LFW Sidelights: Fashion Week is also about feeding the fashionistas

Mumbai, March 14 (IANS) The five-day Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI may be tagged as the 'Kumbh Mela' of style, bringing together the best by almost 60 upcoming and seasoned designers. But good food also played a wholesome role on the first day (Wednesday, March 13).

Day One of the fashion fiesta began with Gen Next designers Kriti Greta Singhee, Rosani, Shimona Agarwal and The Terra Tribe, who unveiled their debut collection.

The curtains came down on the day after seasoned designer Rajesh Pratap Singh showcased his collection on the Mahalaxmi Race Course, giving a regal spin to polo wear.

Not only did his garments win people's hearts, but the 'grazing table' set up by the young chef and food impresario Manpreet Dhody's I’m Wholesome shared the limelight.

Giving a taste of luxe life, the table featured varieties of cheese infused with refreshinghly different flavours such as truffle shiitake, cranberry pistachio, bacon cheddar and salmon cheese -- all developed by Dhody and her team.

Ditching the calories, fashionistas swarmed at the beautifully decorated table, which also served lip-smacking small fusion bites, notably peri peri bhutta tarts and hashbrown chaat.

The table did not disappoint the non-vegetarians too as they got to dig into smoked salmon canapes and sundried tomato chicken.

What caught this correspondent's fancy was the desserts, each one topped the other.

Dhody and her team kept the designer's sensibilities in mind and served melt-in-the-mouth South Indian coffee mascarpone shrew, and chocolate and strawberry nibble cake, among others.

It was the coffee mascarpone shrew that turned out to be the showstopper on the table curated by Dhody, who said, "We have kept their flavours simple but presented them in a stylish way." It doesn't take much time to make the food, Dhody added, but it is the "styling" that does.

I’m Wholesome is just a little over three years old, but has made a mark in the industry by curating tables for top brands such as Gucci and Chanel, as well as Bollywood personalities like the designer Manish Malhotra and Hrithik Roshan.

The company has three offerings -- the grazing table, gifting hampers and a cooking studio. Dhody said the gifting hampers are made for "everyone", as the range starts from Rs 875 and goes up to Rs 10,000.

"You don't want to deprive someone on a budget," Dhody told IANS. "I want to satisfy someone who can only spare Rs. 800 per hamper and also somebody who is prepared to spend up to Rs 5,000, or even more."

The real bucks, though, come from the grazing table, which starts from Rs 50,000 and goes up to over Rs10 lakh -- and more. How much was the table laid out for the show priced at? Dhody's replied instantly, it was "expensive".

Of course, the food was the belle of the ball, but to flush down all the yumminess, there were drinks by The Singleton, serving up cocktails.

The Turfy G&T, made with dry gin paired with lemongrass, lime, soda and tonic, turned out to be the right antidote to Mumbai's sweltering heat.

The spotlight, though, was on the Tropictini, which almost everyone wanted to grab. The drink can be described as a regular Espresso Martini, but the secret 'wow' ingredient was the coconut syrup stirred with a large serving of vodka.

Fashionistas clinked their glasses of 'Tropictini during the polo match ahead of Rajesh Pratap's finale show.

Wait, there was more. For whisky lovers, there was the Old Fashioned but with a local twist given by anjeer (figs) and aromatic bitters. Cin cin to food and fashion!