Saree-clad fashion models pose alongside the Aston Martin DBX707 at the Navarasa Heritage Fashion Showcase.
While the British may have a (to put it mildly) complicated imperialist history with India, there is nevertheless plenty of love from the country for its prior colony that lasts till this day. The national dish of the UK is after all widely considered to be chicken tikka masala, with its current prime minister too being of Indian descent.
And perhaps in the spirit of this Anglo-Indian friendship that saw Aston Martin recently collaborating with Bkay Nair Resources in its organisation of the Navarasa Heritage Fashion Showcase to celebrate World Saree day. Held at the Kompleks Kraf Tangan Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur on the 14th of October 2023, this three-day event aimed to ‘showcase exquisite clothing inspired by the rich tapestry of women’s fashion across the decades’ through a series of workshops and a fashion show.
The extent of Aston Martin’s public-facing involvement in this event extended to providing photo opportunities to the models with its DBX707 at the fashion show finale, which was called ‘Navarasa: Colours of Emotion Meet Fashion’. Though perhaps not the prettiest model in the British automaker’s lineup that is chock full of sleek supercars, this imposing yet elegant gun-metal grey super SUV does however still look rather stunning in contrast to the vividly vibrant saree-clad models, as seen below.
Aesthetically, the DBX707 differentiates itself from its standard counterpart by way of an even larger front grille and slimmer LED DRLs. A new front splitter also makes an appearance up front, which is in turn balanced out by additional aero add-ons rearwards in the form of a new rear diffuser and new rear spoiler to give it that even racier look.
Looks however are only part of the equation for the Aston Martin DBX707, as what would probably interest its prospective buyers lie under the hood. This is after all one of world’s fastest accelerating SUVs, with it being capable of achieving the century sprint in just 3.3 seconds before charging onwards to a top speed of 310 km/h.
Such immense speed comes courtesy in of a mighty 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, which, as the 707 in its model name implies, churns out 707 horsepower and 900 Nm of torque. All this power is sent then through a 9-speed semi-automatic transmission to all-four wheels, or just the rear wheels if the driver decides to have some fun.
Said driver however will likely require plenty of dough, as this DBX707 currently retails in Malaysia for a princely sum of RM1,188,000 before taxes, duties, options and customisations. Like every other model officially sold by Aston Martin Kuala Lumpur though, this super SUV is offered with an optional extended warranty of up to 20 years of coverage.
As for further details regarding the Navarasa Heritage Fashion Showcase itself meanwhile, this event sought to empower local artisans, designers and weavers while educating the public and creating a platform for designers to showcase their creations while incorporating traditional textiles into modern fashion. Crafted meticulously from batik, songket and silk, the saree represented the Malaysian identity while serving as a medium of artistic expression.
The fashion show finale featured 77 stunning looks from 11 visionary designers, including both students and experienced artists. These designs all seamlessly blended traditional fabrics like batik, songket and Malaysian silk with contemporary aesthetics. This event was graced by esteemed guests of honour, including Yang Berhormat Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Art, and Culture of Malaysia; Datin Salida Ibrahim, MOTAC Senior Assistant Secretary for Policy Division (Culture); Encik Sufian Zainuddin, Timbalan Pengarah, Tourism Malaysia Wilayah Tengah; and Mr. Kamal Roslim, RTM Director of Marketing & Promotion Division.
