August 7, 2012 Asmita Aggarwal

Master of Indian crafts – JJ Valaya

‘Future of the past’ seems to be the perfect tagline for couturier JJ Valaya, after all he is a master of Indian crafts. Undoubtedly, no one understands the hidden nuances of luxury and the opulence of royalty better than him

‘Future of the past’ seems to be the perfect tagline for couturier JJ Valaya, after all he is a master of Indian crafts. Undoubtedly, no one understands the hidden nuances of luxury and the opulence of royalty better than him, after more than two decades in the world of razzmatazz and blinding arc lights.

His mission has been the revival of indigenous crafts, which are fast disappearing from the fashion horizon steadily being replaced by the easypeasy chiffons and lycras. So this time too his collection for the third edition of the PCJ Delhi Couture Week, at the Taj Palace Hotel from August 8-12, which will see him competing for creative space among 10 others in the burgeoning bridal market, pays a tribute to the Ottoman Empire.

“The line with a Turkish twist is an ode to handwork (how many stitches are there in a single motif) and the riveting journey that little flower motif makes from the time it is being caressed by a craftsman to the final wearer,” he says.

The mood captured is of Turkey and 100 years of the Ottoman Empire, ending in the influence it had on contemporary fashion. “Indian royalty has been done time and again, so my effort remains to be able to pay homage to royalty from all over the world, innovate, come up with fresh and exciting ideas every six months. Couture is the language I best understand, it is my strongest link,” he smiles.

Few know that JJ is also a fine, well, fine arts lensman and the only fashion shoots he does are for his own line and this time too you will see his mastery over monochromes in his eclectic photoshoots.

His multifaceted nature, desire to push the envelope and increasing skill set is probably another reason why he is now going to make another lucrative announcement. “J.J. Luxury Weddings is my toehold into the world of the big, fat Indian wedding.

Interiors excite me, and I like the idea of something purely related to aesthetic spaces. It is all about making an impact, fine tuning an event, the play on intricate details, dressing up a designated space, creating a world in a contemporary structure, it is a different level of experience altogether. I hope to be the creative director of this new business and it will, I’m certain gradually climb the popularity charts,” he adds. But there is a fine line between ostentation and good taste and that is the demarcation that JJ wants to define with his new venture.

With a clear understanding of the market, JJ has seamlessly adapted to the change in the bridal market and to its frantic demands. He no longer gets requests for only reds, maroons and bright pinks, a staple of the past. He now has professionals trooping in, minus the extended and often nitpicking modern family. He dresses a confident woman who knows her mind, and will settle for nothing short of the best. She may not want a plunging neckline in the choli, in keeping with the traditional spirit, but she might request for the back to disappear. “The groom too doesn’t shy away from embroidery, he wants to look nothing less than a Maharaja, but won’t compromise on the chic factor.

Maybe that’s why the JJ Valaya Muse line, where he has single pieces for the bride who wants exclusivity did so well. It is a line that is neither blingy nor flashy, so the right term would be restrained luxury,” he says. But the word restraint will be thrown to the winds, as JJ gets set to wow Delhi’s swish set at the Couture Week.

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