Latest news with #Aisha
Hans India
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Sara Ali Khan walks the ramp for Aisha Rao at FDCI India Couture Week 2025
The human imagination is the seedbed of everything we know to be beautiful it created the Mona Lisa's smile and recreates its mystery anew with each viewing; it dreamt up stories of flying carpets long before airplanes took to the skies; it lets us step into another's world and feel what they feel, making compassion possible. Imagination can be wild, untamed, unpredictable and yet, from its chaos come masterpieces. It is this very wildness, the sheer force of fantasy, memory, and the power of possibility that finds its fullest expression in Aisha Rao's latest collection. Wild at Heart is a love letter to nature in all its untamed glory; a maximalist ode to the wilderness, wrapped in metallics, softened with whimsy, and structured with intention. It is a sanctuary imagined, a moment suspended between memory and fantasy, a riot of flora that knows no bounds. At its core, Wild at Heart is an invitation: to live a little louder, to wear your joy like second skin, and to turn everyday moments into visual poetry. The collection borrows from the lush vocabulary of the natural world - banana leaves, lotus blooms, palms kissed with light filtered through the lens of Aisha Rao's signature known for its fantasy-driven appliqué and surrealist storytelling. Each piece has structure and softness, geometry and garden, drapes that flirt with tradition, blazers with a sense of theatre, and patterns that feel like the dream you didn't want to wake up from. The silhouettes are sharp but soft. The textures, richer than ever before. Think hand-drawn florals set against architectural tailoring. Delicate embroidery meeting exaggerated forms. Appliqué that moves like memory. And underneath it all, a quiet strength. Showstopper, Sara Ali Khan said, 'I've always been drawn to pieces that tell a story, and this look really does that for me. I'm wearing the rose gold Banarasi tissue brocade lehenga with intricate appliqué, detailed in geometric checks and whimsical florals with beads and crystals embroidery by Aisha, and what I love about it is how light and effortless it feels. Every detail is so thoughtfully done… It's playful, graceful, and beautifully made. I'm so glad I get to wear something that feels so me today. Thanks, Aisha.' Couturier, Aisha Rao, said, 'Presenting our debut couture collection at India Couture Week has been nothing short of a dream. Wild at Heart is deeply personal, an expression of fantasy, freedom, and everything we love about maximalism. We're incredibly grateful for the platform, for the collaborators who believed in the vision, and for the chance to reimagine bridal and occasion wear on such a grand, storied stage.' The show space was imagined in collaboration with Kohler, who brought its signature colours - Teakberry, Lush Green and Brushed Rose Gold into the collection. Towering gold palms rose against sculptural forms in these rich hues, a deliberate collision of tropical abandon and slow luxury. It was indoor meets outdoor. Earth meets imagination. A reminder that contrast is not chaos, it's character. In a special collaboration for the show, Aisha Rao partnered with SHREE Jewellers to create an exclusive capsule of fine jewellery that extended the collection's fantastical spirit. Delicate yet dramatic, the pieces featured a thoughtful interplay of diamonds, rose cuts, baguettes, and briolettes, all infused with colour in keeping with Aisha's signature palette. This was jewellery imagined not as accessory, but as narrative, sculptural forms and heritage echoes that mirrored the collection's blend of maximalism and meaning.
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First Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- First Post
FDCI India Couture Week 2025— Sara Ali Khan on being the showstopper for the show: 'Glad I got to wear something that...'
