Royal walk

Corporate leaders in Muscat took to the ramp in J. J Valaya's Taj Mahal- inspired couture

Armani and Versace suits were swapped for traditional Indian dress as the creme de la creme of Oman's corporate world carried with élan Indian fashion guru.

J. J. Valaya's new creations, Taj Blueprints, amid the serene ambience of the Al Nahda Resort and Spa in Birka, 100km from the hustle and bustle of Muscat.

Drawing inspiration from that famous symbol of love, the Taj Mahal, Valaya created a Royal Couture line that left the 1,000-plus guests in awe at Rajeev Chowdhary's Light and Shadow Enterprise organised fashion show.

The PowerWalk event brought together 22 top Indian models and an equal number of top business personalities.

Faithful

Valaya was faithful to his roots, which remain tied to history as he borrowed from the hues of the marble of the Taj Mahal to create trendy sarees, lehenga-choli ensembles and churidar-kurta outfits in shades of ivory, pearl, cream and beige. There were also bright colours like orange, magenta, watermelon pinks, brilliant greens and blues.

Brilliant use of Swarovski crystals made his creations stand out. Valaya is considered one of the top names in the fashion industry in India. He is a founder member on the board of governors of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) and the official brand ambassador for Swarovski, India.

The audience lapped up the first half of the show as their own "Muscati" faces walked down the ramp in Valaya's outfits, created specially for the occasion.

Real people

Speaking to the corporate chiefs walking the ramp for his creations, Valaya said this was a first for his label. But, he was quick to add: "They are the real people to show off my creations."

The real people didn't trip and basked in the applause from the home crowd before making way for the pros, who started on a slightly faulty note but recovered to wow the audience against an impressive backdrop that was bathed in multi-hued lights arranged aesthetically for the show.

Chowdhary was happy with the response — both by the corporate world and the audience.

Turnout

"We opted to host the event away from the hustle and bustle of the city, yet we had over 1,000 people attending the show and some were bound to be disappointed," he told tabloid!.

He added that his choice of venue was justified by the large turnout. "Birka is fast turning into a tourism hub and Al Nahda provided us with a perfect location to hold a fashion show that showcased traditional values through these creations," he said.