What do you get when you do an eclectic mix of a young czarina from Russia, a Mughal princess and a Chinese diva? The answer is a Mughal czarina in Hong Kong! Needless to add, of course dressed by the best — Belgian star designer Diane von Furstenberg (DVF) and Raj Mahtani...

Hong Kong. It is the city of electric lights, electric buzz and high-voltage drama. To me, Hong Kong has always meant images of Suzie Wong, Sichuan cuisine at Ye Shanghai, fashion at Lane Crawford and evenings at Lan Kwai Fong.

Looking out of my window, I see myriad visions of ramp scorchers parading down the runway, blowing kisses at me, jewels cascading down their never-ending Eurasian necks. As the aircraft touches down, almost as if you were landing in the ocean, I ready myself to enter the luxurious penthouse Presidential Suite at the Grand Hyatt.

I am a fashion victim and a proud one at that. Of course if you have style, it helps. I have worked all my life, unknowingly, towards building a fashion jewellery brand with large important jewels, which certainly are not just fashion accessories, but an important style statement. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that the brand Raj Mahtani would show with the best fashion labels in the world.

The inspiration for the collection came from the stunning architecture, sculpture, art work, tapestry and jewels in Saint Petersburg and Moscow, traditional Mughal techniques used in miniature paintings and the pietra dura inlay work on the Taj Mahal. Juxtapose the extravagance of this with the simplicity of a woman in an elegant, classic, evening dress and the result is the sheer magic of Greta Garbo and Marilyn Monroe.

September 9, 2008. The day of the show has finally arrived. Nail-biting tension that precedes every jewellery show is in the air. Music, champagne and hors-de-oeuvres float along with the lah-di-dah of Hong Kong — a mix of expats, silver screen goddesses, daring divas the other rich and powerfuls. The drama unfolds.

The secret to a good jewellery show is to indulge and go for the overkill. Always with large diamonds et al but the cardinal rule is to do it with restraint. That sounds like an oxymoron, but all it means is to have method to the madness. The styling as always is important, and I have learnt a thing or two in all my years.

The first collection is sculptural with avant-garde necklaces that one can wear even to go shopping — of course my signature style has to shine through, so I always throw in a larger-than-life ring or a pair of earrings that you just cannot miss even in a Calcutta traffic jam! DVF’s clothes are a dream! Soft, feminine, simple and such beautiful pastels! And the silhouettes are just waiting to receive the colourful baubles to complete the ‘late afternoon, early evening’ look.

The second collection is fun. The dresses are a riot of colours and the jewels are colourless. It is a daunting task to style the girls with so much colour and then work on muting the look by adding big jewels! Never before have I seen two opposites attract and work so well together.

The finale is as always my favourite — black. DVF has a rich and vast selection of oh-so-stunning blacks. I use my signature couture necklaces to drape the gorgeous girls so that the jewels play a game of peek-a-boo with their skin and their attitude! The show is loved by all, a resounding success and we are swamped with private appointments for the next three days at the plush hotel suites that turn into our salon.

It is not just travelling with my jewels across the globe that excites me — it is the prospect of the crossover. And I can’t forget the influence that we can have over generations of western society to create a revolutionary bejewelled style mantra.

Fashionistas in the West… hold your breath! The East has definitely arrived.