In this issue

In our new Design Issue, we focus on how citizens function within or are inspired by the jigsaw of man-made and natural elements that make up their metropolises. Cover personality Kavi Ahuja Motlz, one half of the duo behind cult fragrance label D. S. & Durga, talks to us about how her creative spark is ignited by everything she encounters; from her Brooklyn neighbourhood of Bed-Stuy, Russian literature and Indian mythology to goth fashion and Stevie Nicks. As you flip through the pages, you will also come across tales of a studio that is revolutionising outdoor recreation for children in Indian cities, a photoseries that captures the architectural idiosyncrasies of the conflicting parts of Berlin and the queer aesthetic of a boundary-pushing Ahmedabad-based zine. Traverse the unique pathways of Indian and global design in our latest issue, now on stands.

Quality Controllers

Stepping into a demanding realm of work, they have harnessed technology to develop and reinvent urban topographies. Trupti Amritwar Vaitla, Dipika Prasad and Trupti Doshi tell Shraddha Jahagirdar-Saxena about their innovative planning methods for optimising the potential of Indian cities…

10+ mins

Out Of The Binary

An LGBTQIA+ collective from Ahmedabad brings unsung South-Asian narratives under the umbrella of its annual zine, Tilt. QueerAbad co-founder, Anahita Sarabhai, tells Ojas Kolvankar how up-and-coming queer artists are portraying their multi-hued perspectives.

4 mins

Sign Language

Roaming across Mumbai, Tanya George analyses the cosmopolitan capital’s multilingual typographic landscape.

4 mins

Built To Impress

New Delhi’s buildings and thoroughfares are purposefully constructed symbols of wealth and power that dictate who’s in charge, maintains Madhu Jain, as she ruminates on the city’s hierarchy by design…

4 mins

Full Circle

The fashion industry is capricious; it looks towards the future but is grounded in nostalgia.

1 min

Livin' La Vida Local

A stranger to Instagram until two years ago, 37-year-old Shrima Rai has renounced a lucrative career in banking and made a successful foray into the glittering realm of the now-ubiquitous digital influencer.

5 mins

Changing The Games

Designer duo Aditi Agrawal and Anjali Menon’s studio, Gudgudee, develops recreational areas and products to help make our metros more child-friendly, one playground at a time, learns Huzan Tata.

6 mins

Aromatic Landscapes

A heady dose of nostalgia permeates D. S. & Durga’s intricately layered universe. Kavi Ahuja Moltz and David Moltz, the couple behind the decade-old brand, give Rymn Massand a glimpse into how they have carved a unique niche in the perfume industry.

9 mins

Just Passing Through Kolkata

As Shreya Ila Anasuya revisits the city that she once knew so well, she takes us on a tour that highlights the multicultural make-up of various quarters in Bengal’s capital…

5 mins

Standing As One

The Berlin Wall, a prominent symbol of the Cold War, had divided a country, and city, for decades. After the wall fell in 1989, the German capital was left to reconcile two contrasting aesthetic and ideological identities. Rohan Hande captures architectural idiosyncrasies and coexistence in the formerly east-west districts.

2 mins

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Verve Magazine Description:

Going towards its 26th 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:

Verve is a magazine about the international Indian woman who rubs shoulders with the world with confidence and élan. She belongs to a high-income group and is well aware of the latest trends and styles, be it in fashion, the arts, cuisine or world events. Verve appeals to the intelligent, urbane, educated and affluent woman. She would be 25 years of age and above. She is likely to be an independent entrepreneur or a corporate professional or a socialite. She is well-travelled, fashion conscious and appreciates luxury with a side to her that is culturally sensitive with aesthetic sensibilities. Overall a multi-faceted, stylish and glamorous woman. All in all, the Verve reader looks upon the magazine as an invaluable lifestyle resource for the best in contemporary urban Indian living.