Paul Smith’s Indian Summer

It wasn’t his first visit to the country,and going by his experiences here,it won’t be his last. British designer Sir Paul Smith’s recent Delhi visit made for a fashionable soiree. Hosted by the British High Commissioner James Bevan and Genesis Luxury’s Sanjay Kapoor at the former’s residence,this cocktail reception attracted a variety of people — from the worlds of fashion,art and business. These included designers JJ Valaya,Suneet Varma,Raghavendra Rathore,David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore,artists Subodh Gupta and Bharti Kher among many others. The highlight of the event was the conversation between designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Smith on stage. What unfolded was a riveting story of his accidental foray into fashion and the ensuing success. “I’m very excited to be here in India,even though it’s such a short trip. India always inspires and excites me and I am now looking forward to my Mumbai store opening in June,” noted the 65-year-old owner of the eponymous label,whose recent projects also include the Oscar nominated film,Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (he was the creative director) and designing special edition stamps for the London Olympics 2012.