Joyce and Art Ostrin. Image courtesy of Early Halloween.

In a sprawling loft in the heart of Chelsea, a seasoned store bursts with musky clothes. From military uniforms to metal bras, 19th century corsets to classic couture gowns, poodle skirts to pirate tunics, the store is a pack rat’s heaven — and an exclusive one at that. At Early Halloween, you can play dress-up, but only if you’re an industry insider.

“We don’t rent to the public because I think it’s not right to the clothes,” says owner Art Ostrin. “You never know who is responsible enough to handle such fragile pieces.”

Early Halloween opened its doors the Christmas weekend of 1968 by veteran actor Art Ostrin and his sister Joyce. “Because of the theatre, I was just fascinated with clothing and jewellery from that period,” says Art. “So I toured a lot and bought a lot,” he said.

But Joyce says their fashion fascination began long before Art began acting. “I think we were born that way — with the vintage clothes gene,” she says.  “At 4 years old in the Bronx, we were taking the neighborhood kids down to our backyard and dressing them up in my mother’s clothes.”

The 8,500 sq. ft. vintage rental and styling house began by leasing its colossal collection to Hollywoord film studios, followed by fashion, photography, and publishing industries. Though Art may have been the backbone of the store, Joyce has always been its heart. “It has to do with a passion,” she says. “It’s been 41 years and that passion is still very much there.”

The store first struck industry gold when it provided costumes for the 1974 film The Great Gatsby. Since then, Early Halloween has received both movie and TV credits from the likes of Ali, A Beautiful Mind, Law & Order and The Sopranos. It  frequently scores editorial acknowledgments in Vogue Italia, Vanity Fair and W Magazine, even supplying designers with costumes to employ as creative muses. As long as these industries continue to thrive, these salient siblings will offer their unique supply to meet such high demand.

Early Halloween is at 130 West 25th Street 11th Floor, New York, NY 10001; Tel: +1 (212) 691-2933

Anil Kapoor in NYC - Image E. Nina Rothe

To write that Anil Kapoor is the hottest film personality today — both in Hollywood and Bollywood — would be an understatement. Quite at ease on both coasts of the US — in his newest venture as a featured guest star on Fox TV’s sizzling show ‘24′ shooting currently in LA or while promoting the latest film release by his successful Anil Kapoor Films Company, ‘Short Kut’ in NYC — the man, the legend, the amiable Superstar remains the darling of Indian cinema as well. And through it all, he has continued to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground, ever the gentleman, always the gracious host.

This past Monday, members of the media were blessed by Mr. Kapoor’s presence at an in-depth press conference held in NYC eatery Pranna, presented by Studio 18, sponsored by digital media distribution company SAAVN, favorite Asian network AVS TV and even my flight carrier of choice, Continental Airlines. Between the undeniable radiance of Mr. India himself beaming across the room, the Indian food and the wonderful vibe of companies all working to promote something that is SO close to my heart — championing Indian cinema throughout the world — the evening was a resounding success.

‘Short Kut – The Con Is On’ — a Studio 18 Indian Films release — is set in the behind-the-scenes, bigger-than-life world of Bollywood. The film tells the story of two strugglers, Shekhar and Raju, played by the deeply complex Akshaye Khanna and the subtly funny Arshad Warsi. While Raju makes it big as a superstar after stealing a script, Shekhar struggles to make it as a director after his script is stolen. Full of the charming comedy of errors, relationship triangles, rocking soundtrack and fabulous costumes we have come to expect from a Bollywood blockbuster and even boasting an item number featuring Anil Kapoor himself, the film promises entertainment to the max. As Mr. Kapoor pointed out “Right now in the world we need feel-good films, films that make us laugh, make us smile, make us happy!”

When asked about his favorite aspect of working on ‘24′ and thoughts about Hollywood, Mr. Kapoor replied “Everything about the experience has been fantastic! My work in Hollywood simply proves that anyone can work in any film, that nothing is impossible and everything is possible. I just finished shooting my fourth episode of ‘24′ and am going back to Los Angeles to shoot the fifth. When I accepted the role in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, I didn’t do it for the paycheck but for what I could learn from another genre, another director. I am also on ‘24′ as a learning process, to take back to India and say ‘This is how it’s being done in Hollywood’.” When questioned about his character on the Kiefer Sutherland-produced series, Mr. Kapoor did not put an end to any of the speculations that have been playing in the media but simply fueled the mystery and fed the frenzy of interest that has surrounded him lately with a vague answer.

