Aurora Runway - The Grandmost Event On The Planet
When the letter came, the studio held its breath. It arrived in a heavy black envelope, stamped with a swirling holographic insignia: Aurora Runway.
Aanya opened it with trembling fingers.
The words inside were few but world-changing: "Elysian Drapes is formally invited to showcase a signature collection at the 2025 Aurora Runway in Kairos."
The biggest fashion event on Earth, once every five years, reserved for only six fashion houses globally.
The kind of platform that turned designers into icons, brands into movements.
This was not merely a fashion show. It was fashion history.
A stunned silence swept across the studio. Then a beat later, cheers, screams, people hugging and crying.
Iraaya stood frozen, blood roaring in her ears.
Aurora. The word alone felt mythical. In Jhirkala, she'd only read about it in the back pages of borrowed magazines.
A world she never thought she'd touch. And now, she was being asked to help shape it's future.
The Announcement
The next morning, Aanya called an all-staff meeting. Everyone gathered in the largest cutting room.
"We've been invited to Aurora," Aanya said simply.
The room erupted again.
"But listen." She held up a hand.
"We are not going there to merely exist. We are going there to lead. To change the conversation. And we have just seven weeks."
She glanced toward the core design team: Jay, Rukmini, and, surprisingly, Iraaya.
"You three -" her gaze landed on Iraaya last, "will drive the collection. The heart of it." Iraaya's stomach twisted. Everyone looked at her. Her throat dried up.
"I... I'll give it everything," she managed.
Aanya smiled faintly.
"I know you will."
The Concept Phase
The next few days were a blur of brainstorming.
The central theme had to resonate with Aurora's standards: innovation rooted in heritage. Daring, but timeless.
Dozens of ideas came and went. Futuristic draping. Abstract motifs. Sculptural pieces.
But during one sleepless night, sketching alone, something crystallized for Iraaya.
"Aurora", the first light. Dawn. Threads that connect past and future.
She imagined a line called Thread of Dawn, garments that told the story of rising through darkness. Seamless blends of old techniques with radical forms.
Soft khadi transformed into sculptural jackets.
Banarasi silk reimagined as layered, genderless gowns. Mirrorwork embedded into asymmetric modern suits. Sarees with pleated origami folds that moved like light.
She pitched it the next day. Jay nodded. "Conceptually strong."
Rukmini smiled.
"It feels. Not just fashion." Aanya tapped her pen thoughtfully. Then: "We go with this. Full force. Make the world feel it."
Building the Collection
Work began in relentless shifts.
Week 7: Fabric sourcing. Patterns drafted. Color palettes tested, silvers, muted golds, deep maroons, midnight blues.
Week 6: Master artisans called in. New embroidery techniques prototyped. Looms running night and day.
Week 5: Model casting. Only 10 pieces to walk the Aurora runway, each needed to be worn like second skin. Iraaya took personal charge of fittings.
"You're not just models," she told them.
"You are the story."
The Pressure
By Week 4, exhaustion was setting in.
The entire team was working 16-hour days. Tempers frayed. One master embroiderer threatened to quit after a miscommunication.
Then came the delays.
The metallic thread for her signature saree-gown, the very heart of the collection, got stuck in customs. Three precious days were lost.
When the thread finally arrived, only five rolls were usable, not enough for the full design.
Iraaya stayed up all night, reworking the piece. She sliced the original pattern down by 40%, creating a new asymmetric cut that let the thread shine more boldly.
At dawn, Rukimini walked in to find her still pinning.
"You'll kill yourself," she said softly.
"I have to get it right," she whispered.
"You already are."
The Model Crisis
Week 3 brought another blow.
The top model slated to wear her showpiece gown pulled out. Visa issues.
Panic swept through the studio. Aanya was furious. But Iraaya remembered Amira, a young model she had worked with during fittings. Unproven. Nervous. But with an undeniable aura.
She convinced Aanya to take the risk.
"You'll mentor her," Aanya warned.
"If she fails, it's on you."
"I'll take it," Iraaya said.
The Final Weeks
The closer they got to the event, the more surreal it felt.
Week 2 Invitations sent. Global press began descending on Kairos. Streets filled with camera crews, stylists, Paparazzi
Banners reading "Aurora Runway, Shaping Fashion Futures" hung from every major building.
At night, the city glowed electric. The air vibrated with anticipation.
The Studio Lockdown
Final 7 Days
Elysian Drapes went into total lockdown. Security guards at the doors. Phones banned in design rooms.
Only the core team had access to the final collection space.
Fittings ran hour by hour. Sleepless nights blurred into caffeinated mornings.
The garments came alive piece by piece:
• A jacket of raw silk panels hand-stitched with poetry in Sanskrit and Arabic.
• A saree that flowed like molten metal in the light.
• A lehenga so light it moved like breath.
• And the crown jewel - Iraaya's Thread of Dawn saree-gown, maroon and silver, lined with a secret message: For M.
The Final Night
At 2 AM the night before Aurora, the core team stood in the empty runway room, the pieces lined up before them. Aanya looked around at her exhausted team.
"You've built something timeless," she said softly.
Her eyes shimmered. She walked over to Iraaya.
"You," she whispered, "have brought soul back to this house. No matter what happens tomorrow - know that."
Alone, One Last Time
Later that night, while the others rested, Iraaya sat alone in the darkened studio.
She ran her fingers over the silver thread of her final gown.
Manaly can you see? she thought.
"I'm scared," she whispered aloud.
But somewhere deep inside, the fear gave way to fierce clarity.
This is my thread of destiny. And I will walk it.
She stood, back straight, eyes shining in the dark.
Tomorrow, the world would watch.
And so would she.