We at Varnam Malaysia are still not over our epic screening of Darbar on its opening night earlier this month. The glitzy event saw the who’s who of our community from every area of specialty in attendance. Needless to say, the fashion trends were off the charts! We recount the trends spotted that night.
Thiviyah Nathan
This fashionista is no stranger to switching up her look and fusing the ethnic feels with modern vibes. At our Darbar screening, she stood out in her chic ensemble.
Thiviyah’s outfit was custom made by her mother, makeup artiste and jewelry designer, Devi of Sangeet Devi Studios. She styled her handmade mustard saree that was pleated to perfection with a black cold shoulder ribbed top. The star of her outfit, however, was the handmade statement necklace, also courtesy of her mother. To say that she is Stylo would be an understatement.
Sushmeetha Morugan
Television presenter and saree enthusiast Sushemeetha Morugan may have a closet full of sarees, but the piece she chose to wear that night can only be described as art. “Don’t ask me how much this is!” she gushes. As we prepare ourselves for an exorbitant figure, she reassures us, “I got it from Essa Taqua in Chennai. It was less than ₹1000 (RM 57)!”
Her huge collection of sarees has brought many to her home, with local media even interviewing her on her sarees, which she gives away periodically. Quite the saree celebrity in her own right, Sushmeetha remains humility personified. “Let me know if you want a saree, okay?” she says as we part ways.
Sushmeetha’s fire on coal saree that night came with two superb accessories, her fun personality and gorgeous smile.
Sumitra Venugopal
Varnam’s very own Sumitra Venugopal looked exquisite that night in a dhoti and top ensemble from DesiGlam, a vibrant Malaysian brand that cleverly fuses the glamour into Indian ethnic wear.
Sumitra’s peplum top with tassels at the left shoulder was complimented by the flared sleeves. The star of her ensemble were the three quarter dhoti pants, which had slits at the shin. Both the pants and top were a whimsical print of colours and patterns that matched Sumitra’s warm personality to a tee.
She paired the outfit with foxy gold drop earrings, also from DesiGlam. Her open toe stiletto heels pulled the entire look together.
Sandra Jacob
Sandra adores sarees. She is adventurous with her saree blouses, often pairing her sarees with crop tops and tubes. On the night of our Darbar screening, Sandra donned an elegant grey cotton saree sprinkled with miniscule pink flowers. She paired this with a sleeveless hot pink blouse.
The saree collector admits that she has no memory of where she procured the beautiful piece, but she feels strongly about normalising the saree. “I may not remember where I got my sarees from, but I make sure I use them not only for parties and functions, but also for outings,”
Sandra was present at our event with her daughter Sonnika Sundar, who looked ravishing in a black jumpsuit with a bejeweled neckline. Guess it runs in the family!
Dr Mohanaapriya Sina Raja
Former Miss MalaysiaIndian Global and CEO of the non governmental organisation MMICare Association, Dr Mohanaapriya Sina Raja was dressed to the nines for our Darbar screening.
Her ingenious pairing of the dolman sleeve black top and 7/8 black leggings complimented her ivory clutch. Her hair was in an elegant french twist. To finish her look, she donned a pair of swanky, sparkly heels. We were in awe from the moment she walked into the venue!
Sanmugaselvi Rajagopal & Prakash Ganapathy
Fashion designer Sanmugaselvi Rajagopal is the brains behind DesiGlam. She and her husband Prakash Ganapathy were clad in outfits from her clothing line. Sanmugaselvi’s mustard salwar top was adorned with a glittery neckline. She paired this with a pair of printed dhoti pants that had elements of mustard in it.
Sanmugaselvi’s wedges were a surprising amalgamation of her entire outfit, with the straps in mustard and the heel in a similar print to her dhoti!
Prakash wore a long jippa from DesiGlam’s Barathi line. His suave black jippa had the image of Bharathiyaar on its back. He paired this with a pair of grey pants and cream loafers. Our favourite accessory of Prakash’s that night was his debonair, well coiffed beard.
Kisona Selvaduray
Who would have guessed that our national shuttler moonlights as a fashion icon? Kisona wore a multicoloured glitzy blazer over a white top and black skinny jeans. Simple, yet super stylish!
Kisona paired this with sparkly kitten heels that matched her white handbag. Our favourite accessory of hers? Um, her entire look!
What were some of your favourite trends at Varnam’s Darbar screening?
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