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Learning Japanese for fun. Doing the Sunday crossword puzzle for the first time at 30. Taking a ceramics class. Mastering petit point. Joining a book club. What do these activities have in common? They challenge you in new ways, potentially adding years to your brain health.

According to neuroscientists, challenging your brain in novel ways helps with the formation of new neurons—even the ones you feared you’d lost in your reckless twenties. In the book The Atomic Brain, author and researcher Beatriz Larrea explains that the brain can regenerate, and that a stimulating environment favours neurogenesis, or the creation of new neurons. She cites research published in The Lancet showing that cognitive challenge works like a pension plan for the mind: the more stimulation you accumulate over the years, through education or work, the lower the risk of dementia. Conversely, retirement can accelerate cognitive decline by up to 40%, largely due to inactivity. Which is why Larrea insists on curiosity—the habit of learning something new—as the most powerful trigger for keeping the brain alive and adaptive.

Learning and neuroplasticity

“Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to adapt, change, and reorganise itself throughout life,” explains Dr Amaya Manrique of The Beauty Concept in Madrid. “Our neurons can form new connections, strengthen existing ones or even create alternative pathways.”

Our brains form new connections and pathways when we learn something new. “The more you use a pathway, the stronger and faster it becomes. But stop using a pathway and it can disappear, favouring or creating new roads to get to the same pathways,” she explains. “Starting any activity from scratch, with the curiosity of a child, can help our brains create new pathways.”

The state of flow

Think of all those times you’ve started a new hobby or developed a new skill at work. You’re motivated and focused. Nothing can distract you. Time feels like it doesn’t exist. This is called the flow state—and not only does it promote neuroplasticity, it also increases feelings of well-being.

“When we find ourselves immersed in an activity that we really like, one that’s challenging enough not to be boring but not so difficult that it’s frustrating, we enter a state of flow,” explains personal development coach Laura G Ortiz de Zárate. “It happens with tasks that make us lose track of time, that produce creative tension, and in which we have a high level of productivity.”

Balancing the florals was a striking set of oxidised silver jewellery by Sheetal Zaveri. The Rahi ear cuff, adorned with Kamdenu and parrot motifs, became the focal point, while bracelets echoed the avian detailing in sculptural form. A Radhe ring, encrusted with kundan and pearls, tied the accessories together. Kapoor’s beauty look—bold berry lips, softly smoked eyes, and a sleek centre-parted hairdo—amplified the drama further.

What makes Janhvi Kapoor’s ensemble memorable is its versatility. The airy, flowing skirt allows graceful movement, while the richly embroidered blouse adds couture sharpness. Styled with silver accents, it’s a look that works as well for a breezy beachside mehendi as it does for an opulent palace ceremony in the monsoons. For destination celebrations where comfort and elegance must co-exist, this lehenga proves to be an indispensable festive pick.

Also read:

Ananya Panday’s olive sari pairs mirror-work with airy georgette

Suhana Khan gives tweed a lighter spin in a Sau Lee co-ord

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For Padma, these living room performances and movie nights with her daughter became a new way of seeing herself as a mother. It made her realise that she could be something beyond just a strict caregiver and disciplinarian, as had been the case in the tight-knit Tamil family she had been raised in. She remembers the advice from one of her aunts, Premi, who once told her, “Yes, you have to tell Krishna to clean her room. But don’t forget to also show her yourself, the way you show us and your friends. You don’t just have to be the authoritarian all the time.”

Heeding her aunt’s words healed something long unacknowledged in Padma. “When Krishna was young, I would put on old YouTube videos of Tina Turner dancing,” she recalls. “Having an excuse to go down those rabbit holes was so much fun because I didn’t always have the time to do these things for myself. So now, I make it a point to do them with Krishna and, in the process, end up experiencing them myself too. That’s one of the best parts of being a parent.”

