Sometimes business trips take one to interesting and exotic countries filled with culture.
Last month, our own Kevin Sharkey traveled to Mumbai, India, to attend the milestone event celebrating designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee's 25th year in fashion. Although his time there was brief, Kevin also had the opportunity to tour a bit of Mumbai - he walked through the bustling flower and vegetable markets, visited the historic open air laundry called Dhobi Ghat, saw the detailed architecture of the Chhatrapati Shivali Terminus Railway Station, and learned about the city's rich history and diverse population.
Here are some of his photos, enjoy.
Kevin stayed at the famous Taj Mahal Hotel. Built in the Indo-Saracenic style, it opened in 1903 and has often been known simply as “The Taj”. The hotel is located in the heart of the city and overlooks the majestic Gateway of India monument.
The Taj is grand with more than 540 rooms and 44 suites. Here is a view from one of the floors.
The Taj is an architectural landmark. Here, Kevin captured one of the many arched entrances to the interior balcony.
Mumbai is also home to bustling markets. This is the Dadar Flower Market.
The best time to visit the market is early before sunrise, when vendors are setting up their stalls for the day.
Through the aisles are bags and piles of colorful flowers – roses, marigolds, chrysanthemums, lilies, etc.
Flowers are used for many events in India such as festivals, celebrations, weddings and religious ceremonies. Visitors often buy garlands for temple offerings and home decorations.
Garlands are made all day long from fresh cut flowers. These flowers come from local farms as well as distant nurseries.
Here are some cut flowers also for sale.
Other stalls, or booths, at the market include supplies for making one’s own decorations.
Here is a stall filled with skeins of string.
Indian street vendors are very adept. Many are seen carrying dozens of crates at a time.
This is a stall in the vegetable market. Baskets are displayed early in the morning filled with fresh greens.
Some are wrapped, some are sold loose, and some vegetables are tied neatly in bunches.
Fish is also popular in the market. Many of the common fish types are from the Arabian Sea.
Kevin captured this car as it pulled out of the market with the day’s purchase on the roof and supported by the passengers inside – where there is a will, there is a way.
This is called Dhobi Ghat, an open-air laundry in Mumbai. It was first built in 1890.
The washers, known as dhobis, work in the open air to clean the many linens and clothes from Mumbai’s hotels, hospitals, and other large companies. Rows and rows of drying linens surround wash pens throughout the Dhobi Ghat.
Thousands of workers flog, scrub, wash, dye, press, and bleach the items each day.
And here is a photo of the ceiling inside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station in South Mumbai. Its tall vaulted ceilings are decorated with elaborate carved wood.
And here is an empty platform. Mumbai, which was known as Bombay until 1995, is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12.5 million. It is also considered one of the largest financial, commercial and entertainment regions of South Asia – rich in culture and history. If you haven’t been, consider a trip to India and Mumbai. There is so much to see. Thanks for the photos, Kevin.
What else would one celebrate on the 25th day of the year 2025? Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee's 25th year in fashion!
Last month, our own Marquee Brands Chief Creative Officer for Home, Kevin Sharkey, traveled to Mumbai, on the Western Coast of India, to attend the monumental celebration. Held in the city's Jio Convention Center, the space featured a stately "grazing" table filled with cakes, pastries, fruits, and charcuterie, surrounded by tall statues of tigers, elephants, and birds as well as local foliage and flowers. More than 760 guests were in attendance - all wearing the requested dress code of "strictly black." The celebration included a runway show of Sabyasachi's brand core elements of couture clothing, luxe accessories, and stunning jewelry. Actress Deepika Padukone and supermodel Christy Turlington anchored the fashion presentation. It was an evening commemorating the wonderful work of Sabyasachi over a quarter-century and an occasion that will be remembered for many years to come.
Here are some of Kevin's photos, enjoy.
Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s flagship store is his biggest yet – four floors and more than 25-thousand square feet housing an extravagant collection of clothing, accessories, and jewelry.
Bridal wear is on the first floor. Many of the gowns are from his latest Hamilton Collection.
Gowns are elaborate and include traditional shades of white and ivory as well as reds and maroons.
The gowns are made with heritage and Indian craftsmanship in mind. Many of Sabyasachi’s design inspirations come from his beloved hometown of old Kolkata, previously Calcutta.
Sabyasachi is well known for his clothing – sarees, anarkalis, bridal lehengas and other traditional Indian pieces.
He is also celebrated for his striking and timeless jewelry. He uses curated gemstones such as Zambian emeralds and fine diamonds.
His choker necklace designs are exquisite and detailed.
This is the formal jacket Kevin wore to the 25th anniversary event – all black in keeping with the dress code.
Here he is wearing the jacket and an elaborate necklace. In India, a formal man’s necklace is traditionally worn by royalty and grooms.
Here is a closeup of the piece decorated with diamonds and pearls. Men’s jewelry reflects the country’s rich culture and historical heritage.
At the evening celebration, guests were greeted by classical music.
Here is Sabyasachi himself, wearing his signature Bengal tiger design on his black sweater welcoming everyone to his celebratory affair.
