September Issue 2007

Shaukat Aziz had an unusual entourage on his recent visit to Japan. Sculptor Amin Guljee, designer Sonya Battla, stylist Tariq Amin, Kathak maestro Fasihur Rehman and pop diva Hadiqa Kiyani, along with our very own catwalk queens. The objective was to promote Pakistan’s ‘soft image’ to Japanese businessmen and introduce Pakistani culture to Japan.

Pakistani tradition and culture were depicted through dramatic song and dance routines, but the high point was Gulgee’s innovative ‘Gandhara: seeking Buddha,’ an interpretation of the life of Buddha and the Gandhara region in North-West Pakistan. Gulgee’s art-performance segment revolved around Buddha as king, (embodied by Iraj, covered in gold jewelry), and the process of realization and enlightenment. Sonya Battla showcased her new collection, ‘Indus Earth,’ inspired by traditional folk and tribal art, and Tariq Amin did what he does best: create magic on the catwalk. Choreographed by Frieha Altaf, the show was a mesmerising hit in the land of the rising sun.