• By Mabel Pais

Calling All “I-Love-Wearing-Saree” Women!
Do you wish to wear the elegance of the Indian saree without the draping hassle?
Indo-American Sasha Revankar has found the answer.

Asia’s largest and most prominent showcase for young designers, India Beach Fashion Week (IBFW), has selected only ONE Indian American brand for its 2023 runway show on Goa’s private Divar Island on February 13 and 14, 2023. ‘One Minute Saree,’ a direct-to-consumer, online saree brand founded by Indo-American Sasha Revankar (originally from Goa) in early 2022, will unveil its eclectic collection on a fashion ramp for the first time at IBFW on Valentine’s Day 2023.

Rooted in tradition but crafted for the modern woman, ‘One Minute Saree’ is the fashion revolution for which the next generation of Indophiles has been awaiting. The desire to embody celeb-like grace in stunning sarees at weddings without the fear of tripping over a long pallu or sporting uneven pleats is an all-too-real fear for any millennial. ‘One Minute Saree’ ends the saree enthusiast’s draping woes with custom-stitched, pre-draped sarees that perfectly fit each time and leave wearers feeling as immaculate as they look, all under one minute!

Founded by sheer necessity, Revankar says: “After having been a bit traumatized from the experience of wearing a saree to a wedding while handling two little kids in 2018, I had basically given up on the idea of ever putting one on again. Even though I spent an hour perfecting my drape, the saree repeatedly came loose throughout the evening. It was a bit disheartening because I love the concept of a saree for the tradition and elegance it represents, but it was just too complicated, especially for someone living in the States – and where would I even go to buy a petticoat!”

Enter – ONE MINUTE SAREE! It is not a skirt or dress-type saree; it is still a wraparound cloth that fits adjustable sizes and maintains the flow and drape of the garment. Unlike other options, the goal is to stay true to the authenticity of sarees such as the traditional Nivi Sarees, Gujarati Sarees, and Kanjivaram Sarees, with inclusive sizes for all body types from extra small to extra-large.

The founders of India Beach Fashion Week had never seen a more practical way to wear a saree, and for this reason, they decided to include the line in their destination-wedding-themed fashion show. “We have always believed in the power of the young and the bold and have created a niche in the fashion segment since 2015. This season, IBFW positions itself as a platform for the daring fashion enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, designers, content creators, artists, fresh graduates, and early innovators who are changing the world with their creative outlook, vision, design aesthetics, and technology on a daily basis. ‘One Minute Saree’ is exactly the kind of avant-garde game-changer that will excite fashionistas and claim its rightful space in the millennial market,” said co-founders Pallav Ojha and Neha Asthana Ojha. The brand will present 14 looks on the runway on February 14th (Valentine’s Day) in Goa, and founder Revankar will also participate in a panel discussion on the Future of Indian Fashion for a Global Marketplace. For more information and to order your own piece from the collection, visit oneminutesaree.com.

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NIMBUS DANCE MAKES AN OFFER YOU CANNOT REFUSE

By Mabel Pais 

Interested in learning dance that integrates attention to a range of movement styles including contemporary dance, ballet, somatic work and dance theater?

You are invited for a free hybrid contemporary dance class with Samuel Pott, founding artistic director of Nimbus Dance. Don’t miss this special opportunity to learn from one of New Jersey’s leading choreographers.

Samuel Pott, founding artistic director of contemporary dance company Nimbus, teaches two master classes featuring choreography from his company’s repertory. Pott will teach two master classes, for beginners and intermediate/advanced dancers, featuring choreography from his company’s repertory. Each class integrates Nimbus’ principles and approach to movement, which include attention to detail, partnering, self-awareness and technique. During each class, Pott will guide dancers through a floor warm-up, improvisational exercises and choreographed sequences representing a range of movement styles including contemporary dance, ballet, somatic work and dance theater.

The intermediate/advanced class will be held from 12 – 1:30PM, followed by the beginner class at 2 – 3:30PM, at Nimbus Arts Center in Jersey City. You may also choose to tune in to either class virtually. Don’t miss this special opportunity to learn from one of New Jersey’s leading choreographers on February 18!

SCHEDULE

Sat, Feb 18 @ 12 & 2PM
Hybrid (In-person and virtual)
Nimbus Arts Center
329 Warren St, Jersey City, NJ 07302

2 classes:
1 Intermediate/Advanced class – 12 PM – 1:30 PM

VIRTUAL RSVP: njpac.tfaforms.net/145?id=a2F8X000008za2wUAA

IN-PERSON RSVP: njpac.tfaforms.net/145?id=a2F8X000008za2WUAQ

1 Beginner Class 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

VIRTUAL RSVP: njpac.tfaforms.net/145?id=a2F8X000008zaUQUAY

IN-PERSON RSVP: njpac.tfaforms.net/145?id=a2F8X000008zaTSUAY

In person classes will take place at Nimbus Arts Center. To learn more and for directions to Nimbus, visit nimbusdance.org.

Samuel Pott

Samuel Pott, founding artistic director of contemporary dance company Nimbus, teaches two master classes featuring choreography from his company’s repertory. Each class integrates Nimbus principles and approach to movement, these include attention to detail, partnering, self-awareness and technique. During the one hour and a half class, Pott will guide dancers through a floor warm-up, improvisational exercises and choreographed sequences representing a range of movement styles including contemporary dance, ballet, somatic work and dance theater.

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RESTORED FILM COMES TO USA
By Mabel Pais

IRREVERSIBLE: STRAIGHT CUT
Dir/Writ: Gaspar Noé l 2020 l 1h 26m l French w/Eng Subs

One night. An unforgivable act. A tale told in reverse.

Gaspar Noé’s infamous director’s re-cut has taken the notorious revenge film and ‘re-reversed’ it so that it now plays in chronological order. A restored version of the original film will play concurrently in select cities, and makes for an interesting double feature.

Nearly 20 years after the original film’s release, Noé world premiered IRREVERSIBLE: STRAIGHT CUT at the Venice Film Festival in 2019, and this release marks the U.S. theatrical premiere of his radically revised director’s re-cut.

Now available for the first time theatrically in the U.S., IRREVERSIBLE: STRAIGHT CUT – along with a restored original version in both digital and a new 35mm print format – provides an opportunity to see Noé’s potent account of humanity at its worst from multiple perspectives, and the unshakable understanding that time, indeed, reveals all things.

Not for the faint of heart, easily offended, or anyone with photosensitivity, this is Noé’s dark masterpiece, now in reverse and ‘re-reversed’ versions.

Watch the Trailer: vimeo.com/756509485/281f38e5f8

Release: Runs Feb 10-16 at the IFC Center, New York City and Landmark’s Nuart Theatre (Los Angeles, CA). Learn more at alteredinnocence.net/irreversible.

(Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Health & Wellness, Cuisine and Spirituality)