Life & Style | Beauty & Fashion
Power to the ramp
Corporate leaders and models will present designer J.J. Valaya's creations at a fashion show in Muscat tomorrow.
- By Sunil K. Vaidya, Oman Bureau Chief
- Published: 00:05 February 27, 2008
- Image Credit:
- Indian designer J.J. Valaya
Corporate leaders and models will present designer J.J. Valaya's creations at a fashion show in Muscat tomorrow.
The sounds of stiletto heels will fill the idyllic ambience of the Al Nadha Resort and Spa tomorrow when Oman hosts the second unique PowerWalk with top Indian designer J.J. Valaya.
Rajeev Chowdhary, managing director of Light and Shadow, has conceptualised the show in which supermodels from India will match their steps on the ramp with senior decision makers from Oman's private sector.
"PowerWalk, a first of its kind introduced by us in Oman last year, is a canvas portraying a unique integration of corporate leaders' passion for fashion," Chowdhary said.
'Craze'
"The craze of walking the ramp among the decision-makers is fast catching on everywhere in the world and we have made Oman's top executives part of this trend," said the event manager, who is known in Muscat for his innovative presentations.
Justifying his choice of venue, which is located 100km north of Muscat, Chaudhary said: "Barka is one of the fastest developing tourism areas in Oman and Al Nahda is a unique resort, so we decided to host the event there." He expects about 900 people to attend the black tie show, which starts at 7.30pm.
PowerWalk was was hosted in Oman for the first time last year. "We have had an overwhelming response from the corporate world and decision makers are keen to 'walk a different line'," he said.
Elegance
Last year, it was popular Indian fashion designer Hemant Trivedi whose line chief executives and managing directors walked, and this year it is designer J.J. Valaya.
"His style ignores gimmicks and chooses instead to innovate with quality that defines elegance — timelessness, a quality that conveys permanence in a world infatuated with the temporary," Chaudhary said.
He said that Valaya's roots remain attached to the past, yet he intriguingly infuses them with the madness of the new in his designs.
For tomorrow's show Valaya decided to keep his designs close to his chest. "He has promised me that at the Muscat show he will unveil a new line of clothes, but he is keeping it a secret since he wants to maintain the element of surprise," Chaudhary said.
Awards
J.J. Valaya's success in the fashion industry has been recognised by a number of awards including:
- The Prix d' Incitation at the young designers international competition held by the Concours International des Jeunes Createurs de Mode (Paris)
- The Elyxa Award (Delhi)
- The Thapar Dupont Medal (Delhi)
- The KLM-NIFT Award for Best Designer (Mumbai).
Valaya is also a founder member on the Board of Governors of the Fashion Design Council of India and the official brand ambassador for Swarovski, India.
More from Beauty & Fashion
More from Life & Style
Covering everything from entertainment and lifestyle
Life & Style editor's choice
-
How to stay fit at your desk
Long periods spent hunched over a computer can leave you feeling tired, stiff and immobile
-
Sweet hope for juvenile diabetes
Every day 200 children are diagnosed with type I diabetes around the world
-
Abhay's 1980 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
Abhay wanted a classic car to tinker with and they don't come much better than a 1980 Camaro Z28
