SHOPPING AT SAKS

By Mamta Sen
Url: http://www.covertmagazine.com/cover-story2.html

Mumbai: They shop in London and Paris. They wear international designer watches, use only the best perfumes and watches, and dine out every night. They spend lavishly on looking beautiful and spend time in five-star gyms and beauty salons. They are international citizens and travel to exotic islands for holidays and weddings. They love luxury cars, the more expensive the better, and own properties across the globe. They walk only on treadmills, and fly only first class. They are India’s rapidly growing billionaires who work hard and party harder.Chhaya Momaya is one such very successful and rich woman from Mumbai. One hesitates to call her a billionaire as she makes it clear she does not like such tags. But she comes from a rich family from Burma, her father owned a fleet of ships, and is married into a Mumbai-based rich and successful family. Chhaya describes herself as a “life coach, grooming and image consultant”. She works on grooming and etiquette with corporates — she was in Delhi as a guest of FICCI — models, actors, airline crews, beauty pageant contestants and pop stars. And has been doing so for the last 20 years. Her list of clients are many, including names such as Ulysse Nardin watches, Christian Dior, La Prairie skincare, Hummer Parfum, Agent Provocateur Parfum, Hugo Boss, YSL Perfume. The list is long and very “rich”.Chhaya is one of the few exceptionally successful women willing to be interviewed about her lifestyle. She is all over the rich and beautiful scene, with magazines commenting on her designer dresses, and carrying interviews quoting her on etiquette and grooming. Chhaya Momaya talked to Covert. Excerpts from the interview:Q: How do you begin your day, what is the first thing you do?A: The first thing I do when I get up is pray…Q: What is your routine on an average day? A: My daily routine begins with a prayer. I get up before sunrise and do my exercises. I love to devote time to my family and the next few hours are devoted to taking care of their daily needs like breakfast, as I believe food is the most important source of energy. After my family I then move on to check my appointments with my office. Since I deal in a variety of things, from launching high-end luxury products in India to being an image consultant for celebrities, I generally have to be well aware of my schedule. I also handle individual brands and was recently involved in the launch of high-profile stores. Due to the high-profile clients my timings are usually flexible and I can work according to my own rules. At times, I may be working till 2 a.m., whereas at other times I might not have anything to do.Q: Where do you shop? A: New York and Paris are my favourites.Q: Who are your favourite designers? A: I like shopping at Madison Avenue and Saks. In fact, I generally prefer staying close to Madison Avenue in New York. In Paris, there is this French Village with genuine Parisian trends. I generally prefer my evening gowns from Dolce Gabbana. I also love Moschino, Armani. In Indian wear I wear only Rohit Bal. There is no benchmark as to whether I purchase my designer stuff based only on exorbitant prices or otherwise. I only go by the need of the hour.Q: Do you like entertaining, attending parties? How often? A: I do not prefer attending parties except of a select few, but I love entertaining. Personally, I prefer a select group to a big crowd. But of course once a year I throw a party where I invite everyone; but usually, at my lunch and dinner parties, I invite just a select few. Women often need to get away from their busy lives and find some time for themselves.Q: Do you like dining out, what are your favourite haunts?A: I love eating out, especially French, Japanese and Mediterranean cuisine. In Mumbai, I prefer the Taj Hotel since they have the kind of cuisine I am fond of. Generally, whenever I travel, I prefer to book my restaurants in Paris and New York. I believe in trying out different cuisines and follow the rule that any food tastes better when you have had it 17 times.Q: Do you feel education is important? A: Definitely. Education is an important aspect of life. The education I prefer is usually self-taught and that with hands-on experience. Travelling is another different kind of education and I believe everyone needs to invest in travelling since that opens up various different avenues of life [¼]RICH TO RICHER IN MUMBAIIN MUMBAI A cup of tea at a five-star hotel costs Rs 350 plus taxes. A facial package at a salon used by celebrities starts at Rs 40,000 and can exceed Rs 1 lakh.A haircut at Parwane, a favourite with the city’s rich and beautiful, costs Rs 10,000 plus.The health club package at a five-star hotel begins at Rs 50,000 plus taxes. But a top of the class private gym, which has a long waiting list, costs Rs 1.25 lakh per year and offers facilities around the globe.A Hugo Boss fragrance begins from Rs 3,000. Limited editions come for Rs 5,000 plus. A Tom Ford limited edition is Rs 25,000. A Canali Black Diamond fragrance, a growing favourite, costs Rs 5 lakhs.Branded skincare products that the billionaires use begin at Rs 30,000 for a small bottle; a La Prairie bottle costs Rs 60,000. An Indian designer outfit begins from Rs 50,000.A clutch bag by Valentino, or Gucci, or Chanel begins from Rs 1 lakh plus.Coloured diamonds — pink, blue and green — that are becoming very popular cost a minimum of Rs 10 lakhs each.A first class air ticket to Paris costs Rs 5 lakhs.