A generous man and known philanthropist, along with his wife Sunita, Mr. Kapoor pointed out that “What makes me happy now is giving. I am going through a phase where I feel I want to give more than receive. We contribute to charities that fight child abuse and care for needy children”. When asked if he could share his own secret shortcuts in life, he chuckled and then answered “In real life, there are no shortcuts. The truth is you have to work hard, be sincere and believe in what you do. The film is very entertaining, but there is a message in there.”

Asked about the untimely death of Michael Jackson, never far from anyone’s mind these day, he answered with class “Michael Jackson was the greatest icon, star, the world has ever seen. He has inspired generations all over the world and was unique in being loved by so many, ALL over the world.” Particularly poignant word by a man from Jackson’s generation.

Finally, I had a couple of questions of my own for Mr. Kapoor. The first — posed to him during the press conference — had to do with his liberal use of the word ‘Bollywood’, a term often frowned upon by other Indian cinema personalities and insiders. He didn’t miss a beat in answering “The word is here to stay, whether we like it or not. We have to live with Bollywood as these days it’s a term recognized the world over”. The second question I was fortunate to ask him at the end of the afternoon, during an extraordinary quiet lull in his otherwise hectic schedule. 

CHIC TODAY: Mr. Kapoor, how do you feel about being named the official — and unofficial — ambassador of Bollywood?

ANIL KAPOOR: Have I been named that? Really? (laughs)

CT: Of course!

AK: Who has named me? (chuckles)

CT: Everyone! What kind of an impact do you think that carries?

AK: I am just doing my job, I am enjoying this whole process and doing my best.

Spoken by the fantastic Anil Kapoor in his typical style and grace! ‘Short Kut’ opens in cinemas worldwide on July 10th and will have a special NYC preview screening organized by the IAAC on Thursday, July 9th.

Nollywood Babylon - photo by Don Lobel, courtesy of MoMA

From July 3rd through the 9th, the Museum of Modern Art in NYC will be showcasing ‘Nollywood Babylon’, a fantastic documentary about the vibrantly exotic and colorful world of the Nigerian film industry. Born just over fifteen years ago, Nollywood — a play on the names of its cousins Hollywood and Bollywood — is now the third largest film producer in the world, after India and the US. And this in a country where the few movie theaters that were built in the Seventies, today appear to be more like ghost towns than actual entertainment halls. 

So how does a nation struggling with some of the highest unemployment numbers in the world, a dreadfully humid climate, unbearable bureaucratic corruption, unsafe urban conditions and limited filmmaking resources become the producer of more than 2,500 films a year? By operating mostly within budgets under $10,000 per film, by keeping wildly creative and inventive directors and producers at the helm and by blending ‘traditional mysticism and modern culture’ as the documentary’s filmmakers — Ben Addelman and Samir Mallal — point out. And last but not least, by embracing the biggest obstacle known to movie makers today — the ’straight to DVD’ conundrum. Indeed, Nollywood films are only available on video CDs and only distributed through the dark alleys of Nigeria’s local street markets.

Followed by the infectious opening credits to the sound of Fela Kuti’s famous afrobeat, the film begins with Lancelot Imasuen, one of Nollywood’s most beloved and prolific filmmakers, praying over his filming equipment, surrounded by his crew. He is the perfect representative of an industry that successfully blends the lack of monetary resources of Nigeria, with the inventive, creative power of its people. As it is later pointed out ‘Art is communication. Whatever story you are telling, 1001 Africans around the world are relating’. And with titles like ‘Back from America’, ‘Toronto Connection’ and ‘Desperate Billionaire’, it is clear what story Nollywood is telling.

