Kal Penn to host LFW X FDCI gala, actor to wear a Manish Malhotra ensemble
Mumbai, Mar 30 (PTI) Indian-American actor Kal Penn is set to host a star-studded gala on Sunday, celebrating the 25th edition of Lakme Fashion Week in partnership with the Fashion Design Council of India.
Presented by Lakme, FDCI and Reliance Brands, the event will see over 30 celebrated designers and iconic Lakme faces come together for the milestone celebration.
Keeping up with the spirit of fashion, Penn — regarded as one of the first Indian-origin actors in Hollywood — will host the gala wearing an outfit by celebrity-favourite designer Manish Malhotra.
The actor, popular for films such as “Van Wilder”, “The Namesake”, the “Harold & Kumar” franchise as well as TV series “House” and “Designated Survivor”, said he had a fitting session with Malhotra on Friday.
“He’s dressing me for the gala. I’ve been a huge fan of his for a long time. I mean, iconic legend, right? You go into his building… it’s not even just one tiny studio, it’s an entire building.
“Working with him on whether it’s a high-end couture look or it’s his incredible streetwear line, you’ve got all of these conversations happening,” Penn told PTI on the sidelines of LFW X FDCI here.
The actor-producer, whose real name is Kalpen Suresh Modi, came to India in January to attend the Jaipur Literature Festival and then flew back home to New York to wrap some work.
His last two days, Penn said, have mostly been about rehearsing for the fashion week, which concludes on Sunday.
“We have a wonderful gala coming up on Sunday evening, so (I have been) working with the incredible team here on getting the hosting script down… It’s not the first time for me hosting but it’s the first gala of its kind, celebrating the 25th anniversary (of LFW X FDCI),” he added.
As a fashion enthusiast, Penn
said it is an honour to meet and collaborate with designers and their teams.
“It’s a celebration of 25 years of incredible creativity and a lot of shout-outs to how global Indian fashion has become in a wonderful way, so excited to be part of it,” he added.
The conversations around how fashion can be “art, history, and faith” during extravaganzas like LFW X FDCI is Penn’s favourite aspect about being part of such events.
“… It can be as silly and fun or as high-end and couture as you want it to be. Some designers like Manish Malhotra and a few others merge both of those two so well.”
Besides Malhotra, is there any other Indian designer whose work he loves?
“I recently did Shubhika Sharma’s podcast at Papa Don’t Preach (a homegrown luxury couture label). I love her aesthetic and also love how playful she is. Her whole team is also wonderful,” Penn said, adding that he is also excited to see veteran designer Ritu Kumar in person at the event.
“And then, also just non-designers who are such influencers in the fashion world like Karan Johar, who walked with Falguni and Shane Peacock. I’m a big fan of theirs obviously… But to see him (Johar) on the runway doing his things, that kind of convergence is really exciting,” Penn said.
Asked about his plans after the gala, the actor replied, “I hear there’s an after-party.”
Penn will be in India for about a week after attending some more events.
“I’ll see some family, take a few extra meetings and then I’m shooting something back in the States and in the UK.”
