The Valaya Photograph

Some months ago,when designer JJ Valaya made his debut as a fine arts photographer,he told this correspondent not to critique him for his designing skills. If there can be compartmentalisation of talents,Valaya blurred the boundary he had set himself by calling his couture collection ‘Tasveer’ and filling his press release with photography metaphors. The evolving palette,going by the collection note,started with Black and White,Sepia,Hand-stained,Natural,culminating in Digital. Photography seemed to dominate JJ’s mental topography,especially as insiders say that he’s cut short a research trip in Ireland as part of a Glenfiddich fellowship programme for fine art to make it for the couture week. Overlaps are a part of creative life but if you don’t read much into what’s perhaps the designer’s existentialist dilemma,JJ’s collection had some super pieces. Equally infatuated with the Alika jacket (his bid at an Indian wardrobe classic like the Chanel key piece),a cross between a sadri and a shirt,this collection too saw the Alika.

A tad overdone though in some styles. With an Alika,you don’t need a heavily embroidered sari. If his saris in lame looked sensuously pretty,the garments that really ruled the collection were the long gown-dress strappy silhouettes in monochromes.