Over the weekend, a slew of stars came together in Los Angeles to celebrate Gold House, the leading cultural ecosystem that unites, invests in and champions Asian Pacific creators, companies and communities. Gold House hosted its 2nd annual Gold Gala to toast the A100 — 100 Asian and Pacific Islanders who have significantly impacted culture and society in the last year. Honorees, including Ke Huy Quan, Sandra Oh, Eva Longoria, were chosen by the top Asian Pacific nonprofit, business and creative leaders, and also included casts of influential movies including Everything Everywhere All at Once and The Joy Luck Club. One important attendee of the night was Rupi Kaur. The poet, artist, performer and bestselling author of milk and honey and most recently Healing Through Words collaborated with Gold House and Google to narrate a touching video celebrating the night and the A100.
GRAZIA USA caught up with the multi-hyphenate to see how she prepped for the red carpet, find out how her final look came together and hear about the most impactful moments of the night.
“It was such an amazing evening, hearing from so many brilliant people, witnessing the incredible diversity across the diaspora and celebrating their careers,” Kaur tells GRAZIA USA. “I was especially moved by Lea Salonga’s words and felt so emotional seeing the impact that the cast and creators of the Joy Luck Club had.”
The poet chose a strapless floral-print gown by Rachel Gilbert that came alive with yellow and pink flowers. “It was the drama of the train that captivated me at first and I could envision it on this year’s unique golden carpet,” says Kaur. “The colors also especially spoke to my roots. Being Punjabi, we don’t usually wear neutral tones — they tend to be super colorful and this dress being yellow and orange felt like the perfect fit. Florals are also so common in the motherland and the whole look felt celebratory.”
She accessorized with multiple Anita Ko Jewelry necklaces, rings and earrings and carried a Deepa Gurnani clutch. “I have been eyeing Anita’s beautifully crafted jewelry for a very long time now,” says Kaur. “She has a way of elevating every look with elegance and femininity. Deepa was a big part of my world tour as I wore so many of her pieces during my shows. It felt so nice to represent all of these incredible female designers at the gala.”
Overall, Kaur blossomed on the carpet and wanted her whole look to be “elegant and chic, with a modern twist.” Mission accomplished. See how she got ready for the event in her exclusive photo diary, below.
Glam Time
“And the day begins,” says Kaur. “For hair, I wanted to wear it pulled back because I honestly feel the strongest on a red carpet that way. It luckily worked out for the dress too because of the strapless neckline and gorgeous train.”
Blinged Out
“It’s all about the details,” Kaur says of her Anita Ko Jewelry and Deepa Gurnani glistening gold clutch.
Dressed Up
“A moment for the dress,” says Kaur, who discovered this Rachel Gilbert gown recently when she was performing on tour in Australia.
Get Glowing
Makeup artist and hair pro Nicole Valledor adds the finishing touches to her look. “For makeup, I wanted it to feel very fresh, focusing on my eyes with some sparkle,” says Kaur.
All the Essentials
Everything she sported was “simple and glowy.” A winning combination!
Bow Down
“Pause for this epic bow,” says the author.
Carpet-Ready
Before hitting the road, the star posed for one last shot of her glam.
Away We Go
“Talk about a train!”
Grand Arrival
When asked who she was most excited to see, Kaur says there are “too many to count with so many inspirational people and honorees in one room.” But she was hoping to finally meet Ali Wong after DMing on Instagram. “I loved her latest special and I just started watching Beef too — she’s incredible! In fact, she was actually one of my main inspirations for creating my poetry special on Amazon Prime Video.”
Of course, Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan was another must-meet. “I’m looking forward to seeing him too. I’m so excited to celebrate his success and maybe even get a selfie together!”
Read the new GRAZIA Gazette: F1 edition:
