Fashion Friday Feature: JJ Valaya

Welcome to #FashionFriday on Marigold Events! This summer we will bring a series of posts written by Gina Mathew, Founder of Couture Rani. These posts will feature an Indian Fashion Designer, talking about how they got started in the industry, and their unique style. This week’s Featured Fashion Designer is JJ Valaya.

If the maharajas of India were still ruling the country today, JJ Valaya would be their star couturier. His design aesthetic is regal, royal and so utterly decadent that anyone in possession of his clothes would feel like a modern day rani or rajah.

Royal India is a recurring theme in Valaya’s life and work. Maybe growing up amid the palaces and forts in the princely state of Jodhpur, Rajasthan had something to do with it. Or perhaps, he feels a sense of nostalgia for a time when clothes were not just utilitarian garments but rather the work of master weavers, artisans and skilled craftsman.

Valaya didn’t always have his soul steeped in couture. In fact he pursued a degree in Accounting, not Art while in college. But it wasn’t long before Valaya realized his passion lay elsewhere and enrolled at the National Institute of Fashion Technology in New Delhi. His talent was evident from the beginning and while still a student won the Prix d’ Incitation award at a design competition in Paris, the only Indian in his field to do so. Upon graduation, he launched his fashion design career with a couture collection under the JJ Valaya brand.

The hallmarks of Valaya’s collections are his modern interpretations of Indian royal design and craft. The classic styles, rich textiles, fine weaves and stunning embroidery are used to construct not garments but heirlooms meant to be passed down from generation to generation.

Today the JJ Valaya brand consists of multiple lines including Valaya Quantum, the ready-to-wear collection for men and women, Valaya Base, a luxury ready to wear line, for men and women and Valaya Home, a luxury home furnishing collection.