Mumbai: This evening, friends of Kiehl’s – Bollywood star Rahul Khanna, Mumbai’s fashion icon, Bandana Tewari, Director of Kiehl’s, India, Marco Reggio and Brand Manager of Kiehl’s, India, Anurag Tyagi – hosted an underground ‘do’ to welcome the iconic East Village Pharmacy from New York to Mumbai.

Among those who came by to congratulate Kiehl’s on its arrival in Mumbai and celebrate the night away were Karan Johar, Kaajal Anand, Prerna Goel, Brinda Miller, Aki Narula, Poorna Jaganathan, Pooja Bedi,Shazahn Padamsee Sheetal Malhar, Arjun Khanna, Krsna Mehta, Sarah Jane Dias, Little Shilpa, Haseena Jethmalani, Bhavna Pandey, Nandita Mahtani, Renu Chainani, Deane Pandey, Elina Meswani, Rukhsana Eisa, Amy Jackson, Amrita Puri, Niharika Khan, Gaurav and Pratima Bhatia to name a few.

Founded in 1851, Kiehl’s has been dedicated to serving efficacious formulations for skin and hair made with a unique blend of cosmetic, pharmaceutical, herbal and medicinal knowledge. Friend of Kiehl’s, Rahul Khanna, who confesses having used Kiehl’s grooming products almost exclusively for the last 20 years, says, “Kiehl’s products are of such high quality, not tested on animals and in such simple, environmentally friendly packaging, it’s a pleasure to use them and they look great on my bathroom shelf. I consider both New York and Bombay my homes so it will be like introducing a dear friend from one city to my family in the other”. The venerable New York based purveyor of fine quality skin and hair preparations made its debut in India in November 2010, with its flagship store in New Delhi and with this launch, is all set to take on Mumbai. The new Kiehl’s store in the city is located on the Ground Floor at Inorbit Mall, Malad.

“Kiehl’s is delighted to open its first store in Mumbai and bring its 160 year old heritage to the Maximum City. We have a huge customer base in Mumbai who have been ordering our products from our store in New Delhi. We are thrilled to be able to serve them directly in Mumbai, with our 1^st store now open at InOrbit Mall in Malad” says Marco Riggio, Director, Kiehl’s Since 1851, India.

Anurag Tyagi, Brand Manager, Kiehl’s Since 1851, India, says “2011 has been a tremendous year for us. We have witnessed the incredible success of Kiehl’s at our store in New Delhi, completed operations for 1 year and to anniversary our launch in India, we are so excited to be coming to Mumbai. It’s the perfect way to celebrate our 160 years of heritage. Mumbai will love Kiehl’s!”

Tonight’s launch event, which was held at Mehboob Studios in Bandra, was quite the swish affair, which saw many of the city’s movers and shakers sashaying their way down the red carpet. On hand to welcome guests was Kiehl’s beloved, quirky and celebrated mascot, Mr. Bones. Guests were seen posing next to a Harley Davidson, which is also a New York institution and a favourite of Kiehl’s – Kiehl’s has one of the most prized collections of vintage Harleys in the world, since its second generation family member, Aaron Morse was a fan and a an avid collector.

In keeping with the New York ‘vibe’ of the event, the venue was decorated

in a fun and quirky manner reminiscent of that city’s East Village. Guests tucked into mouth watering finger foods. Spirits were high and conversation flowed as the evening continued and people were seen sipping on the specially created “Cointreau-politans” from Cointreau among other delicious cocktails. The musical backdrop of the evening was set by the rhythmic and foot tapping beats of Shaa’ir & Func and Bhavishyavani Future Soundz which kept the guests entertained.