Living luxury in India

Of all the tours through India, going on one where the host is an international model, with the insider’s knowledge that his own Indian heritage can bring, must rank as truly unique.

Colin Mathura-Jeffree is offering just that from April 20 to May 3, 2025, with a 14-day, 13-night journey dubbed Luxury Gold: Imperial Rajasthan—a Heritage Journey. There will be 12 dinners, served with wine, six lunches, daily breakfasts, concierge services and five-star stays, along with curated experiences that take you to Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Khimsar, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Udaipur, with a Delhi return. A full itinerary can be found here.

Lucire: Tell us why India is important to you and your spiritual journey and healing.
Colin Mathura-Jeffree: Besides all the clichés, India is so fascinating and distracting, and different to the rest of the world. Each destination hums to its own song and seems to live in multiple timelines. For me it just puts everything into a better perspective. Life’s not perfect, but if you’re literally blown away by a moment with the wonderment you haven’t felt since you were a child, you are winning!

What made you want to take this trip?
I’m lucky I guess. I’d go to India for any and all reasons. But to take a pilgrimage in luxury to the ancient “land of kings” curated with me in mind, and to be on this adventure with people to enjoy the path with, is an absolute dream come true.

Do you see India as a luxury travel destination? What makes it a luxury destination?
Luxury is more than a state of mind or a fancy pillow set. Luxury excites the senses. I myself am a Taurus and I’m in my 50s, so luxury can be found in a lazy afternoon G&T … But truth be told, India’s luxury is a vision of opulence from a novel you read or a movie. It’s so exceptional it’s almost unbelievable to the uninitiated.

How do luxury and spirituality come together in India?
You pray it never ends (laughs). In the west, there is a guilt complex about wildly abundant exotic finery, as a guilty pleasure only fit for the snobbish. But in India the luxury lifestyle wafts through the street like a heady perfume … India is a land of controversy and contradictions but it’s honest, and it’s that narrative that makes you find who you are and what makes your soul smile.

What are some must-see attractions when visiting India that aren’t in the guide books?
India is ever-changing. From an ancient amalgamation of civilizations long gone to a modern world. I think the trick answer is don’t try to see everything. Pick a destination that meanders like a river through the experience. The magic is in the moment.

What would you say is the best way to experience all that India has to offer?
I am thrilled to be taking a tour to India—so I’d guess it’s with me. It’s so fabulous and for me a dream come true. Join Colin Mathura-Jeffree on Luxury Gold’s Imperial Rajasthan—a Heritage Journey. This adventure will be 14 days of breathtaking magic. Being open-hearted and wide-eyed to the sights and sounds of another world. India’s most precious resource is its people and it’s in their laughing eyes that you see the magic lands before you.

What are some of your favourite spots in India and why?
When I lived in India as a fashion model, I loved Mumbai … It was utter chaos. I’m from Auckland and I thought the City of Sails was a big deal. How silly was I … Mumbai was food, fashion, Bollywood parties, gulab jamun and pakoras … but looking back I loved my lunches with the royal family of Udaipur the most. Memories.

Tell us about your modelling in India and Aotearoa New Zealand?
I was “discovered” on Queen Street on my first day at Auckland University. From there I did fashion parades and lived in the wild underground subculture of super fly fashion. Partying all night then photo shoots as the sun rose over the tops of our skyscrapers. We drank red wine, ate chocolates and smoked cigarettes. Life was a rush. The people around me were so talented, so chic, and so kind and funny and loving. The sting was in commercial modelling where I was told my race was unacceptable. I never understood that, as I thought I was as much a Kiwi as everyone else. Suddenly I was featured in a foreign Indian magazine and inundated with fan mail. My journey took an unexpected blast off—as I was on a plane to India—the land of my mother’s ancestors … I had no idea it would change my outlook on life.

What’s your take on Indian fashion then and now?
What improvements have you seen? India’s fashion is very haute. You can get anything made in the markets. I found the mass-produced westernized ideas were boring compared to the bejewelled finery and layers of colours beyond the imagination. Indian male models were very hunky. They’d wear tight Ts and 501s. I wanted to look like a 16th-century Mahārāja with four tonnes of silk and diamonds. I was the delight of stylists. The only time I freaked out was when they rushed me to pierce my ears so I could wear the diamonds and emeralds on location. Like all places, time evolves and changes the fashion story. Today I still enjoy elaborate fashion but I have evolved to love a simpler silhouette now. India then and now has been timeless and fearless.

How exciting is it to see a modern India represented in fashion through the likes of Ashi and Gurap Gupta. Brilliant?
So exciting to see Indian designers in Hollywood, too. You learn there’s more to India than butter chicken and naan.

Is there anyone that you are watching Indian fashion-wise?
I love the high fashion story of India. Currently my two absolute favourite designers in India’s world of fashion are JJ Valaya—a designer who rewrites the romance of a bygone era with the most brilliant styles. Not an inch of silk is unloved in his patterned bejewelled finish. The other designer is one I wanted to model for since the ’90s. The silhouette and finesse of suiting by Shahab Durazi showcases India having a contemporary edge that in my opinion is superior to international suiting brands, because his designs have a flourish and the collections are dramatic in white on black or black on white. •

Find out more about Luxury Gold: Imperial Rajasthan—a Heritage Journey here or download the PDF brochure here.

Sopheak Seng is fashion and beauty editor of Lucire.

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