It was impossible for me not to draw on my own fascination with the Indian film industry while watching ‘Nollywood Babylon’. Aside from the geographical similarities between Lagos and Bombay — some of the tropical landscapes of Nigeria’s capital reminded me of the Maximum City during monsoons and both sprawling metropolis are made up of large shantytowns and outrageous traffic  – there is little comparability in the finished film products. While Bollywood is mostly glitz and beautiful make-believe, Nollywood stays true to the social status of its country, telling African stories of anguish, redemption and spiritual salvation. But there is a similar flavor in the joie-de-vivre of the cast and crew working on the films, that great spirit of improvising on a dime and making do with below-than-state-of-the-art resources, which I naturally equate with their Indian counterparts.

Whether or not you are interested in filmmaking, or Nigeria as a country, or even the struggle of the people of this West African nation, this film is a MUST-SEE. Partly because of its rocking soundtrack — available on the ‘Nigeria Special’ CD — partly because Nollywood is going to prove itself as a force to be reckoned with — by introducing the Africa Movie Academy Awards, which have already created a buzz on CNN’s ‘The Screening Room’ — but primarily because of the twist revealed, which in my typical fashion, I shall not disclose here. All I can say is that it explained the film’s title and solved for me the mystery of why I found the soul of Nollywood so familiar, so close to that Bollywood state of mind I enjoy so much. Now, if only I could find Lancelot’s ‘Bent Arrows’ at my local DVD shop…

President Obama by Zito - Image courtesy of the artist

NYC ‘IT’ girls and cool boys were out in full force this past Friday night, to help those fabulous rockstars of footwear celebrate the launch of the Shane & Shawn ‘Artist Series’. Framed by the breathtaking views of the Penthouse at the trendy Hotel on Rivington, the party was presented by Bombay Sapphire and co-hosted by Micah Jesse. The event centered around an ‘Art & Shoes Silent Charity Auction’ benefitting New York Cares Art Program.

While celebrity benefits are plentiful in a party city like the Big Apple, this soiree stood out in my social calendar because of the fantastic art and the great cause. Downtown artist Zito unveiled his striking, dazzling portraits of the President and First Lady, Barack and Michelle Obama, while Alessandra DeLaCruz’s artwork — consisting of several large panels executed in varying textures of oil paint — added new meaning to the terms multi-dimensional and thought-provoking. To quote DeLaCruz herself “Paint is the King, and everything else pays tribute to the paint”. To that I’ll add “Hail to the Princess of oil paint!”

For those who could not commit to the large artwork for their lifestyle, there were plenty of hand-painted, one-of-a-kind pairs of shoes being auctioned off during the evening. Shane & Shawn’s glamorous heels and hip sneakers looked particularly spectacular repainted, re-thought and redesigned. And when the cause is helping artists make the world a more beautiful place for all of us to live in, bidding on a pair, or two, made good solid sense. It was a no brainer to a woman whose motto is “Once a shoe model, always a shoe lover”.

I was intrigued by Zito’s larger-than-life paintings of the Obamas. It is no secret that the last US election has influenced our daily life and culture, but it was interesting to discover the artist’s POV. When I asked him for his thoughts, he confessed “Regardless of where Obama takes us politically, his being elected was a defining moment in the evolution of human consciousness. It’s a good sign for the equality of all people when a member of a formerly enslaved group of people becomes the highest ranking official of the ruling class.”

While celebrity blogger and ‘Micahisms’ creator Micah Jesse was definitely the life of the party — spending most of the evening on the other side of the cameras and microphones, getting interviewed himself for a change — the stars of the evening were the generous hosts, handsome brothers Shane and Shawn. Consistently trendsetters, forever finding new ways to help today’s youth become tomorrow’s entrepreneurs — as with their newly launched Boardroom Rockstars program and website — and themselves great inspirations to all who have a dream, the gentlemen threw a party that will be remembered for some time… Particularly by the lucky few whose bids successfully earned them those priceless shoes and artwork!

Courtesy of Il Laboratorio del Gelato

Located in Manhattan’s Lower East side next to the Tenement Museum stands an ice-cream store that sells artisanal Italian gelato.

Serving over 200 flavours of ice cream, Il Laboratorio del Gelato blends creativity and quality with the finest ingredients. Founder Jon F. Snyder encourages creative experimentation, even allowing chefs from neighbouring restaurants to try their hand at new recipes.