The actress said, 'Every detail is so thoughtfully done… It's playful, graceful, and beautifully made. I'm so glad I get to wear something that feels so me today.' read more The human imagination is the seedbed of everything we know to be beautiful it created the Mona Lisa's smile and recreates its mystery anew with each viewing; it dreamt up stories of flying carpets long before airplanes took to the skies; it lets us step into another's world and feel what they feel, making compassion possible. Imagination can be wild, untamed, unpredictable and yet, from its chaos come masterpieces. It is this very wildness, the sheer force of fantasy, memory, and the power of possibility that finds its fullest expression in Aisha Rao's latest collection. Wild at Heart is a love letter to nature in all its untamed glory; a maximalist ode to the wilderness, wrapped in metallics, softened with whimsy, and structured with intention. It is a sanctuary imagined, a moment suspended between memory and fantasy, a riot of flora that knows no bounds. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD At its core, Wild at Heart is an invitation: to live a little louder, to wear your joy like second skin, and to turn everyday moments into visual poetry. The collection borrows from the lush vocabulary of the natural world - banana leaves, lotus blooms, palms kissed with light filtered through the lens of Aisha Rao's signature known for its fantasy-driven appliqué and surrealist storytelling. Each piece has structure and softness, geometry and garden, drapes that flirt with tradition, blazers with a sense of theatre, and patterns that feel like the dream you didn't want to wake up from. The silhouettes are sharp but soft. The textures, richer than ever before. Think hand-drawn florals set against architectural tailoring. Delicate embroidery meeting exaggerated forms. Appliqué that moves like memory. And underneath it all, a quiet strength. Showstopper, Sara Ali Khan said, 'I've always been drawn to pieces that tell a story, and this look really does that for me. I'm wearing the XX lehenga with XX embroidery by Aisha, and what I love about it is how light and effortless it feels. Every detail is so thoughtfully done… It's playful, graceful, and beautifully made. I'm so glad I get to wear something that feels so me today. Thanks, Aisha.' Couturier, Aisha Rao, said, 'Presenting our debut couture collection at India Couture Week has been nothing short of a dream. Wild at Heart is deeply personal, an expression of fantasy, freedom, and everything we love about maximalism. We're incredibly grateful for the platform, for the collaborators who believed in the vision, and for the chance to reimagine bridal and occasion wear on such a grand, storied stage.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The show space was imagined in collaboration with Kohler, who brought its signature colours - Teakberry, Lush Green and Brushed Rose Gold into the collection. Towering gold palms rose against sculptural forms in these rich hues, a deliberate collision of tropical abandon and slow luxury. It was indoor meets outdoor. Earth meets imagination. A reminder that contrast is not chaos, it's character. In a special collaboration for the show, Aisha Rao partnered with SHREE Jewellers to create an exclusive capsule of fine jewellery that extended the collection's fantastical spirit. Delicate yet dramatic, the pieces featured a thoughtful interplay of diamonds, rose cuts, baguettes, and briolettes, all infused with colour in keeping with Aisha's signature palette. This was jewellery imagined not as accessory, but as narrative, sculptural forms and heritage echoes that mirrored the collection's blend of maximalism and meaning.
News18
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Sexy! Aisha Sharma Turns Up The Heat In Her Latest Hot Viral Video
Last Updated: Recently, Aisha Sharma shared a photo in which she is seen posing infront of the window mirror. Aisha Sharma is raising temperatures yet again. The stunning actress and fitness enthusiast took to Instagram on Sunday to drop a scorching new video that has set social media on fire. Dressed in a sultry black outfit with bold makeup and effortless confidence, Aisha flaunted her toned physique and style quotient, leaving fans in awe. Taking to her Instagram handle, Aisha Sharma shared a video in which she is flaunting her fits and flaunting her physique. 'A week in fits, in my single, unready to mingle, want to be soft, forced to be strong, writer's era," read the caption. Fans reacted with heart emojis in the comment section. One of the fans wrote, 'Stunning." Watch the video here: Recently, Aisha Sharma shared a photo in which she is seen posing infront of the window mirror. She is wearing a denim skirt and a black off shoulder top. The actress looked sexy as she flaunted her toned physique. Aisha left fans stunned as she flaunted a daring look in a cleavage-baring outfit that oozed confidence and charm. The photo, which she shared on Instagram stories, features Aisha in a deep-cut black ensemble, accentuated with minimal accessories and bold makeup. The photo quickly went viral. She is seen posing for a selfie and opted for a casual flaunting her cleavage. Aisha Sharma raised the temperature as she dropped a sizzling video where she's seen striking poses in front of a mirror, dressed in a barely-there cream halter bralette and a thigh-high slit skirt that highlights her toned frame. The outfit features a twisted cross-front design, making