Amazon India Fashion Week: Guru Valaya and shishyas stars of big fashion finale

Conceived as a guru-shishya jugalbandi that pays homage to an age-old Indian tradition, the finale of Amazon India Fashion Week saw veteran couturier J.J. Valaya paired with younger designer duo Alpana and Neeraj on Sunday night.

Known for his fascination with royal themes and fine fabrics, Valaya is credited for being a master of luxurious embroideries and essentially Indian silhouettes whereas the signature design of Alpana and Neeraj press towards three-dimensional, structural, architectural patterns in contemporary silhouettes.

The main reason for this pairing was that Alpana Mittal of Alpana and Neeraj worked with Valaya for five years from 2000, joining him right after she completed her fashion design course at the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Delhi.

Together, these two brands showed a cohesively created line of garments that was inspired by the warrior kings of Kutch and Nepal.

The colour palette comprised deep maroon, jet black, royal emerald, navy blue, rusty orange, and was illustrated in structured mermaid gowns three-dimensional patterns, embellished lehengas with contrasting dupattas, shararas, sherwanis complete with contracting safas, trapeze dresses, lehengas with elephant motif in multiple hues, cape blouses and blouses with hoods, leather collars and belts, in sporty fabrics, mesh, georgette and quilted textures.