“I’ve always liked the Italian word ‘laboratorio’…I wanted to build a facility where chefs could come and collaborate on new flavours. People love it,” said Snyder.

Standard flavours such as vanilla, chocolate and espresso are favourites with customers and wholesale clients alike. However, the more adventurous may be tempted by fresh figs, blood oranges and concord grapes–flavours that capture the seasons.

Prior to establishing Il Laboratorio del Gelato in 2002, Snyder co-founded Ciao Bella Gelato, now a national brand, at the tender age of nineteen. Six years later, Snyder sold the business and set his sights on Wall Street, but was soon craving adventure—and premium gelato.

“I followed the progress of my former company and when the idea came to me of starting up again in the ice-cream world, it made a lot of sense…It was cool to compete with my former company, cool to open something in the city, cool to get my entrepreneurial spirit moving again, and cool to bring a world-class product to Manhattan that I thought was lacking,” said Snyder.

As Il Laboratorio del Gelato becomes increasingly successful, there are plans for expansion. However, Snyder would bid arrivederci to his second child if prompted to follow in the large footsteps of Ciao Bella.

“It’s hard to say what the future holds. I’ve always said that if we ever get near the size of Ciao Bella, then it probably won’t be mine anymore. I think that in the food business, most of the time, quality suffers with quantity. And the goal has always been to remain a small and artisanal world-class destination.”

Let’s raise our cones to the sweet taste of success.

Il Laboratorio del Gelato, 95 Orchard Street, between Broome and Delancey, New York, NY 10002; Tel: +1 212 343 9922. Visit www.laboratoriodelgelato.com for more information

Sooni Taraporevala by Farrokh Chothia ©2009

When members of the press were treated to an afternoon screening of ‘Little Zizou’ this past November in NYC, surrounded by my distinguished colleagues I knew I was experiencing magical history in the making. A personal, from-the-heart, thought-provoking film with real characters ‘Little Zizou’ has since gone on to receive wonderful accolades, multiple festival awards and enjoyed 50-plus days success in most metropolitan Indian cinemas.

Now Xerxes – the boy with a dream to meet soccer great Zinedine Zidane – along with his feisty girl friend Liana, his romantic dreamer of a brother Artaxerxes, his religious fanatic father Khodaiji, the lovable and respected Boman Pressvala and his beautifully warm wife Roxanne are going to grace the Cines del Sur Film Festival in Granada, Spain for three screening beginning with Tuesday, June 16th at 5.30 p.m.. I predict the Spanish audiences will fall head over heels in love with this intimate slice-of-life story based in the Parsi community of Bombay but appealing to the hopeful, tender optimist in all of us.

I recently sat down with the film’s writer and director Sooni Taraporevala, best known for her long lasting collaboration with Mira Nair as the screenwriter behind such Nair-directed hits ‘Salaam Bombay’, ‘Mississippi Masala’ and ‘The Namesake’. We had a lovely leisurely breakfast together at a Hollywood hotel, ahead of a typical day of film-viewing cultural avalanche at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. Personally, I have experienced some interviews so exciting that I simply couldn’t wait to get back to my computer and begin working on them, while others I wished would never end as the person sitting across from me was just that interesting. For the first time, with Ms. Taraporevala I experienced a combination of both. Her beautiful voice and delightful personality made me wish the morning would never end, while my excitement grew at the thought of being able to bring her views and ideas to the Chic Today readers. So, without further ado, I give you Sooni Taraporevala!

CHIC TODAY: You have lived in such diverse cities as LA, Bombay and NYC…

SOONI TARAPOREVALA: And Newark, NJ!

CT: What do you like most and least about each city and which one is your favorite?

ST: I like Bombay the best because that’s home for me and it’s the city I grew up in. It’s the city I am most used to. I love the crowds, the smells, the noises of Bombay and every other city I have lived in, I always compare it to Bombay. So New York compares the most favorably because it’s most like Bombay — you know the smell of urine, the crowds, the energy and it’s a culturally diverse city. That complete sense of life being in your face all the time. You can’t escape it, it’s right there. So I would say Bombay comes first, New York comes second and LA comes last! In LA, I love the weather… I only like New York in the spring and summer, I can’t stand it in the winter, as it’s a totally different city with the cold weather and I find it utterly depressing. In LA the weather is gorgeous but when I was living here it just felt like such a one-industry town. It felt so removed from real life, very empty, almost numbing in a way.  