Various Indian artifacts and decorative porcelain urns were also styled in vignettes around the space.
The buffet was so beautifully arranged. This platter includes mixed, berries, olives, a variety of cheeses and salted nuts, pitted prunes, and other dried and fresh fruits.
Salamis, hams, smoked salmon, spiced chicken loaves, gravlax, and tomato and garlic croute were also on the menu.
Desserts were everywhere including colorful chocolate filled macarons served in giant bowls.
Smaller treats such as chocolate truffles and chocolate covered fruits adorned another area.
This is a decadent Belgian dark chocolate cake embellished with fresh fruits.
A traditional “grandmother style” Christmas cake with whisky, candied orange, figs, macadamia nuts, and ginger.
Beautifully decorated cakes lined the tables – there was enough for everyone to have seconds and even thirds.
It was so nice to see all these guests gather for the momentous affair – it was standing room only!
Wait staff dressed in traditional pink turbans served Dom Perignon to hundreds of guests.
The evening continued with a runway show of Sabyasachi’s designs. Deepika Padukone opened with a monochromatic and elegant white ensemble, a flowing trench coat, several necklaces, and a cross pendant.
Another model presented this luxurious gold floor length coat.
At the end of the show, supermodel Christy Turlington appeared in a black sweater, baggy trousers, and necklaces.
Here is Kevin with Sabyasachi.
The next day, Kevin attended a Sabyasachi Luncheon at the Taj Mahal Palace Ballroom in Mumbai. Here is a musician playing a traditional sitar.
The dress code for this event was tropical whites and other neutrals. In this photo, Kevin is joined by Saks Fifth Avenue Fashion Director, Roopal Patel, fashion entrepreneur Kalyani Chawla, and Bergdorf Goodman Senior VP of Fashion Linda Fargo.
Here is a snapshot of Sabyasachi, lifestyle journalist Bandana Tewari, business entrepreneur Tony Brand, and journalist Fern Mallis.
And here is Kevin with Sabyasachi and Fern. It was a brief and very full travel week for Kevin, but one he’d never miss. Congratulations Sabyasachi! Here’s to many more years of your exquisite designs and successes.
Winter is such a good time to tackle those indoor houseplant chores.
I love container plants, and over the years I have amassed quite a collection of potted specimens. To keep them looking their best, it is important to check their condition regularly, feed and water according to their needs, and repot those that have outgrown their current vessels. Recently, I instructed my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, to repot a group of dracaena - delicate plants with strap-like leaves that emerge in fountain-like clusters from thick woody stems.
Enjoy these photos.
I often display interesting and eye-catching container plants in my Winter House porch or in my kitchen where I can see them every day. Among them, the dainty dracaena.
There are more than 170 different species of dracaena and they all have grass-shaped leaves that grow from one or more thick, cane-like stems.
Dracaena’s narrow foliage may be completely green or may include stripes or edges of green, cream, red, or yellow.
Dracaena is a low-maintenance, easy to maintain plant that does best in bright, indirect sunlight. Here is a selection of dracaena that have outgrown their current pots.
Under the foliage, the stems on these dracaena plants are thick with nodes indicating where leaves emerge. The stem color depends largely on the species, but can range from green to brown to reddish-purple.
These plants need more soil and more room.
The root ball is pulled from the pot showing some overcrowded roots, sometimes called potbound or root bound. This is a sign the plant needs repotting. Lacking the space to stretch out, the roots of a root bound plant are congested and overgrown.
The new, larger replacement pots are made by master potter, Ben Wolff. These pots are a perfect up-size for my dracaena plants. The number on the side refers to the wet clay weight, which in this case is 10-pounds.
I save all the shards from broken pots for repotting. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, these shards come in very handy.
Ryan places the shard on top of the pot’s hole to maintain good drainage and to prevent soil from escaping.
Dracaena plants thrive in a well-draining, slightly acidic potting soil mix with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5.
Ryan adds some fertilizer and mixes it in thoroughly. We use Miracle-Gro Osmocote. The beige shell on each prill coats a core of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Ryan starts by putting a few inches of soil into the pot.
Then he teases the root ball just a bit to stimulate new growth. When transplanting, the roots should also be inspected for any signs of disease, rot, or pest infestation.
Ryan places the plant in the pot at the same height it was in its previous container. If needed, he adds a bit more soil.
Once the container is filled, Ryan tamps down on the soil gently to ensure good contact with the plant.
Ryan adds some pea gravel as top dressing. This gravel not only looks pretty, but it will help to anchor the stems.
This gravel is native washed stone in a blend of gray tones.
Once the plants are all potted, Ryan carries them next door to the greenhouse where they can be thoroughly watered.
During the growing season of spring and summer, these plants can be watered once a week. During fall and winter, they can wait a few days more. Dracaena plants prefer drier conditions, so it’s best to let the soil surface dry out between waterings.
If you want an easy to care for, appealing houseplant, that is also known for purifying the air, consider a species of Dracaena.
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