BY  VEENA RAO

There was belly dancing, salsa, a ‘raw’ fashion show and the presence of international designer Anand Jon. The venue was not a glitzy club, nor was it an international event. The dinner at the Palace Indian Restaurant in Norcross on August 13th was part of the eight annual Festival of India and India’s 57th Independence Day celebrations organized by the India American Cultural Association (IACA). The ‘Indian’ element to the evening was infused by Jon himself, when he stressed that it was time the community invested in its own talent, now that ‘South Asian’ is going mainstream.

The evening began with a sensual ‘dance of the fire’ by the incredibly talented belly dancer Asha, who writhed to the tune of Middle Eastern music, with lamps balanced on her head. She also performed two other dances, one with cymbals and then to a faster number. 

The local fashion show called ‘Raw’ was well choreographed by Atlanta based actor/model Shezi Sardar, and displayed the debut collection of Shally Venkatesh. The 10 models displayed poise and confidence as they entered through the rear door and wound they way through the crowd before taking the runway. The entire collection had a ‘raw’ look to it, with jute as the basic fabric. Yasmeen Ameer was responsible for the hair and make-up.

The Piel Canala Dance Company spiced up the mood next with some intricate salsa footwork and fluid moves. 

New York based award-winning designer Anand Jon, who arrived at the venue directly from the airport after his scheduled flight was canceled addressed the audience next. “I beat the ‘Friday the 13th’ jinx, he joked. 

The affable designer, clad in jeans and a cowboy hat addressed the audience in his non-formal style.

“We are at a time, when South Asian is going mainstream. I see this as a phenomenal opportunity. We need to take advantage of this trend and reinvest in our talents, not only where film and fashion is concerned, but also in other areas,” he said.

We need to break free from our self-imposed limitations, where a career choice is concerned, he added.

Jon was joined on stage by his mother, sister Sanjana and a few models, all clad in his line of clothes. 

The charming Suchita Vadlamani of Fox 5’s Good Day Atlanta was the emcee for the evening. DJ Ashu provided the music.

The Consul General SK Tayal and IACA president Dr Paddy Sharma addressed the gathering. Event coordinator Ani Agnihotri earlier introduced the guests.