Visual delights at Delhi Couture Week

J.J Valaya

It was a classic example of clothes stealing the show from a showstopper. Designer J.J. Valaya's couture line at the ongoing Pearls Infrastructure Delhi Couture Week was so impressive that it even overshadowed the presence of Bollywood actress Kangna Ranaut.

Inspired by a fictional character Alika, the line had elegant saris, lehengas paired with sexy cholis and long jackets, short kurtas with skin-fit chudidars and achakans and angrakhas for men. The line was a treat to the eyes and showed designers effort in putting up a magnificent show together.

This Delhi-based designer used a lot of hand-embroidery, digital printing, appliques and laser cutting on fabrics such as jersey, dupion, georgette and fine velvets.

This line had everything a bride-to-be dreams of, so when Ranaut, who was wearing a heavily embroidery lehenga, hoped that Valaya designs her wedding trousseau — no one was surprised.

"The moment I wore this lehenga, I told J.J. that you have to make my wedding dress. It is so beautiful, any bride's dream," she said.

Varun Bahl

Taking more than one strand from the fashion dictates of tsars, Indian couturier Varun Bahl merged saris with Russian-style capes and fur coats. In his latest sartorial outing at Delhi Couture Week on Saturday, Bahl used soft velvets in rich jewel tones of maroons and burgundy and teamed these with heavily brocaded saris and kurtas. Bahl also took a bow when it came to elaborate headgear and structured corsets at this India-meet-Russia show.

-- with inputs from agencies