Are people even allowed to work the week between Christmas and New Year?” I heard someone say at a party recently. Good question, I thought to myself. After the somewhat mellow celebrations we had last year, everyone brought out the big guns this year. Starting off with ‘pre Christmas eve’ celebrations, it ran into a four day long party. While some hosts were particular about dress codes, and others not so much, it looked like everyone was happy to comply. So we had themes that ranged from ‘all white’, to ‘crazy headgear’, to my last party of the season that was ‘Red, green and gold’. I was pleased to see many ladies in all-gold outfits (relieved not to be the only one), including our hostess Shaan Katari Libby in a floor length shimmering dress. Needless to say, the weekend also included loads of roast turkey, giant gams and my beverage of choice for the season - eggnog.
Another looked forward to end-of-the-year event is the launch of the Sahodaran Annual Fundraiser Calendar. This year, it’s an homage to India’s rich Handloom and textile heritage, handed down over centuries, aptly titled ‘Legacy 2023’. The launch, which took place at Amdavadi saw the fashion fraternity in full force, as always, along with well wishers and friends. Everyone was excited to meet both the creative team and the models from the calendar. Spotted were Mahesh, Deepan, Robin and Vignesh, and photographers Kabilan, Arnold, Yoga and stylist Sunil Karthik. We especially loved the display, a sari draped across the wall, as a backdrop for where images from the calendar were displayed. In a chat with Sunil Menon, who has been the able captain of this ship for many years, we found out that the challenge was procuring representative textiles from different regions of the country. But it was both well worth the effort, and well appreciated. The first copy was presented to artist Beena Unnikrishnan after which everyone enjoyed a catch-up session over chai and ‘guju’ snacks.
At Evoluzione, we witnessed a fun collaboration between Arnav Malhotra who launched No Grey Area’s new collection ‘108’ and Osman Abdul Razzak, showcasing South Side Collective. Guests loved having the designer and the curator at hand, adding that special touch and their unique sartorial points of view. While the focus was on the gentlemen, the ladies were happy to participate as well.
With that, I’ll sign off and say Happy New Year! I’ll see you all in 2023!