As we head toward the end of another year, all eyes in the Hindu community—and the London Condé Nast Traveller offices—turn to Diwali. This light-filled festival is celebrated by communities across the Indian subcontinent and in diasporas far beyond, marking the victory of good over evil with traditions that have been around for centuries, such as the lighting of homes with diyas, indulging in sweet treats known as mithai, and celebrating with music and dance.
At London’s The Savoy, Condé Nast Traveller and Cartier kicked off the festive season in style on Friday night. They were joined by more than 300 friends from across the British Asian community for an evening of Love and Light. There were musical performances, nonstop dancing, and incredible food against a backdrop of jaw-dropping flower arrangements dreamt up by florist Warren Bushaway, who hung 25,000 fresh roses around the Lancaster Ballroom.
“London is such a melting pot that our childhood memories of Diwali probably come from many different places,” Global editorial director Divia Thani said as she welcomed guests, including Bridgerton actor Charithra Chandran, model Neelam Gill, and Game of Thrones star Indira Varma. “But whether you grew up in London, Paris, Delhi, Kenya, Scotland, Hong Kong, Dubai, New York or the Caribbean—your memories probably involve a lot of love, a lot of light, and a ton of gold and sparkle.”
Before the event, Thani told us that this Diwali party—planned by Vandana Mohan of The Wedding Design Company and Bruce Russell Events—was born out of a desire to bring together London’s vibrant South Asian community. “I moved to London from Mumbai during the pandemic, and I quickly realised that London's South Asian diaspora needed a bigger celebration,” she said, “one that recognises and celebrates us in an authentic way. London is such an exciting and international city. The more we can share our unique cultures and traditions, the more we can all learn and grow. That's Condé Nast Traveller's fundamental philosophy: learning about other cultures and peoples is a beautiful and integral part of the human experience. It can change the world.”
On invitations sent out ahead of the event, the dress code stated, “Bring Your Sparkle”, and every attendee delivered. Some glittered in Cartier jewels—fitting, as Cartier bell boys passed out Champagne to guests right from the red carpet. The ballroom filled up with well-known faces (we spotted presenter Anita Rani, models Cat Roberts, Pritika Swarup and Anugraha Natarajan, director Gurinder Chadha, philanthropists Natasha Poonawalla and Aarti Lohia, authors Moni Mohsin and Rana Dasgupta, Business of Fashion’s Imran Amed, and Jikoni chef-owner Ravinder Bhogal among them) wearing top Indian fashion designers including Manish Malhotra, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Rahul Mishra, and Ritu Kumar.
Food is a huge part of Diwali celebrations – so naturally, Condé Nast Traveller brought in the best-of-the-best to feed guests. Chet Sharma of Michelin-starred Indian restaurant Bibi created an innovative and lavish spread that even included a crushed ice maker for traditional golas. Canapés like truffle and mooli Dokhla, chicken momos, and lamb seekh kebab circulated. Bowls of buffalo milk paneer, Sharmaji’s lahori chicken, and ex-dairy goat kebab followed, while saffron and lemon soft serve and kulfi with Pondicherry chocolate mousse cake and rum-soaked raisins rounded off the evening.
A special cocktail menu featured not only Indian ingredients but some fantastic Indian-made alcohol: Sandalwood Manhattans (with Rampur double cask Indian single malt whisky, Riversaltes ambré, osmanthus and mandarin peel) and Calamansi Margaritas (Calamansi tequila, mango ginger, green chili). Chet Sharma and the Bibi team also cooked up these delicious recipes.
Following welcome remarks from Thani and Cartier’s managing director Laurent Feniou, US-born Bollywood artist Jeffrey Iqbal took to the stage and the dance floor filled instantaneously. Thanks to his Bollywood-meets-Hollywood setlist blending Eastern and Western hits, dancing lasted all night. Guests only slipped away momentarily to pick up a personalized keepsake from Calligraphy by Kiki.
After midnight, guests departed with goody bags, taking home a Cartier candle and Bibi’s homemade chocolate made from cocoa from Kerala. Also tucked in the bag was a special gift: three signed ethereal prints by the renowned Mumbai-based photographer Sunhil Sippy, taken in the holy city of Varanasi on Diwali Day—each editioned as only 250 copies were created for each print. They were a keepsake from a truly special night.
But for the Condé Nast Traveller team, ideas for next year’s party have already started to bubble up. “The energy in the room was palpable; people sparkled inside and out,” Divia said. “At the end of the day, Diwali is about the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. These are universal concepts, messages everyone can get behind and celebrate. My hope is that our night felt like a joyous reminder of the good in the world. We need it.”
Keep scrolling to see more photos of this year's Condé Nast Traveller Diwali ball
A version of this article originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveller.
