Shopping continued to be the cardio of choice this week, especially with the arrival of Esha Deol to Palladium, to kick off the luxury shopping festival. For most of the ladies, it was a double opportunity, to meet the actress and have first pick of all the deals on offer. Esha gave her fans what they wanted, answering a range of questions and also speaking in Tamil, which she pointed out is her mother tongue. She then took a tour of all her favourite brands and the guests followed suit.
Meanwhile, across town, it was a break from the usual at Space Biskit, where a special streetwear pop-up was underway, featuring brand Capsul. They had a rather unique invite, safe to say I was intrigued. Also, the all-encompassing, ‘can be interpreted in so many different ways’ category of street wear, always has me excited. Looks like everyone else felt the same, with the venue remaining packed the entire weekend. The crowd (which saw none of your Page 3 regulars) served us some really cool looks in a range of quirky outfits. There was also quite the spectrum right from hardcore Biskit and Capsul fans to those who aren’t super familiar with streetwear. Both of the above managed to do quite a bit of shopping. Crowd favourites were Biskit’s unique pieces and from Capsul, the T shirts from Carhartt and Pleasures were flying off the shelves. Guests could be overheard commenting that the event had an Upmarket Soho vibe. Hopefully, this is the start of more to come, for Chennai.
Later in the week was another first, the city’s first NFT event, Namma Web3 featuring Chennai’s first digital and experiential art gallery, highlighting some of India’s finest NFT artists. The event, which was at Off The Record, saw two types of guests, on one hand, Web3 professionals and enthusiasts seeking to upskill themselves, and on the other hand, the blogger brigade, looking to learn more and experience NFTs, and augmented and virtual reality. Highlights included the presence of some of the artists, the panel discussions and, of course, the digital gallery. At Lord of the Drinks, lots of popular faces were celebrating the launch of The Madras Couture Fashion Week, in its eighth edition. After the break of the past few years, everyone is glad to be able to enjoy live fashion showcases again.
It was a super busy week on the food front, which I’m loving, so here’s a quick recap. Lazy Leopard, a Neopolitan Pizzeria, and Tra-ttoria opened its doors in Gopalapuram. It was a fun event, no surprises when pizza is the star of the show. Lots of pretty faces and big smiles as everyone documented all the delicious goodness. Next up was a hot chocolate making and tasting workshop by Cheers Chocolates, to introduce their new chocolate Bon Bon collection. Food bloggers and influencers participated in the festivities with glee. Who wouldn’t!