Profile: Arvind Sawhney
An artistic engineer. That’s how Arvind Sawhney’s glamorous wife, Catherine Vu, describes him. Sawhney opened the restaurant Origin India in 2008 and sold it in 2012. He took with him a beautiful stained glass window that he created that now hangs in his living room. He is a power engineer and works as a shift manager at Celanese Corporation, a manufacturing company. Sawhney is a father to two children, a daughter and a son. He has two grandchildren. The little boys live close to Sawhney and he says their visits give a “whole new dimension” to his life.
Modern Luxuria: What have you done recently for the first time?
Sawhney: Went Snorkeling in November 2019. I’ve never been in deep water. I’m scared of it but it was really thrilling. I will try it again. Yes!
Modern Luxuria: What app do you use the most?
Sawhney: Facebook. I’m from India so it allows me to stay in touch with friends and family from far away.
Modern Luxuria: Where do you buy your clothes?
Sawhney: All over the place. Some of my clothes are custom-made. I shop at Simon’s. I shop at Harry Rosen sometimes, and at Henry Singer. Those are the main three stores I shop at.
Photo by Tatyana Semenova of 4 Chairs Photography
Modern Luxuria: Do you prefer the lounge or the patio? Why?
Sawhney: Patio. There are very few days of nice weather that we get in Edmonton so every chance I get, I am on a patio.
Modern Luxuria: Living or dead, famous or not, who would you like to spend an hour with?
Sawhney: Amitabh Bachnan. He is one of the Bollywood actors. I grew up watching him in the movies. He is very intelligent. Very poetic and a very good actor. I would like to spend an hour with him.
Modern Luxuria: What political or social issue do you think needs more attention in our world?
Sawhney: The issue at hand at the moment, which is Black Lives Matter. It needs more attention and people need to understand what it is all about. Because black people have been ignored for so many years, we need to give them more space to speak about this issue.
Modern Luxuria: What brings you joy?
Sawhney: Spending time with my family, my grandchildren, my wife. Being outdoors enjoying nature. Walking, hiking.
Modern Luxuria: What does luxuria mean to you?
Sawhney: To me, it means to be able to move and be healthy. Wear what I want. Eat what I want. To be healthy and move. My dad is 97 and he still moves. I think it’s a big luxury that I’ll be able to do that when I reach his age.
This profile appeared in the July 2020 Edition of Modern Luxuria Magazine.