The making of Condé Nast Traveller's Diwali party

On Friday 13 October 2023, The Savoy Ballroom sparkled. Condé Nast Traveller partnered with Cartier to create the Diwali party of dreams; think flickering candles, 25,000 roses, mirrors everywhere and lots of glittering jewellery. To give you an idea of the work that went into creating this year’s soiree, we chat to the people behind the scenes who made it happen, from chefs and florists to event planners and members of the CNT team. To see more pictures and details of what happened on the night, take a look inside Condé Nast Traveller's Diwali party.

The vision

First and foremost, the team had to decide on a brief: what would 2023’s Diwali party look like? “Love and Light is what defines Diwali, and that was our very simple brief for the evening,” Divia Thani, global editorial director of Condé Nast Traveller, tells us.

“I was delighted to find a partner in Cartier for the occasion: they have a long history with India, having created spectacular jewellery for Indian royalty for many, many years. Jacques Cartier visited India often and was dazzled by the stones, the riches, the craftsmanship and culture around jewellery. He studied the traditional techniques and several stunning pieces of Cartier jewellery created over the years are inspired by India. Many were created for Indian clients, including the exquisite Patiala necklace.” The event was hosted by Thani as well as Laurent Feniou, Cartier’s managing director. Guests were greeted by Cartier-uniformed bell boys and served Cartier Champagne, in addition to receiving gorgeous Cartier candles in their goodie bags along with other treats.

Choosing a party planner

To get started planning the event, we knew there was only one option. “We brought in India's top wedding designer, Vandana Mohan of The Wedding Design Company, and her London-based partner, Bruce Russell Events, to create a magical setting at the venue, the ballroom of The Savoy, which was such a perfect canvas for our dreams,” Divia explains.

“The inspiration was drawn from the essence of the festival itself,” Vandana said. “For the Love and Light theme, we had to bring sparkle and illumination into play. The design concept revolved around bringing the warmth of the festival visually by creating a synergy of patterns and colours using flowers, candles and lanterns. Our vision board drew inspiration from the colours and cultures you find in Condé Nast Traveller as well as Cartier’s commitment to true craftsmanship. We wanted to create a setting synonymous with luxury and elegance while keeping a sense of nostalgia intact. It still had to allow people to let loose and enjoy themselves.”

“Vandana and I worked together to come up with a design that used Cartier’s history with India, connecting the past to the present day,” Bruce Russell said of the initial planning stages. “As a celebration of Love and Light, we came up with a contemporary design to create a space where people from all generations can celebrate what Diwali means to them. We took direction from Cartier and Condé Nast Traveller to design not only the perfect space but the perfect experience for their guests.”

Deciding on the decor

These feelings were evident from the second you entered the Lancaster Ballroom. A red carpet entrance gave way to flickering candles surrounded by rose petals and into The Savoy’s iconic ballroom, where platters of canapes from BiBi (one of London’s top restaurants) were being circulated. A giant floral masterpiece fell from the ceiling in the centre of the room; an entire wall was adorned with flickering candles. Warren Bushaway, the London Event Florist, used more than 25,000 roses to achieve a dazzling effect. Light danced off The Savoy Ballroom’s frescoed walls and delicately corniced ceilings. “Diwali is all about colour, so we went traditional with deep red, fuchsia and burnt orange with gold and mirror and loads of candles and lanterns that cast beautiful and intricate shadows,” Divia describes.

Bruce agrees. “The neutrality and reflectiveness of the space is for me the shell from which everything else stems – the florals introduce the element of colour, but then it is about the guests and their choice of fashion. They are the life of the party!”

London's top Indian chef for an unforgettable feast

Once guests had absorbed the glorious decor, they were met with heavenly bites of Indian canapes – think decadent sponges of truffle and mooli Dokhla, coronation crab buns topped with caviar and kebabs of cod shammi, swaledale lamb seekh or malai kofta. “We brought in one of my favourite Indian chefs, Chet Sharma of Bibi, in Mayfair, to cater the event and he went all out, bringing in everything from his signature unique Sharmaji’s Lahori Chicken and kebabs to hot, roomali rotis and and even an ice machine for crushed golas!” Divia describes. “There was a huge table of Chaat, from the oyster with passion fruit jal jeera to the mouthwatering nashpati bhel. Even cocktails were specially prepared with Indian ingredients like Rampur double cask Indian whisky, passionfruit sabja seeds and calamansi tequila, all following cocktail recipes used at BiBi restaurant.

“Throughout my childhood, Diwali was the beginning of the festive season for us; the family parties, community events and wider celebrations started around Diwali and carried on all the way through to the new year,” Chet tells us. “Diwali is all about generosity. We wanted to make sure – just as we do at home or at BiBi – that guests leave having had exposure to lots of flavours and the wide array that Indian food has to offer. We worked collaboratively with Conde Nast Traveller and Cartier to design a menu that worked alongside our ethos at BiBi. So there are lots of amazing, sustainable British produce; glamorous ingredients like scallops, truffles and caviar by N25, as well as few more hearty traditional Indian dishes which are less suited to a tasting menu like ours, but fit for a big celebration like the Diwali party!”

Choosing the evening’s entertainment

In terms of entertainment throughout the night, there was a big surprise waiting for the guests. After a warm welcome speech by Divia Thani and Laurent Feniou, US-born Bollywood performer Jeffrey Iqbal took to the stage. “We planned a big surprise for guests by flying in Jeffrey Iqbal, who is known for his incredible mix of famous Indian songs with contemporary pop: if you haven't heard him before, please listen to Chaap Tilak and Girls Like You! He knows how to bring the crowd to its feet,” Divia says. Guests loved the performance, dancing the night away to Jeffrey’s top hits and remixes. We also had a Kiki, a calligrapher, on hand to provide guests with a personalised keepsake, before they continued to dance away to music from DJ Houmous Productions.

Rounding off the evening

“On their way out, guests took away not only Cartier candles to light at home, but specially made chocolate with cocoa from Kerala created by Chet Sharma, and another very special gift: Three limited photographs of Diwali in the holy city of Varanasi, by the renowned Sunhil Sippy, printed on archival paper, and ready to frame,” Divia tells us. “I know that our guests will cherish these for a long time. We are so grateful to be able to bring together so much incredible talent for one night. It's truly special.”

“My hope is that everyone who attended had a wonderful time and felt like they'd been transported into a glorious Diwali celebration,” says Divia. “The energy in the room was palpable; people sparkled inside and out. The sight of the hundreds of candles flickering, the fragrance of 25,000 roses, the sounds of the tabla and sitar as you walked in, the tastes and textures of the food, the warmth and laughter of a community coming together around a special occasion – all of it needed to come together and feel true, magical, beautiful. At the end of the day, Diwali is about the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. These are universal concepts, messages everyone can get behind and celebrate. My hope is that last night felt like a joyous reminder of the good in the world. We need it.”

Planning & Design: The Wedding Design Company, Bruce Russell Events
Catering: Chef Sharma & BiBi
Florals: London Event Florist
Production: Forta
Venue: The Savoy
Photography: Rowben Lantion