Promises may be meant to be broken but this one has stood the test of time. Confirmed Indophile Jacqueline Lundquist, wife of former US ambassador to India Richard Celeste, who had vowed to popularise Indian style back in the US, did her bit last week. At the Indian Consulate in New York, Lundquist and Indian designers Tarun Tahiliani, Rina Dhaka, Vivek Narang and Raghuvendra Rathore unveiled their designs as part of the Fall fashion week. It will be distributed by Karma, a JV between Lundquist, Marvin Traub (ex-chairman of Bloomingdale's) and Steven Gold, former Cacherel head. The collection displayed was a blend of Indian classicism with the modern world. Lundquist knows her stuff well.

Covering Agent

The fashion week in Manhattan saw its desi resident unveil his own couture. Anand Jon's ensemble on display last week was titled "Animae: Goddesses & Doormats Part-1" and forms part of the series he plans to pan out in the next few seasons. The collection, claims Jon (below, with models at the show), juxtapositions two extreme perceptions of women, as quoted by artist Salvador Dali's surrealism and explored by other turn-of-the-century pioneers such as Carl Jung's reflections on animae, the missing void of the feminine psyche manifested creatively or destructively. For this season Jon selected the courtesan double agent spy Mata Hari, lending to the look of Espionage Chic.

Homeward Bound

For long now non-resident Indians have played with the idea of paying back to their country of origin. Now their children have been coalesced together to form a service corp under the American India Foundation, with Bill Clinton as the honorary president. After looking at prototypes for the past two years, the non-profit organisation has settled for a regular programme that seeks to send 50 volunteers from the US to work with Indian NGOs. The programme this year picked 21 youngsters who will fan out to different parts of India for a period of nine months. The first batch of fellows was given the opportunity to hang out with the foundation's star-the President who simply fails to fade away.

Experimental Venture

ON October 11, London is to be hit by Shaanti, the club sensation that ventures down south from its usual act in Birmingham to launch an eight-club residency at the Medicine Bar, London. It will combine Asian Dub (above) influences with big beat, breakbeats and all points in between. Shaanti plunders the musical history of the subcontinent for inspiration to create a coalition of eastern instruments with cutting-edge technology and production. DJs collaborate styles of hip-hop, bhangra, drum 'n' bass, jazz and tablatronic beats over heavy bass loops. On the night, DJ Badmarsh (Badmarsh & Shri) will be playing a notoriously fierce set alongside resident DJs. Way to go.

Saving Brace

Theme parties are passe. In London, it's the brightness of the smile that counts. The elite here are throwing tooth-whitening dos for select friends. And as the charmed circle helps itself to some white drinks and white foods—colourants stain teeth, you see—Dr Sunny Luthra (left) sets about polishing the pearly whites, an act for which the Delhi-born dental surgeon charges the host-amount unrevealed. Luthra introduced these parties a few weeks ago. Already, they have enhanced his clients' image, but more than that, his own!

Matter of Fame

Rohinton Mistry's Family Matters has been shortlisted among the six finalists for the Booker Prize and is also in the reckoning for the $30,000-Kirayama Prize for books that promote understanding of the Pacific Rim and the Indian subcontinent. Mistry's reading, slated for this Thursday at the Asia Society in Manhattan, has already been sold out. The question uppermost in everyone's mind is whether India would have its golden moment once again. As for the man himself, any palpitation he might be experiencing is one he is accustomed to-he has already been nominated twice for HTE Booker.

Heal the World

The world is going asunder: the West Asia crisis, pressure hovering over Saddam Hussein's Iraq, Indian-Pakistani bashings ... no wonder sane people the world over celebrated World Peace Day this week. Amidst the call, one DJ in London-the inimitable DJ Pathaan-declared that he is human and sickened by the current affairs globally. So what did he do? He contributed to the peace initiative in his own unique way: by launching an album. World Peace, part of the Stoned Asia Music company, features 15 exclusive and hard-to-find tranquil productions from crooners around the globe-Lumo (Seven Minutes of Sun), The Spy From Cairo (Camel Ride), Toires (Sanaati), Abhijit Pohankar (Piya Bavari) and Gunjan (Midnight Sail)-that have been mixed effortlessly by Pathaan. Hail world peace, uh, World Peace.

-Bureau reports