the ensemble look both sensual and sculptural. This isn't the first time Aisha Sharma has turned a mundane backdrop into a fashion runway. Whether it's an elevator, a bar, or a sunlit corner at home, Aisha knows how to serve fashion with a side of effortless confidence. In a recent series of mirror selfies, she was seen rocking a strapless powder blue mini dress with midriff cut-outs, paired with fierce black knee-high boots. For the uninitiated, Aisha Sharma is an actress and model with a massive social media presence. With over 6.3 million followers on Instagram, she keeps fans engaged with glimpses into her glamorous life, gym routines, travel escapades, and fashion experiments. She is also the younger sister of actress Neha Sharma and frequently trends for her daring, fashion-forward looks. First Published: July 27, 2025, 15:16 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
New Straits Times
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Aisha Retno's first solo concert marks a fresh start for her
POPULAR singer and songwriter Aisha Retno finally has her own showcase, and she has worked hard for it over the last year. "Having been on a seven-month hiatus, I now feel a lot more energised than before," said Aisha at a recent press conference in Kuala Lumpur to announce her concert and the launch of her new album. "While I am still learning to compose music and have a long way to go, I am extremely happy to have my very own showcase at last." NEWCOMERS Aisha revealed that her first solo concert will have special guests, both veterans and newcomers to the music scene. A notable name is Aziz Harun, her good friend from Brunei, whom Aisha's fans often describe as her best duet partner, along the lines of 1970s legends the late Datuk Hail Amir and Uji Rashid. Aisha said: "I love electronic dance music (EDM), rhythm and blues (R&B) and even traditional pop (lagu Asli). "All these are part of the mixed bag of goodies that is my new album." JOY She added that while the album might not satisfy everyone, she would always jump for joy whenever fan feedback is good. "It doesn't matter how popular it is, what makes me feel most satisfied is knowing that my fans love my music." REST Of the 12 songs in her new album, Aisha's favourite is titled 'Jeda' which means "rest". "The rest time that this song refers to is my seven-month hiatus, and this resulted from some unfortunate events in the previous year," she said, adding that it was the second single after 'Tak Adil' in the album. "In one of the songs, too, I depict myself as a character named Srikandi in the colourful music video. "And this warrior queen is a woman who does not need her man, Arjuna the warrior prince." ROJAK Aisha's new album titled Rehab is a "rojak" album which was released on July 25. "It is like a fresh start for me, though my passion for creating good music remains the same," she said, adding that she will be performing 12 songs during the concert. Aisha revealed that besides Biduanita Negara Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza, she was largely inspired by award-winning female singers Jaclyn Victor, Aina Abdul and Ernie Zakri, whom she describes as super singers. "They write their own songs, and they are strong and independent women." In fact, Aina and Ernie have what it takes to be the next Biduanita Negara after Siti Nurhaliza, she said. MOTHER In the concert, Aisha plans to bring her mother up stage to sing a few evergreen songs with her. Her mother Jean Retno Aryani was a famous singer from Indonesia, who taught her music and inspired her to be a star. She is her best friend and biggest fan. "My mum is my everything, I'm a real mummy's girl all the way." CLOSE Aisha's brother Radi Saipulijan is the producer of the concert, and both siblings have always been close. "My brother and I grew up together, listening to the same type of music. We are soul mates and very much so till today." Personal experience inspires Aisha's songwriting, as well as stories she learnt from her friends and relatives. "If I could create a beauty product specially for my beloved fans, it would be a colourful dress titled Rehab by Aisha Retno," she said. "I love fashion, especially colourful, flowery and out-of-this-world dresses." EDM Aisha vows to perform more EDM songs as she likes them most. "I'll be very energetic, doing lots and lots of dances on the night of the concert itself. Right now, I'm going to take good care of my health and get enough rest, besides eating right." Aisha, who will sing most of the songs in Rehab during her concert, describes the album as a tribute to her fans for supporting her journey thus far. "I would never have made it without all of you, so this is my labour of love specially for you." WORLD CLASS All of the songs were written by Aisha and produced by her brother, and she credits her "world class" production team for making the production process hiccup-free. The Sept 20 concert will take place at Jio Space in Section 19, Petaling Jaya, Selangor and is presented by LOL Asia. Aisha said: "I worked on the album in December, and I have five more songs to finish. "What I'm doing now is trying my best to release a song a month." INDONESIA Aisha admitted that her recent fainting spell in Jakarta, Indonesia was the result of not eating meals on time, and pushing herself too hard. "I feel a lot better now after that episode. I admit that I'm a perfectionist, who is very hard on myself. "My doctors told me to do things at my own pace and to eat right."
