Author Topic: Punjab's Hollywood connection (Read 1583 times)

B̲l̲i̲n̲g̲ · « **on:** June 09, 2011, 06:34:41 PM »

The universe has a voice. All we have to do is listen. The door is open; we just have to walk through that door-advises a dapper looking Waris Ahluwalia. This Amritsar-born, 36-year-old is the creative force behind the much-fetishised, jewellery from the House of Waris. His beautiful, handcrafted jewellery line is being retailed at high-end fashion hubs such as Bergdorf Goodman, Maxfield and Phillips de Pury and at uber luxe stores such as Colette in Paris, Barneys in New York and Liberty in London.

Waris Ahluwalia with The Citizen BandAhluwalia is also the flamboyant entrepreneur behind a pop-up Tea Room launched in New York in October 2010, serving Darjeeling tea and biscuits, besides hosting Playboy parties. "House of Waris personifies my love of history, apparent not just in my jewellery, but also in my Tea Room. Tea eludes class and echoes a romantic part of history. For busy New Yorkers I've created an oasis of pause that tea allows," says the American-Indian teetotaler.

Books on my table: Gates to Buddhist Practice by Chagdud Tulku andPlease Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeil.In 2010, he was inducted as an official member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and placed on Vanity Fair's Best Dressed List. The same year, British GQ called him the second best dressed man internationally and he was also included in Vogue's 10 Most Impactful people of 2010. As for his style, Waris approaches it the same way he approaches his work, "It's probably because my east meets west style. I like wearing tailored suits, accented with pocket squares, along with pink suede George Esquivel shoes. And well, I'm not afraid to wear denim on denim," laughs Ahluwalia.

As a jewellery designer, he loves gold."Gold is part of who we are," says the designer, who never intended to design jewellery. "I got two rings made for myself with 40 diamonds in each ring. I was at Maxfields in LA and the rings caught the sales staff's attention. And it all started from there," he says. Ahluwalia's jewellery journey started in Rome where he found his first workshop, leading him to India, Bangkok and then somehow to a hand engraver in NY. The designer now travels to India six times a year to collaborate with master craftsmen, "I feel blessed, dealing with the people I work with, whether it's director Spike Lee, the delicate setters in Bangkok, my craftsmen in India or Abdull, my Man Friday in Jaipur," says Ahluwalia.

My hangouts: Places that have great food are always my favourite: Omen, Bar Pitti, St. Ambroeus, Me Kong, Sushi Yasuda, my mother's kitchen. Other favourites include The Chateau and St. Marks Bookstore.A constant fixture on New York's mercurial scene-and-be-seen barometer, he is known for his roles in Wes Anderson's films, fashion week photos captured by Olivier Zahm and appearances in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling Limited, I Am Love and Inside Man. "If my life had been a movie reel, the credits and acknowledgements would have rolled endlessly," laughs Ahluwalia.

Style icons: Kris Kristoferson in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore and David Niven in Around the World in 80 Days.Recently, in February 2011, he launched an affordable diffusion accessory line called, Waris Loves You for yoox.com, a leading virtual store. The multi-faceted designer also released a book, To India with Love, with its proceeds going to the Taj Memorial Public Service Welfare Trust, for aiding victims of Mumbai 2008 attacks.

At the end of it all, he is the proverbial 'accidental icon' who seems to have everything on his plate-a niche in Hollywood, a sparkling design career and a wardrobe to suit. "As a first generation Indian immigrant, I had my fair share of pressures," shares the Punjabi lad, whose mom wanted him to get an MBA at least, though he was committed to arts. "I told my mother, I won't be able to follow the path she had chosen for me. In my 20s, I tried compiling a book, opening a restaurant, producing an album and co-producing a movie, but nothing clicked."

But then, these failures gave Ahluwalia the confidence and acquainted him to New York art scene, "Today, most people think that I have it all. But, I would love to do more books and more of everything. After all, it is in my nature to create. I can't fight it," smiles Ahluwalia.

Author Topic: Punjab's Hollywood connection (Read 1583 times)

B̲l̲i̲n̲g̲

Punjab's Hollywood connection

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