Our relationship with each other is the biggest part of our lives,” Krishna chimes in, “but so much of our bond comes from us being in sync creatively.” Now that Krishna is long past the tinfoil mic stage, Padma helps her run lines for school plays. Meanwhile, Krishna gives Padma notes on how to sharpen her stand-up routines. (“She’s always telling me, ‘Mom, just use me in your stand-up. I give you permission.’”) On TikTok, they riff off each other’s spice preference (sumac for Padma and za’atar for Krishna) and cook dal tadka and lemon rice together. Sometimes, Krishna enlightens her mum with the latest developments in popculturedom (Labubus, Sydney Sweeney’s Bathwater Bliss), to which Padma reacts with a long-suffering sigh that any parent mystified by their chronically online kid’s slang will instantly recognise. In private, they butt heads over stage directions and dialogue delivery. They critique each other’s work, cheer each other on and have a lot of fun doing both.

The way Krishna sees it, having a famous parent does not earn you extra clout among fellow adolescents in the ruthless social scene of a performing arts school in New York. But one area in which it does come with significant advantages? Her supermodel mum’s enviable collection of archival fashion from the 1990s and 2000s, which the teen gleefully admits to raiding at will. This revelation is received with another lovingly exasperated sigh from Padma, who wryly points out that in keeping with the grand tradition of teenage girls sneering at their mothers’ wardrobes, Krishna had to be told by others that the clothes in her mum’s closet—like the green velvet suit from Tom Ford’s Gucci era and the metallic snakeskin minidress that Padma wore to a Tatler party in 2003—were extremely cool. The shoes Krishna is wearing today? Isabel Marant wedge sneakers that had been gathering dust in Padma’s closet for two decades before they suddenly became the hottest trend amongst Gen Z’ers nostalgic for 2008. The vintage ringer tee she’s wearing? Originally worn by Padma in 1995 during a guerrilla fashion show for the streetwear brand X-girl, orchestrated by none other than Sofia Coppola and Spike Jonze, who hijacked the sidewalk right outside Marc Jacobs’s show to stage something akin to a coup of downtown coolness. “My mother’s whole closet is a time capsule of fashion,” Krishna marvels.

PB: I think the entire store tells our story. It has so many craft elements from Punit Balana. Whether it’s the lights hanging with our stamped coin details or the mirrors that have thikri work inspired by chandi tille ka kaam. Even the gulabi-pink walls tell a story in colour. It was very important for me that the space I curated tell my story.

Vogue India: Which one craft, if you had to pick, feels closest to your heart tonight?

PB: I would say chandi tille ka kaam, because that is the craft that is unique to the brand. When I first started working on Gulaabi Chowk, we created a sari that had this craft. It felt light, but had its own grandeur. From there, this craft became a part of each and every collection that we have showcased.

Vogue India: What makes someone a Punit Balana woman?

PB: Someone who is understated but stands out in a crowd.

Gulshan Sachdeva-(Vidhi Images)

Vogue India: Younger audiences want festive wear that feels lighter and freer. How do you see your work speaking to that shift?

PB: I think then they should all wear Punit Balana because my entire clothing line is fuss-free. All my lehengas, maxis, ghagras—everything is voluminous. They are made to dance. They’re playful. That’s what I think everyone wants to wear nowadays because when they’re getting dressed for an occasion, the thing they don’t want to get weighed down by are these heavyweight lehengas and that’s what our brand stands for.

Vogue India: After this milestone, what comes next? What are you imagining for the next decade of Punit Balana?

PB: I don’t think that I have even imagined coming this far but I do believe in one philosophy: be true to your art, be true to your craft and keep trying new things. This keeps me going when it comes to my work or my personal life.

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Madhuri Dixit Nene’s sari moments often remind us why she remains an enduring style icon, and her latest outing makes a strong case for the timelessness of craft-led design. Draped in Naina Jain’s handwoven organza, her six yards melted from soft lavender into jewel-toned purple. A gradient that caught the light like shifting twilight.

The border, however, is where the story deepens. “Madhuri’s sari is edged with a peacock woven Banarasi along with bandhani fabric,” shares Jain. Bandhani, derived from the Sanskrit word bandh (to tie), is among the oldest tie-dye traditions, dating back over 5,000 years. Each dot is formed by hand-tied knots resisting dye, creating constellations of pattern when threads are removed. The result is a constellation of delicate dots, each imperfectly perfect.

