(From top): Miss Afghanistan Vida Samadzai shows off an outfit from Suneet Varma?s Spring-Summer collection; Suneet Varma, Sir V.S. Naipaul and his daughter at the same fashion show; Nina Manuel and Upen Patel at Bed; Dr R. Chidambaram, Rajit Kapur and Kishore Namit Kapoor (left to right) at the launch of The Luminous Sparks; Nupur Kundu with one of her paintings

Spring preening

It was a first for Sir Vidya Naipaul (V. S. Naipaul to his fans) and for the Delhi fashion industry. There was Sir Vidya in the front row at the Suneet Varma Spring-Summer show in the Capital last week. ?Well, I?ve never been to a fashion show in my life, so when my daughter and nephew insisted that I see Delhi?s decadent nightlife, I thought, why not,? said the Nobel laureate.

And there was enough for Naipaul to see as models walked the ramp in all the glitter and glamour that?s now become a staple of Varma?s collection. Even if Varma did not have any surprises in his designs, there was one more surprise besides Naipaul at his show. Miss Afghanistan Vida Samadzai made her debut on Indian ramps ? the first time ever for an Afghan woman.

?I have been threatened by the fundamentalists in my country for choosing this profession. When I took part in Miss Earth in 2003, I was told I would be killed for wearing revealing clothes.? However, now Vida who lives in California, hopes to make a mark in the Indian fashion industry.

As for the show, Varma?s focus this season is on pastels in green, pink, yellow and blue. ?Even internationally, rundown colours and pastels are doing great. Green is the colour for this season.? Sticking to ethnicwear, Varma?s churidar-kurtas, lehengas and sarees were all well-fitted and figure-hugging. Even the lehengas fell in straight lines as Varma felt that ?there is no need to overdo the fabric for summers?. He also stuck to a lot of flowing chiffon for his churidar-kurtas and light silk for high-end lehengas.

Artistic rebirth

It was her son?s fourth birthday. A fitting occasion for artist Nupur Kundu to have chosen for her exhibition at the India Habitat Centre in the Capital recently. ?We?d booked the place two years in advance for this particular date, as for me an exhibition is a rebirth,? explained Kundu.

Her series of paintings called Rhapsody in Space-II reflect her fascination with nature and its beauty. The vibrancy of the colour palette is a visual treat. Visitors were also fascinated by the fact that the movement and rhythm that emanated from the canvases, sprung from the painter?s close association with Kathak.

Small impasto (pigment applied thickly) strokes, juxtaposed with bold impasto spatula, reveal the traditional yet modern streak to Kundu?s personality. ?I work in oil and the colours of nature inspire me. This time I?ve used a lot of metallic colours like gold and copper, juxtaposing them with whites and blacks,? she said.

Organised by the Art Alive Gallery, the exhibition?s highlight is a seven-feet by 22-feet canvas that boasts a warm surge of colours juxtaposed with white.

Sparks of success

When it?s a book written by the President of India, it inevitably, generates a whole lot of publicity. The Luminous Sparks, written by the President of India, A.P.J Abdul Kalam was launched at the Crossword bookstore in Mumbai recently by Dr R. Chidambaram, principal scientific advisor to the Government of India.

The Luminous Sparks, published by Punya Publishing, Bangalore, is a book of 15 poems and contains biographical notes accompanied by thought-provoking visuals designed by well-known painters. The poems and notes represent incidents from the President?s childhood, his work and his present calling, gradually unfolding the moments that made these thoughts possible. Along with the poems, paintings are also created for each of the stanzas to highlight the feel and message of the poem. Weaving this web of visual expression are artists such as Paresh Hazra, Chandranath Acharya and G.J. Jadav.

Said actor Rajit Kapur, who along with acting guru, Kishore Namit Kapoor read some of the poems from the book, ?The biographical notes interspersed with the selected poems of Dr. Kalam invite us again and again to read and reflect, even as it inspires and soothes the mind.?

Bed-time tales

Want to go to Bed? That?s the question many party-hopping Mumbaiites are posing to one another nowadays. And no, it?s not liable to warrant an indignant slap or two! The reason: Bed is the name of a newly opened nightspot ? no connection to the lounge bar of the same name in Calcutta. This one is the brainchild of Mumbai hotelier Tony Sachdev, who after pulling down his once-famous Punjabi restaurant Sheetal Arch, used the space for Bed and all that comes along with it.

With lamps and diyas creating a soothing glow and throw cushions strewn all over, Bed is all about lounging and partying in comfort and style. The lounge?s interiors, designed by Mustafa Eisa, is along the lines of a village with lanterns, bamboo lamp shades, low-lying beds and brightly-coloured cushions completing the picture.

To create some buzz, Tony has roped in some of the hottest faces from the modelling world like Upen Patel, Viveka Babaji and Nina Manuel as brand ambassadors. The launch saw DJ Suketu, the in-house spin-doctor scratching out some memorable music but the one track that really got the crowd going was his remixed version of Bin Tere Sanam.

Spotted were a host of celebrities including Arbaaz Khan, Aseem Merchant, Salim Asgarally, Vikram Phadnis, Pooja Bedi, Anu Malik and Abbas-Mastan.

Photographs by Rupinder Sharma and Gajanan Dudhalkar