Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Hundreds of frenzied fashion conscious shoppers flocked to watch models displaying the latest range of Asian ethnic attire at a show full of sparkle and pizazz.
And it wasn’t a designer store or a five star hotel pulling in the hordes, it was a hypermarket’s stunning range of affordable lines.
Management at Lulu Hypermarket in Dana Mall were stunned by the response to its Friday Festival of Colours Fashion Event, which showcased its collections of stunning saris, classic churridars and other items for adults and children.
The fashion show marked the end of the retail chain’s ‘Celebrating India’ week of festivities, which also included visiting artists, magic shows, a shadow-puppet theatre and juggling acts. There were special promotions on Indian goods as well.
The week-long campaign was held in honour of India’s Republic Day and a Lulu spokesman said: “We celebrate a lot of Indian festivals in our store and we always attract a lot of shoppers over the weekend. The purpose of the fashion show was to display the variety of stylish dresses and other clothing items we have in our stores. We have a diverse range for men, women and children.”
The store also has a range of Western and Arabic attire.
The brightly-lit catwalk event featured 25 models, of all ages, dressed in colourful cultural garments sashaying up and down the stage to upbeat music in a specially-choreographed show.
Scores of regular shoppers left their trolleys and carts behind to catch a glimpse of the action and others captured it on their phones to show their friends.
Some pushed their way to the front, leaving late-comers with a view of bobbing heads at best. Other shoppers even stood on mannequin platforms to sneak a peek at the outfits on display.
A determined mall security guard helped GulfWeekly’s team find its way through the crowd to allow the newspaper to capture the excitement of the occasion.
Lucky shopper Aiswarya Jayachandran, 28, a radio jockey, from Umm Al Hassam, managed to get a good seat. Mrs Jayachandran said: “The fashion show was fabulous. It gave me an idea of what beautiful Indian fabric, saris and all sorts of Indian dresses Lulu has. We can also get a huge range of western outfits there and the products are pretty cost effective.”
However, housewife Sarita Dhanesh, 28, from Sehla, struggled to see anything behind a wall of men standing at the back carrying their children on their shoulders.
Mrs Dhanesh added: “The fashion show was good, from what I could hear, although I couldn’t see it very well. I even tried watching it through other people’s smart phones as there were so many taking videos of it!”
