At a showcase for House of Waris at the Museum of Arts & Design in Columbus Circle, The Observer bonded with the designer Waris Ahluwalia over our mutual tiredness.
“I haven’t had a nap,” Mr. Ahluwalia sighed. “It’s hard enough going to all the shows and parties. Whose bright idea was it for me to throw my own event?” He smiled and passed a bouquet of flowers to an assistant. “What’s your name, son?” He asked us. He paused, then looked at us with a look that said, “Why did I just call you son?” and laughed. “Son? Sonny boy? I’m looking forward to a time,” he ran his fingers through his beard, “When this is all white and I can call people ‘sonny’ and really mean it.”
In a packed, hot room, guests moved through glass cases of Mr. Ahluwalia’s jewelry. The pieces-beautiful and dramatic-looked like miniature sculptures as much as something to wear around your neck. Models stood by the windows, stripped to their underwear and draped in House of Waris shawls.
Anjelica Huston, in a black suit that matched her straight black hair, entered, tall and elegant. She explained that she met Mr. Ahluwalia while filming The Life Aquatic, in which Mr. Ahluwalia plays a Sikh cameraman, “born on the Ganges.” She’s been focusing on film projects, not Fashion Week, which meant she’s been getting more sleep than most of the people in the room. She did, however, profess a love for fashion shows.
“I used to be in a few,” she said, “back in the day.”
