Couture remains one of the most layered and enigmatic expressions of luxury. In a world where the word “storytelling” is often diluted by overuse, it is in the hands of couturiers that the term regains its gravitas. Every garment is not merely stitched, but woven with memory, heritage, and vision, making couture less about fashion and more about narrative. For JJ Valaya, this narrative is anchored in timelessness, drawn from the grandeur of royalty, and rendered through a craft that bridges history with the present.
If couture is narrative, then his two new stores are the stage. Conceived as an extension of his design universe, the new JJ Valaya Couture and JJV Kapurthala stores translate his creations into immersive experiences that envelope the audience the moment they step inside. As the designer cut the ribbon for his stores at Jio World Plaza in BKC, we indulged in a tete-a-tete with the 58-year-old Indian designer about the business of couture in India.
The Maharaja & his couture
The JJ Valaya Couture store is as grand as the designer’s creations themselves. The checkered floors, in alignment with the signature Chevron pattern of the house, are complemented by striking chandeliers and exotic wall coverings in hues of red and brown. A regal air surrounds the store, and the vintage aesthetic is further accentuated by Valaya’s own photography, woven into the interiors, creating a space that feels both personal and resplendent.
“I am convinced that I was a Maharaja in my last birth,” quips Valaya when asked about any particular instances or encounters with royalty, from where he draws his inspirations. He adds, “No, nothing particularly, but I love research. In fact, before every couture show, work starts about eight months in advance. And the first couple of months, I just spend researching. To me, that’s very important.”
While bridal couture in India is one of the most prominent luxury markets, Valaya strongly believes that couture and bridal shouldn’t always necessarily mean the same thing. It is the storytelling, the vision, the inspiration, and the eventual culmination of all three that transforms into a sartorial bequest. He elaborates, “I actually hear of people who say they do couture, which in India translates as wedding clothes, essentially. They actually make their collection and then, after it’s finished, they try to think what should we call it. I mean, that was shocking to me. It came from a very, very honest source. The clothes are made just because let’s make what sells. But then, at the end of it, now what peg do we give it? So there’s zero research. And you’ll never have a sense of authenticity. You would not be able to talk about the motives, the craft, the technique, or the color. Why would you treasure something so bland that’s available in every gully?”
Inspiration, risks & reinvention
Valaya’s creative journey has been unlike many others. A multifaceted figure, he is more than just a couturier in every sense of the word. As he says, “I do fashion, I do interiors, and I also do photography. I have these three loves of mine.”
We like depth. We like people to want us. We like people to treasure us. One night stands are fun while they last. Then you outgrow them.
A risk taker by nature, his professional sojourn has been all about the road less travelled. “Oh my God, I am a very risky fellow,” he says. “Of the two most critical decisions of my life, which everybody thought were highly destructive, turned out to be my best decision. The first one was when I quit my chartered accountancy. Way back, I was studying to be a chartered accountant. And I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I was clear about what I didn’t want to do. And then NIFT opened. I was in Chandigarh. Somebody told me to go to Delhi, and there’s something called NIFT, which is open. You’re creative and you’ll enjoy it. Best decision of my life. The moment I walked through the gates, I was like, yes, this is it. I belong here. So at that time, when I left my chartered accountancy, my family said he’s going to throw the family name down. You know how it is. In India, we get all melodramatic. So that was a good decision.
“And the second was going on a sabbatical in 2017, right after our 25-year celebrations. I was just bored with what was happening in Indian fashion, including my own work. I include myself. This is not going to keep me alive for the rest of my life. I needed to just step away and rethink, what do I want? And those two years were critical. It was a hard reset. But that worked beautifully for us.”
For an artist like himself, inspiration doesn’t come on a whim and takes months of discipline and research to create something as timeless as his designs. However, there is also the unending dilemma of chasing trends against creating something enduring – a challenge that majority of designers are currently facing, across the globe. Addressing this very real concern, in his usual matter-of-fact way, Valaya says, “We are all about relationships. We like depth. We like people to want us. We like people to treasure us. One night stands are fun while they last. Then you outgrow them. …trends are very important to keep the spirit of fashion alive. But if you’re talking about true luxury, which is couture, it has to have a high degree of timelessness because you possess and you keep it. It’s an heirloom.”
In a market so dominated by bridal couture, which at its core is commercial, Valaya’s insistence on authenticity is unique and audacious. However, it is precisely this strong conviction in the process that has kept his work very distinctive in the Indian couture landscape. “I’ve been around a while. We have our brides from long back coming back with their daughters, and the daughters want their mother’s clothes fixed to their size. And that’s a different feeling altogether,” he says proudly. “But newness is important as always. So as I say, it’s one of my favorite quotes – I’m going to put it on social media also one of these days – I want my brand to be all about reverence and relevance.”
Chevron in Hollywood
While JJ Valaya Couture celebrates the intricacies and delicacies of fashion, the JJV Kapurthala store, located right next to the couture showroom, is the more accessible yet flamboyant interpretation of the Valaya aesthetic. A bridge-to-luxury brand and named after the princely state that has long inspired the designer, JJV Kapurthala is for the sustainable, global citizen who values both heritage and modernity.
And now we have a patent [for the chevron pattern], it’s trademarked, it’s ours. So now nobody can fool around.
With experiential retail gaining prominence in luxury, the question about changing consumer expectations always lingers. And Valaya has a pragmatic attitude towards this omnipresent dilemma. He says, “Some people are going to love you, some people are going to hate you. If people are indifferent, then get worried. Because then your work isn’t connecting. They should either love you or not like you. There’s no room for grey in great creativity. It has to be black and white. I want to please the person who resonates with our ethos. And there’ll be plenty who don’t, so that’s fine. So whoever comes in here has to interpret the store, the ambience, the clothes, the ethos in their own way.”
The Chevron pattern is, perhaps, the epitome of this philosophy. And it is certainly one of the most iconic motifs for the brand. In JJV Kapurthala creations, it is unmissable. He quips, “I’m getting rip-off photos from all over. We’re sending legal notices every third day, I think. And now we have a patent, it’s trademarked, it’s ours. So now nobody can fool around.”
Indian embroidery has always been applauded internationally and, not surprisingly, Valaya’s artisanship found its place in Hollywood, as he collaborated with Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth Carter on two movies – Coming 2 America and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. “It’s truly a very humbling experience,” reminisces the designer, “because you’re talking about the biggest film industry in the world, you’re talking about the biggest star, then you’re talking about a double Academy Award winning costume designer, and the humility and respect that comes from them. It’s awe-inspiring. I think the Indian film industry could learn a lesson or two from how they handle it.” He also mentions how in one of the talk shows, actress Angela Bassett (who plays Queen Ramonda in Black Panther) appreciated the look as one of her favorites ever on screen.
The future of House of Valaya
In the world of fashion and couture, where things are fast-paced, JJ Valaya’s world moves differently, with stillness and measured in meaning. In every creation, there’s a tribute to tradition and a whisper for reinvention. About the future of the House of Valaya, he shares, “Yeah, I’m a man of the moment. I don’t really do these predictions and wishes. I believe that, you know, what we do now is going to define our future. And let’s just go with that. Everything is there. But every little step that you take today is defining your tomorrow. So I just focus on the today.”
JJ Valaya’s return to Mumbai after 24 years brings forth nostalgia as well as renewal. The city that never sleeps, once the epicentre of sartorial renaissance, welcomes him to a landscape, one which he himself helped shape and transform. The two new stores mark an expansion, but also an introspection of what the future of luxury holds and a return to the architecture of memory.