Here, the border was further elevated with zari motifs, while the sari’s body carried delicate aari embroidery in paisley formations. Jain describes it as a revival of heritage techniques in a language that feels strikingly modern. “The sari’s body is has delicate aari hand embroidery, rendering itself as Paisley motifs,” shares Jain, adding, “Madhuri kept the focus on the sari by pairing it with a plain purple sleeveless blouse with a scooped neckline.”

The actor punctuated her sari with heirloom-inspired accents from PNG Jewellers. The standout is a statement gold necklace crafted with polki and rubies. A pair of matching chandbaali earrings complemented the vintage look, while a stack of kadas peppered with bangles was the apt flourish to her wrists. Madhuri Dixit Nene kept to her signature beauty look with smoky eyes, softly contoured cheeks and nude lips to balance the vibrant tones of her sari. Whether it’s Ganesh Chaturthi festivities, Diwali celebrations or a destination wedding, her sari emerges as a winning choice to uphold tradition as well as reinvent it.

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Paparazzi shots from the set of The Devil Wears Prada 2 have sparked conversation—not just about the fashion, but specifically about the satchel bags seen on Anne Hathaway’s arm in multiple photos. Its repeated presence suggests it may be Andy Sachs’s bag of choice in the upcoming film. Interestingly, it’s not a brand-new, “It-girl-approved” handbag, but a well-worn vintage Coach Metropolitan satchel that appears to have become her everyday companion.

While many of today’s trending handbags nod to the satchel bag aesthetic—Balenciaga’s laptop-friendly Rodeo or The Row’s Park N/S tote, a sleek update on the classic messenger—true satchels have been absent from the runway for some time. The kind of structured, functional bags designed to carry hardback novels, diaries, pens, and glasses cases have largely faded from the spotlight.

The year 2010 was a high point for the satchel bags in fashion. Alexa Chung released her namesake Mulberry bag, a crossbody satchel inspired by the brand’s Elkington briefcase, which quickly gained a cult following and a substantial waitlist. During the 2010 and 2011 show seasons, the Cambridge Satchel Company became a street-style favourite, with fashion week attendees carrying neon-coloured, school-style bags. With celebrity endorsements—Chung among them—the British label ushered in a satchel boom.

Ben A. Pruchnie

That’s not to say satchels have disappeared entirely. With the resurgence of 2010s trends, the satchel bag is quietly staging a comeback. However, the traditional, academia-inspired versions are harder to find. Many new iterations have shed their double buckles and rigid silhouettes in favor of a more relaxed design. Whether you lean toward Andy Sachs’s understated crossbody, a modern reinterpretation, or the vintage piece you once queued up for, the satchel bag is ready to reclaim its place in the fashion narrative.

Shop satchel bags and messenger bags:

Prada – Re-Nylon and Saffiano leather shoulder bag

Burberry – Embossed Check Messenger Bag with Buckles

This story first appeared on Vogue.fr.

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Release harsh judgments, Aquarius, be it about yourself or about another person or situation. You are not here to judge, because when you do, you add unnecessary labels and filters to what is at hand. You are here to observe simply, to see things from a higher vantage point and then get to the crux of a conflicting situation. You honour tradition and lasting foundations, Taurus, and we get it. However, sometimes the foundations get infested with termites and you need to rip things apart to set things right again. And similar is the case with life as well. Things may be moving fast, time may be flying by; however, forcing the same old circumstances to move may not be the ideal scenario for you. Think things through, Cancer. Yes, you want to do it all, and yes, you can add value to everything; however, ask yourself, do you have the bandwidth to do it all and if you cannot decline then how can you do it all? Your time to put your feet up will arrive, and your time to celebrate will be here. However, first, you must creatively and carefully pick what you wish to create and choose. Cosmic gifts are on the way to you, be it in your career, a long-awaited approval, paying off debts, receiving loans, sharing responsibilities, mutually balanced partnerships or relationships; it is all here for you, Sag. When things move, they move fast for you, Scorps. And this is one of those times. Your fortune is about to turn in your favour, things are about to elevate themselves and you are going to need to step onto the accelerator as a leader and visionary, delegating and showing them how it’s done.

Read on for what the stars have in store for you and make sure you check out your sun, moon, and rising signs for the complete picture.

