Paloma about town: Art, fashion and celebration

The week flew past with more Coldplay visuals across all our timelines with everyone from Chennai rushing off to Singapore and Thailand  to catch a show. Considering the number of times we watched snippets from the concert, even the non-Coldplay fans are well versed with both Chris Martin and the set list by now. I arrived back in Chennai just in time for the Leather Show, a much looked forward to event on the city’s fashion and social calendar. I learnt that the Leather Show is over 60 years old. Wow. Quite the legacy.

This year also saw some of the biggest faces walking the runway, from supermodels to beauty queens, another aspect we’ve come to expect from the Leather Show. As always there was a kids’ sequence by Tata, where the little ones stole everyone’s hearts with their cuteness. I also got to catch up backstage, for a quick moment, with  Shvetha Jaishankar, former Miss India International, who looked fab and killed it on the runway. The show was choreographed by Jude Felix and directed by Bhaskar Chandrasekar. 

Also, taking place this week was the much awaited Vincent van Gogh showcase, an immersive experience that finally arrived in Chennai. More than an exhibition, it’s an engaging experience curated to introduce art to the youth in a language they understand. Beyond the frames, Van Gogh’s genius is set free in a digital atmosphere, attracting not only art enthusiasts but a diverse crowd — photographers, families and culture enthusiasts alike. Of course, the blogger brigade was there in full force; this was an irresistible opportunity to create content. Anyone that missed the launch had major FOMO but luckily, it’s on till March, so there’s enough time for everyone to check it out. An added bonus was the Van Gogh themed café with stunning little sweat treats, inspired by the art work, almost too pretty to eat!

Sundays, one of Chennai’s most popular resto bars, celebrated its first anniversary, reflecting on a year of elevating the city’s cocktail scene and establishing itself as a culinary haven. The anniversary party saw the city’s popular faces, dressed to impress and ready to mingle. Everyone enjoyed the specially crafted cocktails for the occasion, with a range of concoctions and flavours. And, as always, everyone loved the ambience, with loads of greenery and the rather inviting sunroof. Again, lots of pretty pictures for the ‘gram’, of drinks, plates of food and happy faces. We saw many of the same faces at the launch party of THE WEEK, Madras Couture Fashion Week, season 9, at Sin and Tonic. TV celebs, models, fashionistas and page 3 regulars dropped by the curtain raiser to check out what’s in store for the main event slated to take place next week.

There was also something for the health buffs, with Marko Baloh, one of the world’s top ranking cyclists being chosen as the inaugural Sol Ambassador. The meet and greet saw a morning ride with Marko on the ECR followed by breakfast and a fun conversation at Ciclo Café. Sol fitness is India’s first active fitness retreat and their ambassadors symbolise endurance, discipline, and unwavering grit in alignment with their ethos. The meet-and-greet marks the commencement of their ambitious 2024 initiative to cultivate a vibrant community of fitness leaders. These sessions are also a great way to swap inspiring stories and learn about each others’ journeys.