Waris Ahluwalia’s top 8 style finds: the New York-based actor, jewellery designer and beverage brand founder on his favourite hotels, travel destinations, style icons and grooming products
New York-based Waris Ahluwalia is a true jack of all trades. The multi-hyphenate renaissance man, who has acted in two Wes Anderson films, including The Grand Budapest Hotel, and other Hollywood productions, is also a jewellery designer and has worked with countless luxury brands, most recently pen maker Montblanc.
What I’m reading
These books are on my bedside table: Becoming Supernatural by Dr Joe Dispenza, The Big Goodbye by Sam Wasson and What is Love? by Mac Barnett. Except for that last one, I’m not sure if they’re being read right now, as we’ve just had a baby and time exists in dimensions I never knew were possible.
My grooming routine
My go-to New York hangs
The new spa at the Hotel Chelsea – it’s the softest way to lose a few hours in a crazy city. I also enjoy sitting at the outdoor tables at Casino with a delicious plate of pasta watching the world go by; a late night of antics and revelry in the whisper room at The Mulberry; and a night of jazz at Fasano – if you’re lucky, you’ll catch a Bebel Gilberto performance.
The ideal souvenir from my hometown
A T-shirt from Canal Street with too many expletives to mention here. Or the spicy green sauce from Jack’s Wife Freda. It reminds me of the time when I was checking out of Middle House in Shanghai and they gave me jars of chilli sauce. It’s used sparingly until my return.
My lucky charm
My favourite hotels in the world
As summer approaches, my mind can’t help but wander to the cliff-side, windy streets of Positano and the incomparable Le Sirenuse. Once you’re there, the only reason you’ll want to leave is to take a boat out for a swim in the Tyrrhenian Sea and lunch at Da Adolfo. Just make sure you’re back in time for aperitivo on the terrace. It’s family-run with no detail overlooked – from the scents to the tastes – a feast.
My bucket-list travel destination
Riding horses across the grasslands of Mongolia. Man, animal and nature – all the same, all together. A chance to get lost in your thoughts.
My style icon
On a foggy winter’s day in Venice, I saw a man with a long cloak floating past the columns on San Marco Square. I was 20 and the vision has since stuck with me. Many years later, APC made me a custom cloak, which I was very excited about. However, when I put it on, it felt like I was in costume. I realised immediately that this look may have to wait till I’m much, much older. So for now I’ll say David Niven in Around the World in 80 Days and Lee “Scratch” Perry.
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