You may have taken your time to make a decision, Aries, but now that you have made it, you are fully into it. You are committed to the core and you are devoted to your purpose. Yes, we get it, this is your baby—metaphorically or literally; however, ensure you keep windows of communication and warm heartfelt exchanges open so that you build your personal force armed with love while also nurturing what you have so lovingly sown.

When you haven’t slept, the world feels a little skewed. Your focus flickers. Your cravings go rogue. You might mistake a triple-shot frappuccino for breakfast and feel inexplicably drawn to leftover cake. There’s a reason: sleep deprivation raises ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and weakens glucose control, leaving you more likely to overeat and less likely to choose foods for energy that actually give you lasting fuel.

According to nutritionist and hormone specialist Hannah Alderson, the solution starts in the kitchen. “A lack of sleep has been shown to increase ghrelin, so be aware you may feel more hungry,” she tells British Vogue. “It’s key to remember that it has an immediate impact on your ability to deal with glucose for the day. Aim for a protein-rich start to the day and give your breakfast a helping hand by going for a brisk walk outside to aid glucose metabolism.”

So what are the best foods for energy when you’re running on fumes? We rounded up expert-approved, research-backed foods that can help you power through the day without the energy crash.

Eggs

Forget the crumbly granola bar. Eggs are your protein-rich ally. High in vitamin B12 and leucine, they help repair cells, regulate energy metabolism, and keep blood sugar stable. A study linked high-protein breakfasts to improved cognitive performance and reduced food cravings throughout the day “Pairing eggs with fibre-rich carbs like multigrain toast makes for a balanced start that keeps you full and focused,” adds Alderson.

Bananas and oats

Bananas aren’t just nature’s energy bar—they’re rich in potassium and slow-digesting carbs that fuel your body without the insulin spike. Pair with oats for a slow-release duo that’s satisfying and supportive. Oats also contain beta-glucan, a fibre that stabilises blood sugar and improves alertness.

Almonds (and other nuts)

A review found that individuals with magnesium deficiency reported higher levels of fatigue, particularly after disturbed sleep. Almonds are packed with magnesium, healthy fats and protein, all of which support stable energy production. They also contain B vitamins that convert food into energy—especially important when your system’s running on low. A small handful can curb cravings and lift brain fog.

Beetroot or beetroot juice

If you’re dragging through the day, beetroot might help. Rich in nitrates, beet juice supports oxygen flow and blood pressure regulation, which in turn boosts stamina. It’s why athletes drink it pre-workout and it might help you survive that 3pm slump.

Green tea

Instead of pounding multiple coffees, opt for green tea. It contains just enough caffeine to spark alertness without sending cortisol into overdrive and the L-theanine found in green tea is an amino acid that promotes calm focus.

For Ganesha celebrations in Mumbai, Ananya Panday turned up in Arpita Mehta’s newest shade, warm olive, from the Ranibagh collection. Styled by Ami Patel, the sari leaned into ceremony and craftsmanship, but in a colour that reimagined festive dressing in tones beyond the usual reds and golds.

The georgette garment, featherlight and airy, offers a gentle counterpoint to the dense embroidery. It’s a choice the designer often turns to when pairing craftsmanship with comfort, giving the look a festive feeling that was effortless, not weighed down. The border was worked with mirror accents and zardozi and paired with a fully embellished blouse: a sweetheart neckline in front, tie-up dori at the back and short sleeves finished with tiny jhumki-style tassels. The drape was a classic nivi, the most universal sari style across urban and pan-indian contexts that has long served as a base of reinvention with a neat, short pallu that kept the details in focus and let the blouse do the talking.

Instagram.com/ananyapanday

Ananya Panday wore antique-finish chandbalis set with soft-green stones and pearl drops, the green subtly picking up on the olive of the sari. She added delicate studs to both ears, while on her hands, a slim watch, an emerald bracelet and a green stone cocktail ring lent just the right amount of sparkle without competing with the handwork.

Her hair was swept into a sleek, low bun with a soft side partition. Tucked into the bun were fresh white mogra strands and a cluster of pink roses. The flowers transform it from a simple updo into something that feels ceremonial. They create a pink, white and green triad that evokes the freshness of a garden in bloom against the olive sari.