by Amit Roy
THE recent Meghan-Harry royal wedding has thrown up a new name in the fashion firmament – Aruna Seth, a designer of luxury shoes.
The 36-year-old was born in Britain of an Indian father, Guru (“Geoff”), and Janet, a mother with roots in Jamaica.
She once spoke of the glitzy bracelets she wore to a wedding in Delhi: “I’m sure my love of bling and colour comes from my Indian heritage.”
Aruna’s distinctive touch is to incorporate butterflies into all her shoes – she designed a pair for Pippa Middleton to wear when her elder sister, Kate, married Prince William in 2011.
Aruna probably inherited her gift for designing shoes from her father, who has a label called Ascot. But recently every time the British media required expert comment from a fashion expert on anything worn by the Duchess of Sussex, Aruna has been in demand.
Interviewed about the royal bride's Givenchy wedding outfit, Aruna said the duchess had picked “a simple traditional flattering boat-neck wedding dress with long elegant sleeves. (It is) chic, sophisticated and expresses her contemporary modern style.”
Her opinion was also sought about the Goat dress in dusky pink that the duchess wore with a saucer-style Philip Treacy hat to Prince Charles’s 70th birthday celebrations at Buckingham Palace.
Aruna considered the choice “very elegant, fitting and really defining her royal status. She’s super refined …she has chosen a British designer and that is so nice and what Princess Diana always did to support the British designer brand.”
A pair of Aruna Seth shoes may not leave much change from £600. However, the wives of most Asian businessmen I know would probably say: “At this bargain price, I might as well get half a dozen pairs.”
Manjeet Singh Riyat
Kanguva
Vidaamuyarchi