Valaya’s Azrak closes the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Fall Winter 2012
Feb 22, 2012 Fashion & Bridal Wear
Designer JJ Valaya brought the curtains down on the Autumn-Winter edition of WIFW with his collection titled Azrak, an ode to the historic Ottoman Empire with Kangana Ranaut and Rohit Bal walking the ramp. There were trademark Jackets, Dresses, Sarees, Shirts, Blouses, Skirts and Breeches detailed with Mother of pearl inlay, Turkish miniatures, Iznik Ceramics, Dramatic weaves of the Sultan’s robes, exotic birds and graphic calligraphy.
Tags: Valaya, Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Autumn Winter 2012
Valaya showcases Tasveer at Delhi Couture Week 2011
Jul 25, 2011 Bridal Shows & Wedding Exhibitions, Fashion & Bridal Wear
Valaya translated his love for photography into his latest collection titled Tasveer for the Delhi Couture Week 2011. Valaya’s outfits followed the evolving palate of the still image, starting with black & white, sepia, hand-stained, natural and finally culminating in digital. The color pallete evolved from gold, fuschia pink, candy pink, reds, copper to peacock blue and dark purple. Valaya’s classic Alika jackets were the star of the collection and also on display were sarees with elaborate zari borders, sequin work and semi-precious stone embroideries, short bandhgala kurtas over churidars and jackets with dramatic sleeves paired with churidars. The evening ended with the exquisite wedding collection and we are drooling over the bridal ensemble worn by Valaya’s muse Sapna Kumar.
Tags: Alika jackets, Bridal, Delhi Couture Week 2011, Jackets, JJ Valaya, Sarees, Valaya
Valaya’s Alika shows at WLIFW Spring/ Summer 2011
Oct 26, 2010 Fashion & Bridal Wear
Valaya’s Alika was as expected – pretty, polished and full of character. We loved the halter tunics, velvet jackets, sheer sleeves with gold brocade cuffs, and the vintage silver neckpieces and kamarbands. But those velvet jackets were a feast for our eyes! What did you like?
Valaya’s Alika – Opulence and grandeur!
Apr 13, 2010 Fashion & Bridal Wear
What can you expect from House of Valaya but sophisticated and regal ensembles and Alika didnt disappoint. This collection at the recently concluded Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week had sarees, tight fitting to layered to angarkha style kurtas, long extremely flayered net skirts paired with embroidered kurtas, coats and more infabrics such as jersey, dupion, georgette and fine velvets. No over-the-top embroidery here – instead you see subtle use of techniques ranging from distressed foils, digital printing, appliqué, and laser cutting. 
Tags: Angarkha, JJ Valaya, Net skirts, Valaya, Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Autumn Winter 2010
Ten Favorite Bridal Designers of the Decade
Mar 20, 2010 Fashion & Bridal Wear
This was truly a decade that changed the face of Indian fashion. From Chandni Chowk to High couture – the bridal fashion has come a long way. And leading the charge were some designers who made traditional trendy. Here are our Ten favorite Bridal Designers of the Decade.
Ritu Kumar
The undisputed queen of bridal couture, Ritu Kumar reinvented the bridal market in the noughties with innumerous brides clamouring to to own a Ritu Kumar original creation. She has a unique style of her own which includes beautiful fabrics, stunning colors and intricate zardozi, bandhani and chikan work – very traditional silhouettes but very classy and contemporary feel. It helped that many celebrity brides and Miss India contestants flaunted her lehengas in public eye.
Tarun Tahiliani
Tahiliani believes a bride’s dream is, “Opulent, grand and majestic – and yet contemporary”. He’s dressed every major celebrity bride – from Elizabeth Hurley to Shilpa Shetty. Style, craftsmanship, quality and refinement are the defining symbols of Tarun’s garments. No wonder his lehengas and sarees are heirlooms and wearing a Tarun Tahiliani outfit is a defining moment for most brides.
Manish Malhotra
His name is synonymous with Bollywood fashion and his starry clients include the Kapoor sisters, Kajol, Aishwarya, Preity and Urmila. Think of those gorgeous brides in Karan Johar movies and you know who dressed them – Manish Malhotra, tinseltown’s favourite designer. Very popular with the NRI set, his bridal outfits are all about breathtaking colors, rich fabrics, detailed textures and delicate embellishments.
Sabyasachi
The poster boy of Indian fashion industry understands Indian clothing, culture and mindset like no other designer. And his designs are far too eclectic to be understood by everyone but that’s where lies his appeal. A Sabyasachi is an absolute must-have for the well-heeled, from the socialites to Bollywood’s biggest stars and his bridal collections are usually sold out within says of launching. But what we love most is his sense of color – his palette consists mostly of earthy shades of olives, rusts, golds and rich browns. His clothes have a certain nostalgia about them – as if they belonged to beautiful women of an era gone by.
Valaya
No one does opulence better than Valaya – without losing style and edge. His love for all things imperial translate into most gorgeous lehengas in silk brocade embellished with beadwork, embroidery, and crystals. Fit for a princess. Even more impressive is the fact that he has influenced men to drop their Armani suits and dress Indian to compliment their brides.
Neeta Lulla
If you remember the exquisite and extravagant costumes of Jodhaa Akbar, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, and Devdas, you know what to expect from Neeta Lulla – the queen of bollywood costumes. From Bollywood biggies to business families – Neeta Lulla’s clientele swear by her signature flowing, diaphanous lehengas and saris. She has had her share of misses but then who doesn’t.
Rohit Bal
A favorite of the social set, his clothes please and tease at the same time. He is celebrated for reinventing and resurrecting age old techniques like gold leaf printing. His bridal ensembles have a sexy edge and yet an incredible attention to detail and construction. His lehengas will make any bride feel graceful, stylish, elegant and sensuous.
Abu-Sandeep
The designers are hailed for reviving chikankari and making it oh so desirable. Voluptuous fabrics, the most intricate embroidery and embellishment and the finest finishes—that’s their trademark. Known to be the favourites of the Bachchan family and having had their designs being worn on the Oscar red carpet by none other than Dame Judi Dench, Jani and Khosla are also a favourite amongst the sophisticated in the wedding market. Their chikan and zardozi lehenga and sarees are work of art – you just have to have them.
Pallavi Jaikishen
The grand dame of Bridals, Pallavi Jaikishan launched her label in 1972. Since then, she has enjoyed tremendous success and her ensembles have become heirlooms of sorts – passed on down the generations. Her clothes are unapologetically ethnic with rich embroideries, bold colors and motifs. Although, she likes to keep a low profile, her clients include women from top industrialist families, movie stars as well as wives of international heads of states.
Ankur Batra
“Ankur Batra is the hottest pick for super-rich Delhi brides. My bridal clients are picking atleast one if not many outfits from him”, says Vipul Bhagat, a makeup artist to brides from business magnate families. If you haven’t heard about him, it’s because he is very secretive about his designs. He doesn’t show at fashion events, doesn’t retail from stores and only meets clients by appointment if he’s sure you can afford him. And the clients’ love that clothes that they order are really exclusive and no one else owns anything like that.
Tags: Abu-Sandeep, Ankur Batra, Manish Malhotra, Neeta Lulla, Pallavi Jaikishen, Ritu Kumar, Rohit Bal, Sabyasachi, Tarun Tahiliani, Valaya
