Padma Lakshmi

One of my absolute favorite shows is Bravo's Top Chef, hosted by the beautiful Padma Lakshmi. Fortunately Ms. Lakshmi is not just another pretty face but has led quite an interesting life. She has modeled for Ralph Lauren, Helmut Lang, Alberta Ferreti, Emanuel Ungaro, Roberto Cavalli. Her first cookbook, Easy Exotic, was awarded the title of Best First Cookbook at the 1999 Best Cookbook Awards. Her followup Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet is a personal favorite. From 2004 until 2007 Lakshmi was married to British Indian novelist Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie- an intriguing personality on his own. Ms. Lakshmi has added yet another role to her resume, jewelry designer. As a huge fan of statement and Indian inspired jewelry I was quite excited to see what she would create and was not disappointed. Lakshmi "wanted pieces that were feminine and eye-catching without being gaudy or ostentatious--many statement pieces can look like that on TV--and while the inspiration comes from classic Indian jewelry design, my work in the kitchen and as a cookbook author definitely influence the shapes we choose." She is successful in lightening up traditional Indian jewelry and enhancing its feminity by adding a certain delicacy to the pieces. The line, called Padma, retails at Bergdorf Goodman and select Neiman Marcus.