Holi Saloni: the technicolour, Instagram-friendly Indian festival that attracted the fashion world's most fabulous
Holi is one of India’s most astonishing annual celebrations. Every year, sometime in late February or early March, crowds gather for this festival of colour, throwing multi-coloured powders at each other in an explosion of laughter, fun and festivity. It’s an event that could only be Indian, celebrating the sub-continent’s rich world of colour.
To celebrate the occasion, designer Saloni Lodha hosted her own version of the festival, inviting 130 international guests to the hills above the magical city of Udaipur in northern India. In a riot of the gorgeous colours and Indian traditions that inspire her, Lodha showcased her newest capsule collection.
Lodha’s eponymous label, Saloni, was founded in London in 2011 with a small selection of dresses. Since then, Saloni has garnered a loyal following amongst the jet set who are always in need of a great day-to-night dress for a party in Rio, Hong Kong or Mumbai.
Her retail partners – Matchesfashion.com and Saks, amongst many others – have supported her since the beginning.
Over the last seven years Saloni has equipped women with feminine silhouettes with a playful edge. Her dresses make strong vibrant statements with bold colours, clashing prints, delicate embroideries and flowing, luxurious fabrics.
The iconic Alexia dress, is a case in point. In light dobby-dot chiffon, its flattering shape and versatility has made it a bestseller. Add a blazer and you’re ready for Saturday brunch; belt it and put on some chandelier earrings and you’re ready for a black tie event. There aren’t that many dresses that can be worn from beach to ballroom.
Saloni Alexia dobby-dot chiffon dress, £398, matchesfashion.com
Holi is the traditional Indian celebration of springtime, but in all its riotous colourfulness it’s almost ludicrously Instagram-friendly. Lodha’s friends, including the model Jess Hart, Margherita Missoni, Tina Leung, Eugenie Niarchos and Dree Hemingway, all dressed in Saloni gowns for the black tie dinner on the first night (as did I!).
The next day we changed into white dresses to be pelted with organic (of course) coloured powders that were effective in their neon vibrancy at staining our clothes, hair and skin. It was playful, elegant and glamorous all at the same time – Saloni’s collection of dresses had no better backdrop.
Experiential and immersive events such as these are an effective tactic for smaller luxury brands. Alice Temperley pioneered this a decade ago when she held her magical parties in her home farm in Somerset. Likewise, Filipino brand Harlan and Holden created a similar effect when they took a small group of international editors to experience a new shoe style by hiking the mountains in Bhutan.
Saloni’s Holi was a joyous affair that filled me with gorgeous memories, made me want to live a life in her dresses and never, ever leave the colour and light of Udaipur.
