WINE CHIC(K)
FASHIONABLE
FOODIES
With a glass of wine in hand, Annabel Onyango arrives at
The Taste Awards to do what the stylist in her does best;
check out what everyone is wearing.
I
got to the Taste Awards an hour
late for several reasons: getting
my makeup done (obviously),
traffic (obviously) and changing
my outfit at the last minute (obviously). All day I had planned to wear
all-white- a white pencil skirt paired
with a bomber jacket with eyelet
detail, but as I opened the front
door to leave, I changed my mind
and my clothes, opting instead for
a purple suit with a cluster of black
rose brooches at the lapel (because
menswear is my safe place).
So I eventually get to DusitD2 as
guests are finishing up their cocktails
and heading towards the ceremony.
Making my way through the gauntlet
of attendees, a glass of red Nederburg wine in hand, this is the perfect
opportunity to see what everyone
42.
had on. So who wore what?
Lifestyle Editor Susan Wong, in
her usual bespoke style, looked
like a generous glass of the Merlot
I was drinking, in a wine-coloured,
off-the-shoulder number with retro
bell sleeves- a bespoke creation
by local designer Wambui Kibue of
Angelsmile. Cocktail dresses seem to
have been created for Susan’s body,
which is a natural wonder considering her job as a food writer.
EatOut Founder Mikul Shah mimicked his relaxed demeanor at his
own event in a dark tuxedo jacket,
trendy knit tie and jeans. In her usual
minimalist style, his artistic wife Ami
Doshi Shah of jewelry label, I AM I,
wore a navy jumpsuit highlighted
by a statement geode neckpiece in
brass; her own design.
The red ponytail bobbing up
and down a few rows in front of
us the entire night turned out to
be Doxis Bekris, Executive Chef at
the Fairmont Group of Hotels, who
would eventually take the coveted
award for Chef of the Year. He is
olive-toned, has a cascading mane of
curly hair and is covered in tattoos
– all the ingredients for a culinary
rockstar. I suppose that’s why he
didn’t feel the need to wear anything
distinctive for his special night.
Then there were the Food
Bloggers: Sheila Rabala (Rabala’s
Delights) showed off a plunging décolletage in a black tea-length wrap
dress, while Karen ‘Kaz’ Lucas (OMG!
What’s Happening in my Mouth!)
went the opposite way in a white
mini-dress and flatform sandals. Miss
Mandi (MissMandiThrowdown) was a
girl after my own heart in a crop top
and stretch skirt combo.
Ultimately, my best dressed of the
evening was Shivani Radia Patel, winner in the Best Pan-Asian category
for Bamboo. She wore a demure
knee-length dress with a painterly
print, but with a bold asymmetrical
hemline that made it look like she
had on a real piece of art. Her sister
and business partner, Payal Patel,
also displayed effortless elegance
is a blush-coloured column dress.
These two are a formidable force in
the hospitality and style industry of
Nairobi, and their fashion choices
reflect their success.