This article was originally featured in Atelier Magazine. 

He swayed the wave of contemporary Indian fashion. His proclivity and love towards visual arts urged him to capture the eternal beauty of his country in his designs. An ace fashion designer, a showman, an artist and a perfectionist, JJ Valaya freezes time not just in his fashion frames but his portraiture too. Riddhima Nagpal explores his myriad world and inspirations.

What’s your take on fashion as a form of art?

The Oxford Dictionary defines art as “the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination." Who can argue that fashion isn’t an art form? Fashion indeed is art, just much more frenetic.

"The Indian makeover of the fashion world": If this is the title of your painting, what would the painting look like?

It’s very hard to keep me away from the spirit of India and therefore it becomes virtually impossible for me to further "Indianize" a look that I already propagate. I have only one belief – that global acceptance for Indian designers will truly come when they carry the soul of their country into their design signatures... not too much, not too less. It’s all about balance.

What’s the one thing that you strive for when you design a collection?

Perhaps for that perfect balance between the commercial and the creative. Both are important; one for brand creation and the other for brand evolution.

Who is the muse behind these exemplary designs?

Anyone elegant who is modern, well-travelled and confident, with a deep respect for culture and tradition, would be the ideal Valaya woman. The muse, however, is a different story and changes all the time.

How do you create something new while keeping the Valaya identity intact? What do you keep in mind while designing different collections year after year?

There is something that Shakespeare once wrote, which I happened to read very early in my life and that has helped me tremendously. He said, “To thine own self be true.” That’s the simple philosophy I follow whenever I design a new collection. I don’t attempt to design what I feel will appease the critics or increase business. 

I look at designing as something, which, when I look back at twenty years from now, will fill me with the same joy and pride as it did on day one. When you design from the heart, you will never lose your identity and will still be able to keep it fresh and alive each time. our birthplace is the princely state of Rajasthan; any childhood memories that inspire you?

It would be unfair to pinpoint any particular memory with Rajasthan, but anyone who has seen my designs cannot deny that the spirit of Rajasthan is omnipotent in my design philosophy. This is also because we have a distinct royal flavour in our collections and Rajasthan is one of the first mental connects when one thinks of royalty in India.

The House of Valaya consists of furniture, tapestries, stunning fabrics and home furnishings. How do you manage to bring about that mix of art with luxury?

It is no secret that India has a rich legacy of crafts along with a deep sense of history. In fact, the finest names in global high-fashion turn to India when it comes to delving deeper into craft and heritage. I therefore consider myself supremely fortunate to have been born in India, a country that never ceases to surprise and enrich with its resources. I started my career with couture and it remains the foundation of my design ethos. It gives me untold freedom to experiment – to bring alive a language of elegance and grandeur which remains unparalleled. However, stagnancy is something that bores me and so I never draw boundaries around me when it comes to the creative process. All that I do is art for me and luxury is the language of my choice. Why then can’t art and luxury be symbiotic?

The art of making royal masterpieces – to what extent does this define you as a person?

The House of Valaya has always been known and recognised as a brand associated with the making of royal masterpieces. In spirit, I like my language of couture to have a sense of history, culture and antiquity, but then I tremendously enjoy the freedom that fashion allows me when I contradict these very beliefs with something modern and new. A social and cultural milieu of a country is rooted in its heritage, and applauding and celebrating the same also leads to the conservation of the past whilst keeping dying crafts alive. That to me is the defining principle of our label. Also, the urge to create something rare and beautiful is always a driving force.

What impelled you to start a line of international luxury separates, Valaya Base?

The idea behind starting a separate line was simple: India is fast becoming a major influence on the world we live in. I wanted Indian fashion to have a stronger presence in the global wardrobe. I realised that traditional Indianwear would become more acceptable and popular throughout the world, but at the same time would never be able to penetrate the daily fashion of the world. Keeping that concept in mind, I wanted to have a line that is inspired by India, and is truly Indian, and yet is completely transformable to any international setting.

Do you believe in the grand gesture or the beauty in the detail?

Both! But God is indeed in the detail. The intricacy that can be seen when one looks deep into some exquisite details can often be so mesmerising that it eclipses all else. Grandeur, on the other hand, transports that very detail into the realm of the magical often mandatory for projecting fashion in the right scale.

Give us some insight about the project Decoded Paradox. What inspired you to go behind the lens?

Over the past several years, alongside a successful career in fashion, I have romanced – and, if I may add, enjoyed -myself tremendously in – a parallel, secret existence in the company of a camera. Photography for me started as a hobby, one that I have cherished and pursued with great enthusiasm for over two decades. To me, taking pictures was akin to a karmic connect, as it bestowed me almost with a celestial ability to show the world not only just as I wanted it to be seen but also seize the moment, to freeze time permanently. The viewfinder can actually be curiously magical and, therefore, it quite effectively pampered the artist in me, allowing me to deconstruct and recompose the world in my own manner. As a couturier, I have always considered myself fortunate to be surrounded by great artists and inspired creative souls, who have only added to the fertility of this parallel voyage I was undertaking. However, nearly twenty years of being involved in a torrid affair eventually demands coming out of the closet and settling down. Thus, Decoded Paradox was my resolve to venture into the world of art and a humble declaration of the acceptance of fine arts as an inseparable part of my existence. 

A perfect click that would capture the world seen from JJ Valaya’s eye?

A world of contradictions where everything co-exists in beautiful harmony. Therein lies the challenge: harmony in contradiction.

Design is a powerful medium of expression. Do you think it is about creativity or should it convey a message too?

If the creativity flows from the soul, it creates a message which all can and will decipher. The most important thing is to believe in your work and be sincere with your focus.

What does luxury mean to you?

Inspiration.

Since this is our Accessories Special, what is that one accessory you would recommend with your designs?

Everything that makes you feel great and look like a million bucks! Life is, after all, the one big chance we all get to revel in oodles of unabashed style. So as long as you never lie to yourself in front of a mirror, go all out!