Life coach Chhaya Momaya on the personalities she looks up to and how luxury has come a long way in India
If you are lucky enough to land an invite to life coach Chhaya Momaya’s soiree, you know that you have to dress up, bring your sartorial A-game along with immaculate table manners. Over the years, the towering life coach has groomed the who’s who of the corporate world, launched major luxury brands, hosted many international diplomats and given some epochal image makeovers. Having known her for years, what strikes me about her is her no-nonsense approach to work and life in general. She doesn’t like to mince words. Perhaps that frank demeanour has made her the formidable life coach, who’s respected and envied in equal measure. She recalls one of her first brand launches when people in India were clueless about luxury. “People had no idea what La Prairie was all about and I remember one of the magazines writing that when India is about doodh and malai, where does caviar fit in,” she recalls with a smile.
“People don’t fail to understand that wearing a brand doesn’t mean you have arrived. It’s not about the price tag, but about the little nuances — the storytelling, the comfort factor, which enhances your lifestyle. In the fashion space, it’s about the cut, the fit and the image you want to carry. Every brand has an image. For example, Armani is about sophistication, Gucci is edgy and Cavalli radiates flamboyance. I’d rather buy a watch, which has a story I relate to. I’d go to a weaver in the South of France to get my linen woven. India is still entering this world, but luxury has come a long way,” she says.
After Hrs caught up with the luxury maven who spoke at length about the relevance of society in the Bollywood-dominated space and her favourite designers.
You have hosted several important personalities over the years. According to you, what’s the secret to a great party?
Every detail counts — from the invite to the menu to the seating to the profile of guests being invited. It has to be the whole package. Guests should go back having learnt something.
Is society dead?
Everything can’t be Bollywood. I blame the media, they want to create Bollywood news, but my buyers are not film-stars. I am not really happy about it.
Who are the individuals you admire and why?
I have the greatest respect for PM Narendra Modi for his suave approach to worldly matters. Of course, I look up to Mukesh Ambani for putting our country on the global map with his futuristic mindset. I admire Kangana Ranaut as she speaks her mind and takes a stand.
What are your favourite brands?
I shop in Beirut and I’ve to admit that Lebanese designers are simply unmatched — from the fit to the cut to the overall glam appeal. I love Georges Chakra. Giorgio Armani is my all-time favourite and of late, I am liking David Koma. I look for designs which are not predictable.
You hang out with the who’s who. So, how come you’ve never done a TV chat show?
I’d love to. I have been approached two or three times, but the projects weren’t exciting enough, they need to be fabulously detailed. I can’t lend my name to something which is not up to the mark.
Why haven’t you opened a grooming school?
I see a lack of manual power as it can’t be a one-woman show.
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 "Chhaya Momaya (left) and Kangana Ranaut")
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