Verve - April - May 2020

في هذه القضية

In the cover feature of Verve’s Environment Issue, Sahar Mansoor, founder and CEO of the Bengaluru-based zero-waste social enterprise Bare Necessities, quotes the 19th century Native American leader, Chief Seattle: “Man didn’t weave this web of life. He is merely a strand of it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.” We at Verve couldn’t agree more. A call to arms is what is required at this time, and we move beyond documenting concerns about the environment to covering those who actually live the sustainable dream.

In this issue, we take a deep dive into mushroom farming — which has a smaller environmental footprint than other farms — with Mumbai’s own mushroom provider, Rohhaan Gawde of The Mushroom Company, who enlightens us on the health benefits of mushroom coffee and tea and the vegan benefits of using mushroom leather.

Navigating the country’s streets in a car is hard enough, but we look at what it is like to be a woman riding a bicycle. Five urban women talk to Shreya Dasgupta about this more affordable means of transport that does not burn fuel (only calories) or emit noxious fumes, despite the sometimes unwanted attention and catcalls.

In these days of lockdown, award-winning journalist Shalini Singh, who has broken stories on climate change and its effects on the environment, reminisces in words and pictures, about her most challenging travel assignments, in the bargain discovering that being out in the field is actually a journey within. While a different kind of inner journey leads to sisters Tashi and Tara Mitra discovering their personal style in second-hand clothing and thrift stores, as they eschew pollution-producing fast clothing and brands. And finally design must bend to the requirements of green living as well. We speak to nine design entrepreneurs who are making it convenient for us to upgrade the quality of our lives with arresting designs for their sustainable products.

Making Amends

This generation’s penchant for thoughtless consumption gets Madhu Jain roiled up, and she wonders if nature is getting its own back for our missteps…

3 mins

earth hour

Crafted using nature’s elements, these dials draw inspiration from the many heterogeneous materials and hues around us.Verve turns its lens onto a mesmerising few

3 mins

NOTES TO SELF

An anthropomorphized tiger’s perspective, a viscerally worded futuristic interpretation of loss, a critique of performative activism, a meta reflection on the earth’s crises. Told through different lenses, Janaki Lenin, Indrapramit Das, Keshava Guha and Roshan Ali’s stories — written exclusively for Verve — attempt to make sense of the fraught reality that we exist in today

10+ mins

NATURAL JUSTICE

Most of us are only just waking up to the urgency of climatic action. When the stakes are so high, what can individual action solve? Mridula Mary Paul, an environmental policy expert, is proof of the tenacity needed to effect systemic change. It’s not glamorous, and the rewards are few and far between, but that doesn’t stop her from aiming big, finds Anandita Bhalerao

9 mins

Redemption SONGS

Indian music festivals have been demonstrating a refreshing sense of responsibility in terms of their ecological impact. Interacting with stakeholders who strive to make these large-scale events greener, Akhil Sood investigates the reasons behind the improved attitudes of audiences and the increase in corporate support.

10+ mins

The Eternal Optimist

As Generation X and xennials grapple with fully transitioning to conscious living, young millennials and Generation Z are leading the charge to reverse human-caused environmental damage. Sahar Mansoor, founder and CEO of the Bengaluru-based zero-waste social enterprise Bare Necessities, has a simple overarching philosophy: consume less and stay positive. Verve gets deeper into the mindset of the action-oriented earth advocate

10+ mins

Diamonds With Provenance

In keeping with the company’s commitment to environmental and social responsibility, Anisa Kamadoli Costa, chief sustainability officer at Tiffany & Co. and chairman and president at The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, enlightens Shirin Mehta on the efforts that make the jewellery giant an industry leader in transparency

6 mins

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

Children are holding adults accountable for both the grim future they are facing and the toll this is taking on their mental health. Madhumita Bhattacharyya initiates conversations with families of young climate activists and observes the extent to which parenting has changed in the face of catastrophe

6 mins

SARTORIAL ECONOMICS

Sisters Tashi and Tara Mitra demonstrate to Akanksha Pandey how deviating from the mainstream can bend the way we think, live and dress

10+ mins

Along For The Ride

Navigating Indian streets as a woman is hard enough. But what is it like while riding a bicycle? Bengaluru-based Shreya Dasgupta, a regular cyclist, speaks to five urban women about the pros and cons of this increasingly popular means of transport.

8 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.