This year, we looked at the elusive quality of innate and one-of-a-kind chicness as we drew up our annual Best Dressed List. As India’s premier fashion and lifestyle magazine, we constantly seek out those who have mastered the power of dressing as a form of self-expression. These discerning style-makers throw together garments and accessories that mix and match high fashion with low; delve into their mothers’ and grandmothers’ closets to dust off vintage gems and don them with contemporary air; and their comfort in accessorising with even the most daring pieces is peerless — just look at our October cover star Sridevi Kapoor. These original women are comfortable in their own skin, and have no problem shucking trends and breaking the rules. As designers and the industry as a whole have begun to realise the importance of addressing the obvious reality that women come in all shapes, sizes, ages and colours, we at Verve also strive to empower our readers by providing a broader world view on what it means to be stylish, and above all, what it means to be an Indian woman today.
Going towards its 17th year now, Verve has been at the vanguard of the lifestyle industry in India since its inception. Being India's first fashion and luxury monthly and targeted as the spirit of today’s woman, it celebrates the interests of the multifaceted contemporary global Indian, including fashion, beauty and style, glamour, arts and culture, travel and wellness. The editor and publisher, Anuradha Mahindra, has received top billing in Avenue Asia's list of Indians involved in the media. More than just a magazine that reports and interprets, Verve is a catalyst for conversations around contemporary Indian culture in the world, and these conversations take place between the pages of the magazine, on the internet as well as through several Verve-organized offline event initiatives: Our theme-based Verve Lounges held in different Indian cities have become the talk of the arts, culture and fashion world; being the first of its kind in India. Among the new activities, Verve had a starring role in the Bollywood blockbuster film Dostana, featuring Abhishek Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra where the magazine was organically integrated into the film's storyline and was the focus point of a significant part of the film’s narrative. Verve has, for three years running, been a premier partner of the Indian International Film Awards (IIFA) fashion extravaganza, bringing behind-the-scenes news and coverage. Verve is also a member of the International Council of Altagamma, the Italian Luxury council and the magazine’s continuous success has been closely watched and studied, including at the Harvard Business School. Verve holds premium partnerships across industries and in the arts, culture and fashion fields. It has partnered Louis Vuitton with the Albert Kahn show and hosted a dinner for artists at Zodiac Grill, Taj. Verve was the magazine partner for the Toofles CEO fashion show and trunk show of Stella McCartney with Priya Chatwal and for ‘Women Mean Business’, a Cherie Blair initiative. Verve and Muse launched New York’s Breakthrough in Mumbai. Verve also ties up with several tourism boards and designs special evenings for the same.
