Make fashion, not war

The creme de la creme of Dubai society came to see JJ Valaya's autumn/winter 2006-07 couture collection at a fashion show held at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel on Saturday.

The collection was inspired by legendary warrior tribes using colours, prints, motifs and silhouettes to depict the mythical Amazons, the Masai tribe from Africa and the Japanese Samurai warriors.

The variety of cuts and silhouettes included fitted and flared layered skirts, jackets in various lengths, body hugging tunics with leggings, flowing saris, elegant evening gowns and richly embroidered bridal lehengas and sherwanis for men.

Plenty of bling

As expected, the garments looked rich and luxurious with plenty of bling. Valaya's signature play of colours and beautiful craftsmanship was impressive, but none of the ensembles was particularly stunning.

The well choreographed show was crisp and short, but for many guests the evening was ruined by the over 60-minute wait for their cars to arrive from valet parking.