone of a young generation of internet junkies and practically media virgins unlike their counterparts in the west, who wield enviable influence and power over fashion diktats and style trends .... as Suneet Varma (one of India's foremost designers most known internationally for his iconic and quirky Judith Leiber bejewelled minaudieres), judge for the event said .... "The Indian fashion bloggers community is a growing one and an event like this will just be the right platform to showcase their talent."