At the end of September, Silk Threads was delighted to host an exclusive Trunk Show Exhibition and Sip & Style for bloggers, clients, and friends. For the first half of the event, Silk Threads clients gathered at the studio, mingled, and were treated with personal stylings in various Silk Threads designs.
Champagne, hor d’oeuvres, fashion, and glam all made up the essence of the occasion. Following the trunk show was a time for more mingling, especially with bloggers in the community, who were given the chance to browse the studio for their favorite pieces. Fashion designer Ruby Bhandari was proud and impressed with the curiosity exhibited by visitors, who not only seemed intrigued by the aesthetics of the designs, but also the culture by which they were inspired.
Silk Threads partnered with Aanushkil Designer Jewelry for the show, with an entire room of tables iced completely in unique and mesmerizing jewels. Visitors awed at the earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings, which were all made up of semi precious stones set in sterling silver, as well as other designer jewelry sourced from all over India and the Far East.
Caught by the brightness of the genuine jewelry designs, Dallas blogger and jewelry business owner Kathleen DeNooyer of DeNooyer Designs brought up an interesting point regarding Indian and Far Eastern designs being worn here in the US: Cultural Appreciation vs. Cultural Appropriation.
“As an artist and human being, to find inspiration to create beauty, you must open your mind and pursue things that are different,” DeNooyer said. “In that way, an artist must absorb the world outside their sphere and implement it into who they are and what they create. I think that’s different than appropriation, which is just yanking something from a culture/thing that you do not understand, nor have experienced.”
Aanushkil Designer Jewelry Owner Disha (Sapna) Thadani agreed with DeNooyer, saying that she’s inspired, rather than offended.
“When I see others out there wearing jewelry and clothing like what you see here by me and Ruby, it inspires me,” Thadani said. “It makes me proud and makes me feel like there’s appreciation across the board. Jewelry and accessorizing is an art form. I’ve always felt that people who wear a simple black shirt with blue jeans and put on a piece that is cross-cultural, are crossing borders and showing that there is beauty in every corner of the earth. It’s how you use the pieces to show how you appreciate it. It brings out your individuality, and it’s appreciation and flattery of the highest form.”
To wrap up the day’s festivities, guests and bloggers all sat down for a quick runway reveal and sneak peek at one of Ruby’s new designs. The gown, which is a strong and bold emerald green, is made of draped chiffon with custom beading and lace embroidered at the neckline. The design will also hit the runway October 14th for the 8th Annual Silk Threads Charity Fashion Event: Bollywood to Hollywood.
To see more designs by fashion icon and designer Ruby Bhandari, join us at the upcoming Bollywood to Hollywood event this month.