You might recognize Waris Alhuwalia from his appearances in the Wes Anderson films The Darjeeling Limited and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Or, you might be familiar his jewelry line, HOUSE OF WARIS. Here at the Alliance, we know him as one the fantastic jurors of our 2011 American Visions award.

Waris Alhuwalia is NYC-based actor and designer. He started HOUSE OF WARIS nine years ago when people began to place orders for the self-designed jewelry he was wearing. Waris’ pieces are influenced by the romance of ancient kingdoms and bring together Old World techniques from India and Italy to produce unique modern designs. He recently worked with APC, designer Benjamin Cho, photographer Andrew Zuckerman and actress Tilda Swinton. Waris was also nominated for the Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund in 2009 and received a CFDA/ NYCEDC Fashion Incubator grant.

Aside from acting and designing, Waris’ personal style also seems to catch a lot of attention. Last year both Vanity Fair and British GQ placed him on their Best Dressed lists. Waris was also included in Vogue’s 10 Most Impactful People of the Year. You can read an interview with him in Vogue by clicking here. Rounding out a successful year, Waris was also in I Am Love, which was nominated for a Gold Globe and an Oscar. His newest project, “Waris Loves You,” was created in 2011 as a platform for collaborations and special projects. “Waris Loves You” for yoox.com is the first venture.

“I take my work seriously, but I don’t necessarily take myself seriously,’ Waris recently said in a Telegraph UK interview. ‘My craftsmen, the stores, the raw materials –  that passion is out of control. People who know me know that there’s a light-hearted side, humor… But you could easily say I am cheeky. I like to do down-market as well as up-market.”

Fun Fact: Waris and Wes Anderson met a peace rally in 2002.