From embroideries inspired by Mughal miniature paintings, big, broad embroidered belts cinching Sherwanis to reinventing the humble shalwar, cherry red lehengas to lighter chevron palazzos, J J Valaya redefined bridal wear.
By Asmita Aggarwal
It was the music directed, produced by Sahil Vasudeva, at the J J Valaya ICW 2024 show that accentuated the embellished capes and chevrons. Music can make or break a show, this one featuring Mahima Dayal (vocals), Kartikeya Vashist (flute), Tariq Vasudeva (spoken word), Suhel Saeed Khan (sitar), and Makrand Sanon (percussion) revved up the line titled, Muraqqa, an Arabic word for meditation.
We sat in a pitched tent, surrounded by vintage carpets, with the sound of the desert instrument Oud playing, couture is really a mood. Sahil, played the piano live, even though he studied maths and economics like a good Indian kid, in Ohio, music was his calling and the show was a tribute to his father who passed away a few months ago —a person who always supported his dreams, got him private tuitions in classical piano, sent him to Delhi School of Music.
You could see the prints on JJs lehengas inspired by Persian carpets, that spread like paintings on the runway, looking like you have entered a Turkish market, on a rainy Delhi evening. The aged metal embroideries seemed to be in tune with the desert theme, a Bedouin tribe, though Valaya, also gave us options of lighter printed palazzos with cholis.
Saris came with capes shimmering with zardozi, on Rumis verses. Supermodel and model trainer, Laxmi Rana opened in a nose ring, and Valayas signature– a leather belted sari.
The chevron safas, Mughal motifs, didnt channel softness, rather everything was extravagant. Valaya heralded the return of the salwar— updated, printed and narrower. The idea was to take us on a journeyPersia, Turkey to India; thus, the tribal music. Sahil used an African song and wrote Khusrows lyrics on it. The show was punctuated with a waterfall, thunder, and desert storm, they created a Devdas style character, who is pontificating on life, high on spirituality. He leads you to India, thus the show ends with Chaap, Tilak says Sahil.
The Oud is a string instrument, the mothership is from where the sitar originated, Sahil did the composition in just five days, and improvised six minutes of a show to time it with the catwalk. In a live show you have to sometimes play catch up, and make up music on the spot, he says.
Valayas big, broad fabric, embroidered belts cinched sherwanis, lehengas interestingly came with capes. Deer danced on lehengas, the entire forest frolicked on them too, the embroidery looked as if it walked out of a miniature painting. Handkerchief-shaped sherwanis were engaging, there were Patiala salwars for men and of course, the ceremonial red lehenga.