Stand straight, breathe in deeply and then look around with a mind that is unclogged by the day’s problems. In place of the mustiness of routine you will see the mysteries of the universe and you’ll probably sing to yourself, ‘What a wonderful world…’
Now then, I’m not just talking about the very new mystery of Rahul Baba roaring in the Parliament, nor am I talking about the mystery of the bail application that got accepted in a jiffy… nor the innumerable selfies of our PM, and nor the bobbing fate of the teams in IPL. These mysteries that I’ve just mentioned are quite distanced from us. I am talking about the little mysteries that connect us all in ways that make our lives fulfilling.
The mystery of questions
The mystery of questions… a myntra to make to knowledge savvy!
Let me start with sunglasses. They petrify me. I get a feeling that the moment one (any of the thousands you see in stores) perches on my nose, I stop being what I am. This magical transformation doesn’t stop here… I am suddenly able to see people sniggering all around. Hey! Just seconds back I was standing a serious world and now everyone is laughing. All evidence says that they are all laughing at me. So when I was in a store I wore one sunglass and before I could say anything, the salesman smiled… it was broader than a simple smile. I know it was bordering on a snigger. So I asked, ‘Do I suddenly start looking like a smuggler wearing these?’ He said nothing. Silence reveals a lot, my inner voice said. So sunglasses have mystified me ever since.
There are other mysteries as well. Like trying to find out the best way to tie shoe-laces… or ways to wear quirky socks… and even though I have been lugging my smartphone for years now, it is only days back that I discovered the right source for answers to all such questions. And the answers are in plain English and sometimes in short video clips.
Yes, of course, it is an app that I am talking about. But we’ll come to that later. The best part is that this app has suddenly become my genie guru of all mind-boggling style questions… and I’m happy.
The mystery of moods
The mystery of moods… a myntra to give life to moods!
I admit I succumb to my moods all the time… I mean it isn’t always that I love being a 58 year old prancing around like a 21-something… it isn’t always that everything futuristic impresses me. I love watching period movies too – the Gandhis, Tagores, and the Byomkesh Bakshis of an era gone by and I love to sometimes think I want to talk and even dress like they used to once upon a time.
But wait, don’t to you dare to think that want to ever wear bell-bottoms that I so craved for when I was in school more than forty years back. What is important is that I always need an affirmation to the validity of my moods, my often changing moods. And I also want to know with certain immediacy if I can access every clothing and every accessory that may go on to encourage it.
Obviously it is again an app that I stumbled upon a few days back and found that my moods were no longer a reason for any trauma for anyone. Yes, I can browse through and select the right mood and then go on a shopping spree… oops! I’m not telling you anything more about this for a while. Read on and you’ll know all about this app when the right time comes.
A mystery called CONNECT
A mystery called CONNECT… a myntra to make the world of style a smaller place!
I know you’ll tell me that we live in times when networking is a buzzword and that everyone simply connects with everyone else and is able to do this faster and in a better way through the internet. But listen, a connect needs to be valid. Features, trends to try, and knowing the local code are as vital as just connecting. What I mean is that a connect needs to be heartfelt and have all the chromosomal strands that let it (this connect) last.
So small articles, snippets, picture posts, and videos are what I think will do wonders to make the concept of connect be accepted by everyone. There are so many nuances that wait to be explained and brought to the fore… and I found them all on this app.
The right app, I guess, is what puts a person on the right track. The first step is to understand the world that you wish to enter and then be able to access every little thing that will help you establish a life-long connect. This app did it the right way… but we’ll get to it later.
The mysterious GQ
The mysterious GQ… a myntra to connect glamour to life
Glamour Quotient isn’t something exclusively for the stars, I believe… and in addition to this, GQ isn’t really as far away and as inaccessible as most think it to be. Frankly, understanding GQ and going the GQ way is as easy as downloading the right app. You get to see them all here and even hear them sometimes. They say all the lovely mantras that you were either unaware of or just thought they were too difficult to adopt.
Now if a mere app removes all this confusion about glamour, it does need to be unveiled fast. But let me first tell you about the time when I wanted to do it like Shamitabh… and at another time I wanted to express my ‘tevar’. These aren’t taboo and I would only smile indulgently if Specky, my wife says that wants a touch of retro chic some day… or if she is in a really aggressive mood, she may want some inspired links from the Yami and Varun of Badlapur! We all need to mix and match our lives sometimes, don’t we?
Obviously, the right way to do it is by downloading the right app… but wait for some more time before we go on to that.
The mystery of confusion
The mystery of confusion… a myntra to clear up cobwebs and bring clarity to fashion!
Confusion is actually a fusion of life with no information or faulty information. This done, let me just say that confusion removed means you know what a poop facial is all about and paper clothes don’t make you say ‘Aw! How wicked can you be!’ You know that fashion for the throne is quite different from fashion for the night… and that tying a sarong does require an expert guide!
Yes, confusion is what has reigned so far. So let me now…
…remove the confusion…
I guess what we all need is access to best and the most reliable information wherever we are. An app on your smartphone does precisely this. I guess we also need to convert a mood or a need into a purchase right away… and so waiting to get to the desktop or a conventional website is too dated now.
‘But can’t I access a conventional website on my smartphone?’
‘Yes, you can, but conventional browsing isn’t going to thrill you with great info and great leads with just one swipe!’
Even the stats say this. Over 90% of the web traffic for Myntra is generated through mobiles as compared to 70% of sales through conventional websites. Much “more than 9 Million people have downloaded the Myntra App and over the next 3 to 4 months Myntra is targeting another 5 Mn downloads” admits a study on the internet. Obviously then it is only mobiles that can truly deliver the thrilling experience of understanding your needs and then converting all of it into the right purchase decision. It is the right app that captures a user’s lifestyle and context in a manner that no other medium does.
What I personally found impressive about the Myntra app was that it never pushed me into a purchase decision. I never felt I was tumbling and stumbling into making yet another online error. There are tens of small articles and videos and snippets to first turn me into a person who appreciates the good things of life… and then there is always a few of those things that I can buy if I need to. But importantly, this decision-making ability is always in my pocket. I carry this power of decision-making with me always. Even if I wake up at 3 in the morning and want to order a dress for my wife, I can do it with minimal fuss… I mean, no switching on of the lights to see where the laptop is, no waiting for it to turn on, no google search, and no getting lost on a website where the navigation might not be very friendly.
Life on an app is what makes me happy. I can solve all my mysteries in style.
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#ItsPersonal but the mantra of being savvy today
Is to know that Myntra and Mantra have a similar sway!
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Arvind Passey
22 May 2015
