On invitations sent out ahead of the event, the dress code stated, “Bring Your Sparkle”, and every attendee delivered. Some glittered in Cartier jewels—fitting, as Cartier bell boys passed out Champagne to guests right from the red carpet. The ballroom filled up with well-known faces (we spotted presenter Anita Rani, models Cat Roberts, Pritika Swarup and Anugraha Natarajan, director Gurinder Chadha, philanthropists Natasha Poonawalla and Aarti Lohia, authors Moni Mohsin and Rana Dasgupta, Business of Fashion’s Imran Amed, and Jikoni chef-owner Ravinder Bhogal among them) wearing top Indian fashion designers including Manish Malhotra, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Rahul Mishra, and Ritu Kumar.
Rowben Lantion
Food is a huge part of Diwali celebrations – so naturally, Condé Nast Traveller brought in the best-of-the-best to feed guests. Chet Sharma of Michelin-starred Indian restaurant Bibi created an innovative and lavish spread that even included a crushed ice maker for traditional golas. Canapés like truffle and mooli Dokhla, chicken momos, and lamb seekh kebab circulated. Bowls of buffalo milk paneer, Sharmaji’s lahori chicken, and ex-dairy goat kebab followed, while saffron and lemon soft serve and kulfi with Pondicherry chocolate mousse cake and rum-soaked raisins rounded off the evening.
A special cocktail menu featured not only Indian ingredients but some fantastic Indian-made alcohol: Sandalwood Manhattans (with Rampur double cask Indian single malt whisky, Riversaltes ambré, osmanthus and mandarin peel) and Calamansi Margaritas (Calamansi tequila, mango ginger, green chili). Chet Sharma and the Bibi team also cooked up these delicious recipes.
Following welcome remarks from Thani and Cartier’s managing director Laurent Feniou, US-born Bollywood artist Jeffrey Iqbal took to the stage and the dance floor filled instantaneously. Thanks to his Bollywood-meets-Hollywood setlist blending Eastern and Western hits, dancing lasted all night. Guests only slipped away momentarily to pick up a personalized keepsake from Calligraphy by Kiki.
After midnight, guests departed with goody bags, taking home a Cartier candle and Bibi’s homemade chocolate made from cocoa from Kerala. Also tucked in the bag was a special gift: three signed ethereal prints by the renowned Mumbai-based photographer Sunhil Sippy, taken in the holy city of Varanasi on Diwali Day—each editioned as only 250 copies were created for each print. They were a keepsake from a truly special night.
