While everyone is arriving back in Chennai, with ‘summer vacations’ coming to a close, I ended up going on a quick trip to Azerbaijan, for a show. The much talked about capital city of Baku, and what seems to be the new ‘it’ holiday spot for Indians. In a nutshell, it was a real juxtaposition of ancient and ultra-modern. Around one corner, the old city, dotted with ruins, and two minutes later, buildings out of a sci-fi movie. The contrast was surreal. Add to that great food, welcoming people, and the Caspian Sea, and I can see why this is such a popular location.
Meanwhile, back in Chennai, ‘beating the summer heat’ was the theme that continued on, with tips on summer style, food, make-up and what not, flooding our timelines. One of the main topics of conversation is the launch of Rare Beauty in Chennai this week. The influencers have been waiting with their phones out and their eyes on Sephora. “It’s my absolute favourite,” said more than one person to me. I’ll give you the down low next week.
And speaking of expert tips, this week saw a massive crowd gathered at Phoenix MarketCity, thronging the stage. One might have wondered “Is it a concert?” or “the arrival of a Kollywood actor perhaps?” Nope. The star in question, celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, with a legion of fans waiting to greet him, at a masterclass. While culinary icons are now as popular as actors or musicians, I would have to say that Sanjeev Kapoor is one of the originals. Before the age of the overly creative, frenzied cooking shows, there he was, calm and smiling, for many many years. No surprise then that not only is he a household name, but has a multigenerational fan base. People of all ages were in the crowd, hanging on to his every word, cheering and recording every last second. The chef, no stranger to extreme levels of fan-mania, carried on as cool as ever.
Our final stop was for a dose of bridal fashion at the launch of D.Sign.D by Jeevitha Sakthivel at Anna Nagar. Known especially for their concept bridal blouses, this is their second location, along with the D.Sign.D academy with short-term fashion courses. The launch itself was a solid dose of spring-summer goodness, with loads of florals, both décor and dress code wise.