Sonali's Society: Sanya Malhotra's style, Rihanna's odyssey and more

Through the looking glassWhile the rest of Mumbai was battling the humidity on Tuesday Sanya Malhotra was keeping it icy at the Balenciaga store in BKC mdash serving a look so sharp itrsquos a wonder the storefront didnrsquot shatterRemixed by RIRIUnless yoursquove been living under a rock you know Rihanna was in Mumbai this past weekend on a whistlestop promotional tour for her makeup brand Of course she flew private of course Isha Ambani played host and of course every beauty influencer with a ring light was on hand to witness the spectacleThrough it all three moments merit mention First RiRi maintained her own time zone arriving several hours behind schedule and effectively turning a PR mixer into a weehours gig Second during her Sunday visit to the Ambani home Antilia the Umbrella singer traded the stage for the sanctum bringing popstar panache to a traditional pooja as she swayed along to the aarti But the crowning moment Her earnest albeit slightly garbled attempt to thank the exhausted press corps After repeatedly asking for the local translation of ldquothank yourdquo she beamed at the cameras and shouted a confident ldquoSupriyardquo directly at the paps Delivered with that signature Fenty grin it was the sweetest case of lost in translationlsquoInspiredrsquo AudacityMaria GorettiPrada is finding out the hard way that a lsquoMade in Indiarsquo tag isnrsquot a getoutofjailfree card for cultural erasure After being dragged in 2025 for debuting uncredited Kolhapuris as generic ldquoleather sandalsrdquo the brandrsquos latest attempt at reparation mdash a limitededition collection priced at nearly 1000 mdash has only reignited the fire While Prada touts a collaboration with local artisans and statebacked bodies like LIDCOM the industry isnrsquot biting The sticking point The persistent sanitised label ldquoinspired byrdquo As two new posts promoting the line dropped yesterday designer Nachiket Barve led the charge demanding the brand stop the linguistic gymnastics and simply acknowledge they are Kolhapuris Maria Goretti and Mallika Dua echoed the sentiment while photographer Ishaan Nair slammed the move as ldquocolonial BSrdquo calling out the ldquoaudacityrdquo of the branding Despite highprofile lsquolikesrsquo from folks including Rhea Kapoor and Shalini Passi the consensus is clear funding a training program doesnrsquot justify rebranding a centuriesold GIprotected heritage as a corporate ldquoinspirationrdquo After all authenticity isnrsquot a design choice itrsquos an identityThe quickchange artisteWhether yoursquore dodging the desert dust at Coachella or navigating a Mumbai award ceremony the highstakes lsquoeventtoeventrsquo pivot has become the ultimate fashion flex In Indio this month we saw the likes of Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber master the art of the intentional highlow swap mdash transitioning from archival Dior to elevated basics faster than a desert sunsetBhumi PednekarBut on April 27 Bhumi Pednekar showed us how itrsquos done on home turf with a level of efficiency that would make even a seasoned roadie blush She attended a private party in the burbs in a breathtaking black and gold sari completing the look with that nowsignature chic fringe Turning heads in the dramatic drape she took to the dance floor like a true Bollywood glamazonHowever the flight status on her phone clearly had other plans for the night mdash demanding a wardrobe 180 that most would find impossible to pull off in a pinch Eschewing the classic lsquocar changersquo a guaranteed recipe for a drape disaster Bhumi pulled off a lightningfast transformation right at the venue mdash swapping her giltedged sari for the ultimate lsquooffdutyrsquo uniform classic jeans and a tshirt By the time the paps caught her dashing to the airport the traditional glam was a distant memory replaced by the kind of effortless cool that says shersquos more concerned with sustainability summits than staying for the last songIn the world of global stars it seems the real accessory isnrsquot the bag though hers was Fendi mdash itrsquos the exit strategyFrom tenth grade to TMU CurriculumThe collab we didnrsquot know we needed officially entered the chat on Monday with Diljit Dosanjh returning to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon mdash and for those of you who havenrsquot seen clips the vibe is pure unadulterated lsquoAurarsquoDiljit DosanjhLooking every bit the global icon in a classic Chanel jacket Diljit took the opportunity to chat about his latest album and touring schedule but the marketing was dished out in paajirsquos inimitable style mdash served with humility love and stories worth sharingTeaching Jimmy a few Bhangra basics may have been the populist highlight but I was warmed by his admission of only having got as far as the tenth grade when he apologised for his English It was a moment alive with irony because Toronto Metropolitan University is literally launching a course on the impact of this selfmade superstar this year What better flex than to become the curriculum without ever having to sit through the lectureBackstage the vibes remained elite as Diljit caught up with fellow global trailblazer Vikas Khanna fresh off his Time 100 honour Between the highprofile reunions and tucking into a Koffee with Karanstyle gift hamper from Jimmy paaji proved mdash yet again mdash that when yoursquove got this much soul grammar is optional The world speaks your language Diljit