CT: What inspired you to become a screenwriter at first and then what pushed you to go even further and tackle directing?

ST: Luck By Chance, TRULY!

CT: The movie?!

ST: No, real luck by chance! My life has been totally unplanned and I never thought I’d be a screenwriter. It just so happened that I met Mira [Nair] in college and we really hit it off, bonded, became really good friends and had similar interests. We knew we wanted to work together at some point, so we worked on ‘Salaam Bombay’ and that was such a hit. Then, I found myself with a career as a screenwriter. I was a photographer before that. Again, photography also wasn’t planned, since before that I was studying Cinema Studies, which is theory and criticism. 

CT: Is that what you studied at NYU?

ST: Yes. Most normal people would study that and go into academics, teach as that would be what you do with such a degree. I did it because I enjoyed it, had a scholarship… So there has been no sort of immediate logic to my life. But I think in my own way, everything has helped, indirectly. Being a photographer really helped me with screenwriting. It helped me more than doing a degree in screenwriting. Because I think that if I had gone that route I probably would never have made it. I would have either gotten bored or thoroughly confused and dropped out. 

CT: Why did you choose to direct ‘Little Zizou’ yourself?

ST: For twenty years I had just written scripts commissioned by other people and never actually written a script for myself, a spec script. In June 2005 I went to ‘The Namesake’ shoot in Kolkata and came back, had a little bit of spare time and I had been thinking of an idea — it was just a kernel of an idea. So I started writing and started enjoying myself so much and it just grew into this wonderful story. I had all these people in mind, actors and locations and wrote it in 10 days. During that time, I would go out and meet somebody and they would work themselves into the story. For example Tino Francorsi – who plays Tito Fellini – I met him at a party, had no idea if he could act. I introduced myself to him, found out that he was half Parsi half Italian and that’s how the character happened. And later, of course, much after the script was written, I met him and said “Well, do you want to try out for this?” and thankfully he could act. So the script was very much inspired by real life, and that’s maybe why it’s such an odd script, because it’s melding things that are quite disparate into one.

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The white Palace Yurt suspended within the glass walls of NYC’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum’s conservatory is far from a forestial enclosure. Created by Janice Arnold for the Fashioning Felt exhibit, the Palace Yurt is comprised of 30 feet high panels crafted from multiple layers of silk, metallic and wool threads.

This felted glory took 8 months to complete and drove Arnold to Mongolia, where she was inspired by nomadic traditions and techniques.

Arguably, the best way to savour the experience is to lie with your head thrown back like a child at Disneyland. Mounted on specially integrated armature, the yurt suspends reality with superlative texture. High above, where the felt meets the ceiling, is a blue felted edge draped in couture sensibility and interspersed with crystals. Incorporating folkloric imagery, the installation reflects the poetry of nature, be it the simplicity of flowing water or tree branches.

Climb out of the box and into an alternate reality at the Palace Yurt.

‘Fashioning Felt’, 6 March – 7 Sept 2009, Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum, NYC.

Eames La Chaise. Courtesy of The Modern Museum of Art.

On a daily basis, we overlook ergonomic objects as works of art. Yet, at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, these objects are displayed in a whole new light, responding to the age-old question: ‘What is art?’.

What Was Good Design 1944-56 is comprised of 100 works, ranging from chairs to lamps, irons to bowls, proving that art lies in the eye of the beholder. Swiftly blowing away the dust particles, the museum revisits design aesthetics that were prevalent in Europe and New York City during the mid 1940’s.

“What was Good Design? is meant to open a chapter of MoMA’s past…to re-examine, even problematise, a legacy that looms large in both the history of the Museum and the larger scholarly field of Design History,” said  MoMA curator Juliet Kinchin,  accompanied by curatorial assistant Aidan O’Connor.

“For this show, we were inspired to look at the immediate post-war period after coming across a few hundred uncatalogued design panels in our storage,” they added.

