My week started off all about the ‘Yellove’ with everyone talking about cricket at every turn, but as pictures of the MET Gala (and Alia Bhatt) started flooding our timelines, we found ourselves divided. I’ll start with the fashion and then move to cricket. This year’s theme ‘In honour of Karl’ saw ‘prettier’ looks than we’re used to seeing, and no surprises — pearls galore. My favourites were Nicole Kidman, going the repeat route in a major win for sustainability, and I’m going to have to say Jared Leto dressed as a giant cat, the famous ‘Choupette’. With one eye on the red carpet, we’ve had the other firmly fixed on the points table, willing our boys in yellow to qualify for the playoffs in what looks like an extremely close race. Topping it off, the scrambling for tickets has been taken to the next level with that being pretty much the only conversation at parties or events these days. Where to get them, how to get them and which category said tickets are in.
I chatted with a few popular Chennai faces and here are snippets from our conversations. 'Who wins in the CSK versus MET Gala battle?' I asked designer Vivek Karunakaran… “One hundred percent CSK,” comes the reply, without a moment’s hesitation. Vivek indulged in the escapade of watching the match at the stadium because it’s something he wanted his son to experience. He also believes in keeping it real — “no AC box seats”, the fun is in sitting outside and getting the actual match experience. As for the MET Gala, the designer says he’s been too busy with work to follow closely. Does he think this year was ‘boring’, as some crictics are saying? Nope. He says that drops in the graph are refreshing. It allows for you to come back with a new perspective. I also chatted with Commentator and Sunrisers Batting Coach Hemang Badani, who had me cracking up, with all the stories of people asking him for tickets. “I’m not even with the Chennai team” he tells them, “I’m with Hyderabad!”. He was saying how most people don’t realise that there aren’t an endless supply of tickets and sometimes even he finds himself scrambling for tickets for his family. It’s a similar story for KC Senthil Kumar aka DJ Zen, the DJ for the home games at Chepauk. Innumerable calls every single day with people asking for everything from passes, to being taken along as his assistant.
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Also taking place this week was the launch of Ellementary Home on Khader Nawaz Khan Road, with fans of the brand excited for the physical store in Chennai. Despite everyone looking fab in their summery best, it was clear that shopping was the main agenda. Guests loved the crockery and the fact that there was a live baking counter, using the bakeware. Everyone was treated to a delicious orange tea cake, piping hot. Those who managed to take a break from shopping tried out the coaster painting station, getting to take home their special keepsake from the event. With the focus on sustainability, founders Ayush and Riddhima were there to share their insights on the products, materials used, and how they were crafted. Here’s to making more sustainable choices, and keeping each other in check.
I’ll close with one of the highlights of my week, and a break from the usual, a meet and greet of sorts, at Upaghna, a rescue and rehab centre for dogs. The stars of the afternoon were the doggos themselves, who were more than thrilled to have visitors. Jayshree Ramesh showed us around, as we had a blast getting to know our new furry friends. A lovely Chippiparai called Rani stole my heart.