Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt & more: Bollywood celebs exude glam at the Jio World Plaza launch

October 31 saw the opening of Reliance Industries Limited’s Jio World Plaza, an immersive retail destination for top-end, global standard shopping and entertainment experiences in India. Coming together to witness the unveiling of this much-awaited retail space located in Mumbai’s commercial and cultural hub of BKC (Bandra-Kurla Complex) were the veritable who’s who of the city, including fashion insiders, prominent faces, and Bollywood celebrities.

The evening opened with a shopping extravaganza, during which guests explored global fashion brands such as Balenciaga and Tory Burch, in their first brick-and-mortar retail spaces in Mumbai, as well as pop-ups by renowned Indian designers including Manish Malhotra, Ritu Kumar, Falguni Shane Peacock, Abraham & Thakore, and Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. Currently, 22 of the 66 brands are open for shopping at the Plaza, with the rest to open soon.

The highlight of the evening was ‘The New Order of Style’, a stellar fashion-meets-art showcase which brought together two international supermodels, eight designers, 21 showstoppers, 40 performers and 120 models. Transforming the mall aisles into an extended ramp, the glittering performance brought together the best of fashion, music, cinema, and dance. Actor Shraddha Kapoor began the proceedings with a musical performance, before inviting Isha Ambani, the director of Reliance Industries Limited and the force behind the state-of-the-art luxury destination, on stage.

“Tonight for the first time in Mumbai we introduce a luxury experience at par with the world. At Jio World Plaza, we hope to bring you the best of fashion, design & entertainment from India and the world,” said Isha Ambani at the launch.

At the show, singer Monica Dogra kickstarted the night with a performance as Karisma Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor, and Karan Johar walked the ramp for Manish Malhotra. Sobhita Dhulipala, to the accompaniment of high-octane live percussions, spotlighted Ritu Kumar’s nature-inspired collection that featured Indian craft traditions of kalamkari, bandhini, and gota, while Vijay Varma and Tamannaah Bhatia made an appearance in Abraham & Thakore’s quirky new collection that blurred the line between formal and casual. Actors Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, John Abraham, Suniel and Athiya Shetty, Sara Ali Khan and Shanaya Kapoor were some of the other prominent stars that walked for designers such as Rahul Mishra, Anamika Khanna’s AK OK, Satya Paul, Falguni Shane Peacock, and Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla.

Prominent international models Elsa Hosk and Ashley Graham walked the penultimate show in garments created with weaves from Swadesh, Reliance’s artisan-forward initiative that champions Indian crafts and craftspeople, while actor Ranveer Singh closed the show in his inimitable style.

Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Anil Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Shahid and Mira Kapoor, and Salman Khan, were among those who attended the launch.

Dotting the 7,50,000 sqft space were food carts by gourmet brands including DIVA and Indian Accent, as well as pop-up stores by beauty brand Tira, Ajio Luxe and children’s clothing label E-da-mamma.

The mall has opened to the public from November 1.