Time Magazine
23-07-2025
- Health
- Time Magazine
Why So Many Seniors Can't Afford Long-Term Care
Aisha Adkins' mother Rosetta was adamant that she wanted to age at home. So when Rosetta's dementia started worsening at age 59, Aisha started looking around for options. She quickly found that round-the-clock at-home care was extremely costly, and that her mother didn't qualify for government assistance. Stuck in the middle, Aisha, who was 29 at the time, ended up quitting her job to take of her mother care of her herself. At first, Rosetta just needed help preparing meals and reminders to take her medication. But as her care needs deepened, Aisha had to learn how to bathe and dress and feed her mother. She and her father hired a home health aide for a few hours a week when they could, but most of the care fell to the two of them until her mother finally qualified for Medicaid through a complicated process called spousal impoverishment protection, which allowed her father to keep some assets. 'We faced so many challenges; it was really a struggle,' says Adkins. She ended up caring for her mother for ten years on both a full-time and part-time basis, until her mother passed away in 2023. Many middle-income seniors are unable to afford care As the U.S. population ages, many families are facing the same challenges. Long-term care, which is assistance with the activities of daily living either in a person's home or in a facility, is expensive. Most people pay for it either out of their savings, or by spending down those savings until they qualify for Medicaid, which covers long-term care for indigent seniors. (Medicare does not cover senior housing or long-term care.) But there's a large group of people who are stuck in-between: they are 'too rich' to qualify for the Medicaid benefits that enable them to hire at-home help or put loved ones in a nursing home, but they do not have enough money to pay for the in-home, all-hours care their loved one needs. It then falls to family members to make up the difference. Around two-thirds of caregiving hours for older adults in the U.S. are provided by informal and unpaid caregivers. On one end of the spectrum, there are many expensive communities for seniors with deep pockets who want to start out in apartments and continue on to assisted living or more extensive care. On the other end, there are nursing home spots available for people who qualify for Medicaid, the government payor of last resort, which is strictly for low-income seniors or people who have spent down their savings. Read More: How Health Insurance Monopolies Affect Your Care But 'there aren't a lot of middle-income options on the market, so inevitably people rely on family care and out-of-pocket home care until they end up qualifying for Medicaid,' says David Grabowski, a health care policy professor at Harvard Medical School and one of the authors of a 2019 study about middle-income seniors. His research predicts that as the U.S. ages, many seniors will have insufficient resources for housing and health care needs. People like Rosetta Adkins are often referred to as the 'missing middle' or 'forgotten middle'—the seniors who aren't wealthy but who also aren't poor. There just aren't a lot of options for these seniors in the middle who need care. One 2021 study estimated that a nursing home in the U.S., on average, costs $100,740 per year for a semi-private room, and that home care for six hours a day, five days a week costs $42,120 a year. The costs have only gone up since then. By 2033, researchers at the University of Chicago estimate, there will be 16 million middle-income seniors who can't afford to pay for the health, personal care, and housing services they need. They will have to rely on family members—or on themselves—until they can qualify for Medicaid. There may be even more people in this situation going forward, after the giant cuts to Medicaid in the Trump economic plan recently approved by Congress go into effect. Home and community-based care for low-income seniors is considered an optional program in Medicaid, so states can cut it when their budgets are thin. That may mean that in some states, it will take even longer for people like Rosetta Adkins to qualify for care through Medicaid, putting even more pressure on family members to help out. 'When a state's Medicaid budget is constrained, which is absolutely going to happen because of this bill, there will be limits on some of these home-based services,' says Allison Orris, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a national research and policy institute. A lack of options puts stress on family members Family members already face intense pressure to provide care for their ailing loved one while still maintaining their careers and taking care of children. One recent report by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that nearly half of U.S. states are on the brink of an unpaid family caregiving emergency. That means that in many states, unpaid family caregivers are contributing hundreds of billions of dollars of unpaid labor. The report found that dementia care—like the kind sought by the Adkins family—is driving a lot of the labor. 