Gone are the days when the choice of sleeves was restricted to short, long or quarter length styles. Gone are also the days when you would be content with a little design, a little craftsmanship or strong border on the sleeves. These days it is all about creating impression with sleeves and I couldn’t help but notice how our designers have unleashed their creativity in the recently concluded DCW (Delhi Couture Week). They have created sleeves that are dramatic, bold and speak for themselves. (Didn’t I tell you I would not bore you with just picture review of DCW)





Most of these designs are not entirely new; we have witnessed these in red carpet gowns and in various fashion weeks across the globe. What is striking is how these have been incorporated into very traditional Indian blouses. The strong shoulder jackets that are in vogue these days have made their way to the lehenga and saree blouses. So have the balloon sleeves that we see in tops and shirts everywhere. These are the global fashion trends served to us in our closer to home Indian Platter, with a "desi tadka".





So, do you think that just the simple sleeves designs would suffice the fashionable diva in you? Or are you game to sing along and wear these trends with your saree, suit or lehenga?

The house of Valaya never ceases to amaze me. And, the latest collection of JJ Valaya did just that. Valaya is one designer who time and again has proved that rich fabrics and a talented designer alone can create “magic”.

Most of the bridal collections that I have seen on the runway are loaded with bling – heavy sequins, stones and over the top embellishments. So much so that it is hard to think of bridal wear without the bling. (Now, don’t get me wrong. I love bling when done in subtle way though not the Manish Malhotra kind of bling, but more on this in the next post) . But once in a while I also want to drift into simpler times - when the outfit is all about designs and fabrics and not about how heavily it is embellished. And, that's exactly why I love Valaya's collection.

He is one of the very few designers which can be worn straight out of the runway. Just like that. Sometimes he does it with innovative printing (read digital printing) on ultra rich fabrics and sometimes with intricate thread embroideries on classic fabrics. And, unlike so many designers he doesn’t resort to overuse of bling to prove that the outfit is perfect for the Indian Bride. And, talk about styling up the models - How dramatic is the disc shape maangtika and how so romantic is the red flower in the previous collection. Valaya scores it again for me.

(P.S.Reviewing designer collections is not what I usually do on this blog, but this time there are a few very interesting things that are forcing me to sit up and pay attention. So, please bear with me for a while.)

(P.P.S : Thank you all for your comments in the previous post and for your helpful suggestions. My hand is much better now and as you can see, I am back to blogging:))