Gap’s most recent “Make Love” campaign shows a handsome Indian man, wearing a Sikh turban, posing with a beautiful brunette Caucasian woman. The advertisements have garnered a lot of positive attention for showing diversity, from Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike. As the daughter of a Sikh man, I was especially proud to see someone representing our community in such a high profile way. The man in the Gap advertisement is designer and actor Waris Ahluwalia and the woman is filmmaker Quentin Jones. Ahluwalia is a fixture in the New York fashion scene. His fine jewelry company, House of Waris, has collaborated with Forevermark, Pringle of Scotland and A.P.C. Ahluwalia has also had a very successful movie career, appearing as an actor in The Darjeeling Limited, Inside Man and the television show The Carrie Diaries.
Here are five more things you should know about Waris Ahluwalia:
1. He’s a philanthropist. Ahluwalia has worked with the Elephant Family non-profit organization and Mumbai: We Got Your Back!, after the attacks in November 2008.
2. Ahluwalia was a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalist in 2009. In 2010 he was inducted as an official member of the CFDA.
3. He has impeccable style. He was on the 2010 Vanity Fair Best Dressed List and came in second in British GQ’s best dressed international man list.
4. He met President Clinton while working with the secret service in his college years! He thought he would have a career in politics, but somehow landed in fashion.
5. House of Waris doesn’t only sell jewellery, but his collection of scarves is exquisite.