'It is repeatedly the family caregiver who shoulders the immense pressures generated by health care shortages and rising dementia cases,' says John McHugh, lead researcher of the study and an adjunct assistant professor of health policy and management at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Read More: The Surprising Reason Rural Hospitals Are Closing Aisha Adkins, for instance, set aside her career so she could care for her mother. Her life choices for the next decade were determined by what her mother needed: picking a graduate school nearby and then finding a job that would allow her to work remotely. Aisha, who is only 40, is already worried about how she will pay for her own long-term care when she ages because she was out of the workforce so long caring for her mother. This, too, is not uncommon. 'Many times, family members are reducing their own incomes because they're taking time out of the workforce, or they're working less,' says Amber Christ, managing director of health advocacy at Justice in Aging, a nonprofit that advocates on behalf of low-income seniors. 'They're risking their future retirement, which increases the likelihood they'll age into poverty. So it's really a multigenerational impact.' There's a reason there aren't many options for middle-income seniors: companies can't make money providing it. Over the past few decades, many expensive aging facilities have opened as investors put money into options for Baby Boomers who have extensive savings. But those places are out of reach for many seniors. 'The million-dollar model seems to work,' says Grabowski. 'But middle-income models don't seem to thrive.' Though there are options for nursing homes and facilities for seniors on Medicaid, they often provide a relatively low quality of care, with sparse staffing and dilapidated facilities. Options for middle-income seniors are also limited because many people want to age at home, but at-home care is expensive and there are vast staff shortages, especially in rural areas. The industry is plagued by low compensation, unpredictable scheduling, and high turnover. Analysts predict this shortage will only worsen, with an estimated 4.6 million unfilled jobs by 2032. Aisha Adkins says that even when her mother qualified for Medicaid, it was extremely difficult to get aides to consistently come to the house and provide care. Inexperienced caregivers didn't know how to handle her mother's dementia, so Aisha or her father still had to stay in the home even when a caregiver was around. 'It really fell to my father and myself to ensure that she was safe at all times, even sometimes when the caregiver was in the home,' she says. Solutions for middle-income seniors are expensive Adkins says she now advises friends to look into long-term care insurance or think more carefully about putting aside more money for when they age. But even long-term care insurance, which requires people to pay monthly premiums as they age so they can have care when they need it, has proven so inadequate that only about 4% of Americans 50 and older pay for a policy. Though most people spend down their savings to qualify for Medicaid, elder law attorneys can sometimes help people protect their savings from long-term care costs. "It's worth meeting with and listening to an elder law attorney to find out how to protect your resources," says Eric Einhart, president of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. A few states have tried to help people pay for long-term care by establishing state programs. The WA Cares Fund, in Washington State, is a mandatory program that takes a small percentage of the paychecks of working Washingtonians and then allows them to access benefits of up to $36,500 to pay for long-term care services. But that amount of money won't last them very long if they need more than a few months of care. The lack of long-term care planning in the U.S. is a contrast to many other countries. The Netherlands, for instance, has long included long-term care in its universal health care system, and requires that taxpayers contribute a chunk of their income towards insurance premiums. In 2019, Singapore introduced a mandatory long-term care insurance program. Japan has had a mandatory long-term care insurance system since 2000; it requires people 40 and over to contribute. Read More: America's Dental Health Is in Trouble Most experts agree that the U.S. needs some sort of plan to help more seniors pay for long-term care, especially as Baby Boomers age. Otherwise, many people will spend down their savings until they qualify for Medicaid, which is going to get very expensive for the U.S. government. 'We're going to be swamped by just the pure number of individuals in the system who need long-term care going forward,' says Grabowski. 'We're not at a place politically today to talk about this,' he says—because recently so much discussion has been focused on cutting services, rather than adding them—'but in the longer run, it's a discussion we really need to have.' It's something Aisha Adkins knows at her core. Although her mother passed away in 2023, Adkins is gearing up for another struggle. Her father was recently diagnosed with a type of dementia, too. He spent almost all of his savings paying for Rosetta's care. Now, Aisha is starting to look into options for him. She knows, from experience, that they will be limited.
