For decades, it was the go-to international label for well-heeled urban gypsies. We are talking about Easton Pearson, whose designer Pamela Easton launched her new India-centric label earlier this week at Melange
Ravi Ruia, Pamela Easton and Sangita Kathiwada
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For decades, it was the go-to international label for well-heeled urban gypsies. We are talking about Easton Pearson, whose designer Pamela Easton launched her new India-centric label earlier this week (The Guide interviewed her yesterday) at Melange.
And there, in that resplendent artisanal melee of natural fibers, handcrafted, embroidered and beaded material, (the brand’s USP is vintage clothing and heritage textiles, inspired by old movies, books and museums, and the textiles and designs of India, Africa and Europe,) right there making a statement in front of the ethereal Bas relief work on polished cotton, among the unique traditional embroideries from Kutch and the exquisite drapes in shades of red, green, pink and blue, stood designer Pamela Easton in a vibrant red-black and white kaftan.
Also present were Sangita Kathiwada, in an artistically unconstructed black and white smock, and one of India’s leading industrialists, Ravi Ruia, in what used to be described in times of yore as a classic sky blue Nylon Tee. ‘We’ve an exclusive image for you’, the spokesperson had said.
Veeraswamy gets a Michelin star
Bring out the bubbly! Our friends, erstwhile Mumbai girls, Camellia and Namita Panjabi, and Ranjit Mathrani’s Veeraswamy, the oldest Indian restaurant in the UK, has just received its first Michelin star!
Ranjit Mathrani (second from left) and Namita Panjabi with Michelin Guide officials
“We are probably the first 90-year-old restaurant to be awarded a Michelin Star in the UK!” says an effervescent Camellia about the prestigious recognition.
Camellia Panjabi
Opened in London in 1926 by Edward Palmer, the great-grandson of an English soldier and an Indian princess, Veeraswamy was acquired by Ranjit Mathrani and Namita Panjabi of MW Eat in 1996. It is directed by them and Camellia.
“The Michelin star was totally unexpected, especially for a restaurant of the longevity of Veeraswamy,’ says Camellia. “Over the 20 years we have owned it, we have created and developed the team to deliver the finest quality regional Indian cuisines,” she says.
Citing Veeraswamy’s achievement, Michelin wrote: “The classic dishes from across the country are prepared with considerable care by a very professional kitchen. The room is awash with colour and it’s run with great charm and enormous pride.’ Incidentally, this is MW Eat’s second Michelin star — its Amaya already has one.
Of bumps and bellies
Our Bollywood source did not see the humour in it : “Kareena Kapoor is flaunting her baby bump for magazine covers and ad shoots,” he purred. “She’s doing many baby product endorsements as well, making the most of her pregnancy, telling the ad guys ‘please don’t cover me up or take only face shots — I’m happy showing my baby bump’.
Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan
“Meanwhile, husband Saif,” continued the celebrated filmy jasoos, said to be the pivot in leading Bolly camps all the way from Juhu to Vile Parle, “is making an indie road film with Delhi Belly’s Akshat Verma, in which he travels all around the country with a transvestite on a journey of discovery. What’s so funny?” asked the filmy friend, noticing us smiling.
Delhi Belly and baby bump, we said. They sound so well-matched. “Oof! You SoBo types and your silly humour,” moaned the filmy jasoos, before proceeding to inform us about Fawad Khan’s recent littering, with “I want to have his baby!”
A royal affair
In keeping with the solemnity of the occasion, the royal summons from the erstwhile rulers of Gondal were simple. ‘Sri Jyotendrasinhji, Smt Kumud Kumari and Sri Himanshusinji cordially invite you to an enchanting opera performance by Patricia Rozario to celebrate the resurrection of the Royal Opera House Theatre’ it read.
Jyotendrasinhji and Kumud Kumari, the Maharaja and Maharani of Gondal
As is known, the Opera House on Charni Road, inaugurated by King George V in 1911, had belonged to the House of Gondal, and had been a jewel in the city’s cultural life until it had fallen into ruin and then restored recently.
And so, next fortnight, the newly restored structure will once again welcome the city’s best and brightest.
Yaari Number 1s
“I’ve been working on our new No 1 Yaari campaign. It’s the first ad I’ve directed myself after moving back to India a few years ago,” says advertising’s Golden Child Sonal Dabral, current head honcho of DDB Mudra, Mumbai, after a long stint in Southeast Asia, where he headed Bates CHI.
Foreground (from left to right) Aarti Surendranath, Sonal Dabral and Ashish Vidyarthi. Second row (from left to right) Meenaz Lala, Raajeev Bhalla, Ajay Menon, Kailash Surendranath and a colleague
“It’s almost a new beginning for me,” he says about the iconic franchise he’d created, a tribute to enduring friendships that had captured the public imagination. “It’s been a fantastic experience working with ace producers Aarti and Kailash Surendranath, as well as a young team of music directors and actors.”
And of course, the consummate ad man in him could not resist this sign off: “When Yaari is No 1, great work is bound to follow.”
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