Royal Brunch with the Peacocks (and a Tigress!)

Amrit Maghera and Anupama Verma

Nethra Raghunathan

Narayani Shastri, Rahul Aggarwal and Riyaaz Amlani

Raman Lamba

Bunty Grewal and Zulfi Sayed

Rashmi Nigam

Shravan Chhabria and Jimmy Felix

Minisha Lamba and Mr. Dilawar Nensey

So Sunday was brunch day. Apart from Del Italia’s first anniversary (pictures coming soon) the launch of the Imperial Palace, the new 5-star property which promises a 17th century experience of royalty happened over brunch hosted by Mr. Amir Nensey, Chairman, Royal Palms India Pvt Ltd along with Muhamed Nensey, Managing Director and Dilawar Nensey, Jt. Managing Director.

The hotel was inaugurated by guest of honor, Shri Ashok Chavan, Chief Minister of Maharashtra along Shri Gurudas Kamat, Minister of Communication & IT.

Spotted: Minisha Lamba, Raman Lamba, Kelly Dorjee, Chetan Bhagat & wife, Pradeep Hirani, Shane & Falguni Peacock, Matan Schabracq,  Sharad Kapoor, Hanif Hilal, Ashmit Patel, Riyaaz Amlani (how’d he manage to be at both?!), Vanadana Sajnani & Rajesh Kakkad, Mouni Roy, Zulfi Sayed, Nethra Raghunathan, Natasha Suri, Ashok Salian, Suved Lohia, Tulip Joshi, Rashmi Nigam, Narayani Shastri, Rahul Aggarwal, Ritik Bhasin, Shweta Salve, Shabir Ahluwalia, Kanchi Kaul, Nihar Pandya, Kashmira Irani, Megha Kawale, Niketan Madhok, Sunny Sara, Amreet Maghera, Anupama Verma, Bunty Grewal, Harrison, Sucheta Sharma, Muzzamil Ibrahim, Shravan Chhabria and Jimmy Felix.

Shane & Falguni Peacock

On a side note I have always wondered how Shane @ Falguni Peacock got their slightly OTT last name. (Come on it must have crossed your mind too right?) HHC ladies would you know? I mean how many “Peacocks” do you know personally? They even have a swanky website dedicated to high luxury prêt called Peacock Couture. Meanwhile a bird of a different feather is evidently out and about again. Anupama Verma broke out the animal print for the occassion, remiscent of Indian royalty engaged in their favorite pastime of Tiger hunting. I wonder if she’s trying to snag herself a prince! I’m still pretty impressed by her flawless performance on Big Boss, and apparently so was the unsuspecting Aryan Vaid!

Shiney Happy People

Genelia D'Souza

Sophie Choudry

Sunny Sara, Arpita Khan & Nitin Goenka

Maheep Kapoor (in ceres jewellery), Nandita Mahatani and Pinky Reddy

Anjali Zaveri trying ceres jewellery

Tanya Deol & Paulomi Sanghavi

Queenie Dhody

Sangeeta Bijlani

Farah Khan & Seema Khan

Nitin Goenka, Maheep Kapoor and Navneet Goenka

Avanti Birla

Last night Nitin & Navneet Goenka (think Goenka Diamonds & Jewels Ltd.) launched ‘CERES’, a luxury personalized store at Bandra (West) on Turner Road, featuring a designer collection of high end jewelery crafted from the most unique, rare, finest diamonds & precious gemstones. Pitched at “connoisseurs with a passion for the finer things in life” (aka people with money.)

Champagne and sushi floated around a room full of the fully loaded including Maheep Kapoor, Avanti what-are-you-wearing Birla, Neelam Kothari, Haseena Jethmalani, Tanya Deol, Genelia D`Souza, Nandita Mehatani, Alvira Agnihotri, Arpita Khan, Simone Khan Arora, Poonam Bhagat, Farah Ali Khan (Dj Aqueel`s Wife), Rima Jain, Neeta Lulla, Anu Deewan, producer Farah Khan, Aarti Surendrenath, Sangeeta Bijlani, Zoya Aktar, Chayya Momaya, Rhea Pillai, Queenie Dhody, Seema Khan, Anna Singh, Suriley Goel, Gauri Pohoomull, Neeta Lulla, Paulomi Sanghavi, Shaina NC, Ruksana Eisa, Sharmilla Khanna, Anjali Zaveri, Pinky Reddy, Anita Raj, Neelu Amrohi, Yasmeen Karachiwala, Sunny Sara, Sophie Choudry, Pink Reddy and blast from the past Sangeeta Bijlani.

I’m told that the distinguishing feature of Ceres jewellery is that each piece is lavishly crafted to create ‘the antiques of the future.” What a novel thought and way to think ahead folks. (This kind of reminds me of what the good people at Mutton Street (an oddly titled stretch dedicated to woodcraft in Mumbai) and a lovely shop owner in Kerela once told me. Since people love antiques, they dull finish a lot of new creations to give them that ancient treasure look and even scruff up perfectly polished wood pieces for the unsuspecting (and evidently rookie) collectors that drop in daily.

Once again I marvel (enviously) at the ability of some to live in a bubble so far removed from the recession that they’re probably out shopping right now. Last year the Goenka turnover amounted to Rs.450 crores while this year they anticipate 900 crores from the retail segment. (FYI their product range starts from10 lakhs to several crores.)

They even have a range called “G-Wild” obviously targeting gen next, a one stop shop to provide classic pieces starting from 10,000 to 5 lakhs.

As Arthur Miller once said (Death of a Salesman), “The Jungle is dark but full of diamonds.”