Standing out above the rest are two classic artworks– Charles Eames’ 1948 full scale model of “Chaise Lounge” (La Chaise) and inventor Peter Schlumbohm’s 1941 glass Chemex Coffee Maker. The two  brought to light that what appears effortless in design can be complex when viewed from an innovative perspective.

“Works such as “La Chaise” or Hans Wegner’s oak and cane chair (known as “The Chair”) capture the ability of so-called good design to withstand the test of time; these remain iconic pieces today,” Kinchin and O’Connor commented.

Yet, they are just the beginning of a controversial debate on what constitutes good design.

“We believe that this installation is visually engaging with furniture and objects in dialogue with textiles, photographs, and lamps. There is also a substantial amount of contextual information offered as further food for thought,” Kinchin and O’Connor concluded.

The exhibition can be viewed at New York’s MoMA until November 30, 2009.

Starting on June 5th and running through June 18th 2009, the Museum of Modern Art in NYC will be featuring a sixteen-film exhibition of modern Indian cinema. Far from the Bollywood of wet sari scenes and lovers dancing around a tree, these films represent a slice of filmmaking that is young, fresh and trendsetting!

Among the films featured are Zoya Akhtar’s ‘Luck By Chance’ – look for an exclusive interview with the filmmaker in the next issue of Chic Today – Rajesh S. Jala’s moving documentary ‘Children of the Pyre’ about the kids who make a living off Varanasi’s cremation ghats, Shashank Ghosh’s tongue-in-cheek Curry Western ‘Quick Gun Murugun’ and Ashutosh Gowariker’s epic love story ‘Jodhaa Akbar’, with a soundtrack by Oscar winner A.R. Rahman. Oh, and if the names Jodhaa and Akbar sound familiar, it’s because you might have read about this legendarily odd couple in Salman Rushdie’s novel ‘The Enchantress of Florence’.

During some of the screenings, select filmmakers and celebrities will be present, such as ‘Yes Madam, Sir’ documentary subject Kiran Bedi and director Megan Doneman, as well as the great actor Naseeruddin Shah presenting his thought-provoking portrayal of a man pushed to the edge in ‘A Wednesday’ and actress-turned-director Nandita Das for ‘Firaaq’, a cinematic look at the incomprehensible battles contrasting religions continue to create in modern India.

And NYC is just the perfect place for such a grand showcase of Indian films! After viewing the exquisite entertainment on the big screen, why not catch some delicious food in Curry Hill or Jackson Heights, both flavorful Indian neighborhoods and only a couple of subway stops from the museum…

Inside the studio and creative mind of Zhang Huan, one of the most recognized Chinese artists working in both the US and China.

Courtesy of Blue Marble Icecream

Tucked away within the bustling streets of New York City stands a luscious, melt-in-your mouth ice-cream parlour that is perhaps one of the city’s best kept secrets.

The Blue Marble Ice-Cream store in Brooklyn draws thousands of customers daily, offering rich ice-cream flavours courtesy of the finest organic ingredients sourced from upstate New York farms.

According to co-founder and proprietress Alexis Miesen-Brown, the philosophy behind Blue Marble Ice-Cream and its name derives from the essentiality of promoting eco-friendly products.

“Blue Marble got its name from the nickname for planet earth, the big blue marble. The idea was two-fold–first, that because we used only completely natural ingredients, our customers were actually tasting a piece of the earth when they were eating our ice-cream. Secondly, we wanted to use ice-cream as a modest, fun way to introduce people–especially kids–to the incredible tastes, landscapes and cultures of the world around them,” Miesen explains.

“Essentially, we wanted to offer consumers a high quality, integrity-packed alternative to some of the more mainstream and commercial ice-cream outlets in the area. We wanted young people to learn about the power of consumption and the impact our choices as consumers have on our surroundings and the well-being of our communities,” she adds.

Blue Marble not only advocates the use of natural ingredients in an effort to whip up the popularity of its infamous ice-cream concoctions (the strawberry flavour, made with real strawberries, is legendary), but also seeks to raise people’s awareness towards the environment. Its underlying message is that each and every one of us can effectively make a difference in saving the planet. In fact, Blue Marble is one of the most eco-friendly shops in the neighbourhood, going green with everything from its spoons to its electricity usage.

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