Everyone Came Out to This Glamorous Diwali Party, Hosted by Vanity Fair’s Radhika Jones, Prabal Gurung, and More

Diwali is a Hindu holiday celebrating the victory of light and good over darkness and evil. Families around the world gather for meals, decorate their homes with candles and rangoli sand art, set off fireworks, and participate in rituals with loved ones. It’s common to light oil-filled clay diyas in order to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, and Ganesh, the god of wisdom and good luck. 

“Growing up in Eastern India, we had many people over, cooked a lot of food, and decorated the entire house with oil lamps and lit firecrackers. It’s about people, relationships, and reflecting what we have,” said New York-based designer Bibhu Mohapatra, wearing a Kanika Goyal ensemble. Anjula Acharia, wearing Falguni Shane Peacock, shared similar excitement for the holiday: “Diwali is so important to me because it’s an expression of my culture, the beauty, the elegance, the colors, and an opportunity to show how much fun we are.”

Co-hosted by fashion designer Prabal Gurung, Vanity Fair editor in chief Radhika Jones, actor Kal Penn, and others, this particular Diwali party sponsored by Paramount Pictures was no ordinary soirée. It was a luminous spotlight on South Asian culture, fashion, food, dance, and music. Guests took the “South Asian Black Tie” dress code seriously, wearing magnificent lehengas, jewels, sherwanis, and suits. Falguni and Shane Peacock, two of India’s top fashion designers, co-hosted the party and dressed many attendees. Falguni Peacock wore one of her own designs, a Champagne gold embroidered lehenga with beading and feathers that took 40 people two weeks to create. “We all look forward to Diwali. Growing up, our family would all get together. We’d burst firecrackers, eat sweets, and dress up every night. It’s so amazing to come celebrate with family here tonight,” Falguni Peacock told Vogue.

Having grown up in several Asian countries, Prabal Gurung, who wore a sparkling Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla jacket and Phillip Lim shoes, celebrated the holiday annually and was exposed to different traditions. “Back home in Nepal, Diwali is called Tihar. It’s like Christmas and New Year. Everyone gets together to play cards, dance, sing, eat, and get dressed up. The whole country is lit up with candles and lights.”

Noticing a continued representation of the Diwali holiday in mainstream American culture, restauranteur Maneesh K. Goyal, who also wore Falguni Shane Peacock, dreamed up the idea for this Diwali fête in Manhattan. “It occurred to me that Diwali is not on the New York social scene. It’s not really in the zeitgeist. Retail, fashion, and restaurants all celebrate Lunar New Year. Diwali is next. We really want to put Diwali on the map.”

The party started with a festive cocktail hour in The Pierre’s ornate muraled Rotunda room, with guests like Padma Lakshmi, Sarita Choudhury, Philip Lim, Seema Mody, and Gabriela Hearst in attendance. The Indian couture boasted a resplendent kaleidoscope of colors, with every combination of embroidery, jewelry, midriff-baring drapery, sequins, tassels, bindis, and shimmer. Guests lined up along the venue’s grand staircases for processional entries and extravagant photographs, a true sight to behold. “Never in a million years did I fathom being able to dress up with other creatives and business and community leaders to celebrate Diwali. What a fun way to celebrate the holiday!” exclaimed Kal Penn, wearing a glimmering red and blue Harleen Kaur jacket. 

Following cocktails, guests made their way into The Pierre’s Cotillion Room, where South Asian and Western club music pulsed over a packed dance floor. Christian Louboutin, Pete and Chasten Buttigieg, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, Ezra Williams, and hundreds more danced to Indian club hits. After a dinner of Indian delicacies and an ebullient girls vs. guys dance battle, co-host Jay Sean sang a live performance in Punjabi. By the end of the night, guests wanted for only one thing: the promise that next year, they could do it all over again!