JJ Valaya is regarded as one of the fashion czars in the industry; referred to as the Monarch of Indian fashion. He rules the fashion world with his splendid collection of hand embroidered fabric that has captured the global market. JJ Valaya, one of India`s most celebrated designers, has come a long way from his days of auditing banks in India. Growing up in an Army family, JJ and his two older brothers were raised by their parents in various cities across India. He is known for his knack of combining clothes and his unique experimentation.

Early Life of J. J. Valaya
Born October 8 in Jodhpur situated at Rajasthan in India he spent most of his childhood drifting to different parts of the country due to his father`s various postings in the Indian Army. He studied commerce at college and planned to be a chartered accountant eventually. However his passion for aesthetics and Indian art and culture took him to the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi (NIFT) where he graduated in fashion design in 1991India,

He actually did his Bachelors in Commerce at a Chandigarh College followed by an 18-month stint in Chartered Accountancy, and finally dropped out to pursue fashion. In 1989, he enrolled himself in the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) n Delhi. He graduated two years later after winning various awards which included The Prix de Incitation in Paris, The Thapar-Dupont Medal, The Elyxa award and the KLM-NIFT Trophy. Upon graduation from design school in 1991, he chose to follow his own dreams, a decision taken by the flip of a coin.

In 1992 he launched his Couture label-JJ Valaya, and introduced this label in upmarket stores in India and abroad. JJ Valaya `LIFE`, India`s largest single designer store opened in New Delhi in 1994. With this store he branched into Furnishing, Tapestries, Accessories and Art. In 1998 he launched his Prˆt label, Studio Valaya, both in New Delhi and Mumbai and went online with www.studiovalaya.com. He also opened his JJ Valaya Couture Store in Mumbai at Crossroads in 1999.

Along with his older brother, TJ Singh, he then launched his first label- `JJ Valaya` in 1992 as couture line (perhaps because of the grandeur, style and intrigue that the brand is now associated with). Next came his home collection, `Valaya Home` followed by his line of Diffusion clothing- `Studio Valaya` in 1999. The JJ Valaya label is best known for its signature bridal trousseaus and exclusive eveningwear for discerning women and men. Whereas the JJ Valaya Couture collection continues to define the trends for the season, the Studio Valaya line evolves the same trends into a watered down, cleaner and more affordable younger look.

Valaya`s originality and his brother`s entrepreneurial abilities have made the House of Valaya a pioneer in the Indian fashion Industry. His style ignores gimmicks and chooses instead to innovate on a quality that defines elegance - timelessness; a quality that conveys permanence in a world infatuated with the temporary. His roots remain attached to the past yet he intriguingly infuses it with the madness of the new. His larger than life shows reflect this philosophy and have been instrumental in revolutionizing the scale of single designer shows in the country. He has several successful solo fashion shows in New York, London, Paris, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Johannesburg as well as in most major Indian cities to his credit. He also was the first designer to hold four solo shows in the same season.

He is a founder member on the Board of Governors of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) and the Official Brand Ambassador for Swarovski, India.

Fashion Shows
Spring/Summer Collection 2001
J.J.Valaya showcased his spring\summer collection 2001 at Grand Hyatt in New Delhi on Saturday May 12. JJ Valaya, the couturier with a rich opulent look as his trademark showcased his collection in an opulent ambience. The most refreshing thing about his collection was the paired-down look that he presented, very contrary to his signature style. The outfits were mostly in chiffon, double georgette, voiles and blends in typical summer hues of pastels, aqua, and lime green and orange. Minimal embellishments or surface ornamentation was the fresh look that JJ had. His prˆt-a-porter collection also included short kurtas or tunics with straight pants in drawstrings. In all, JJ gave a new dimension to his signature style. Necklines were mostly deep Vs, plunging deep for a d‚collet‚ effect. Crystal embedded and sequins stuck on hemlines, necklines and slits and occasional outfits with butis spread all over the kameez, were the maximum decoration Valaya went for.

LIFW 2002
J J Vallaya`s collection had all the elegance and classic appeal so very true of Vallaya. His collection was a m‚lange of western and Indian silhouettes and featured sarees, blouses, skirts, lehengas, kurtas, and pants for women and had pants, pajamas, bandis, and jackets for men. Colours like yellow, fuchsia, red, orange, blue, green were teamed with black, ivory, and brown on fabrics like silk, georgette, and crepe. Stripes, ambers and embroideries were used to enhance the details on the collection.

Fall / Winter 2002-03 Couture Collection
India`s leading couturier and Swarovski Brand Ambassador, JJ Valaya has been instrumental in the evolution of Indian fashion in the past decade. The renowned designer celebrated the completion of a decade in the Indian Fashion industry, with a spectacular gala to launch the JJ Valaya Fall / Winter 2002-03 Couture collection. This event was held on September 8, 2002 at the Le Meridien, Delhi and on September 14 at the Taj, Mumbai.

The JJ Valaya Fall / Winter collection for women and men, flaunted the style and shimmer of couture, created using exquisite Swarovski crystals set amidst various hand craft techniques. JJ Valaya presented reinterpreted versions of 5 of his favourite collections from the couture line, all of which have been amongst the bestsellers of the last 10 years. The show culminated with the presentation of JJ Valaya`s best-known signature, his trousseaux collection. The season of Fall / Winter 2002-03 collection for JJ Valaya drew its inspiration from mythologies from 5 different parts of the world which included Africa, India, China, Egypt & Middle East. Crystals too formed an intrinsic part of the new collection and Mr. Valaya has incorporated the magic of Swarovski crystal components to bring alive the themes from the 5 mythologies. Hosted by one of New Delhi`s most hospitable addresses, Le Meridien, the collections were showcased by over 50 models.

LIFW 2003
This collection showcased fusion silhouettes: flared pants, straight pants, ponchos, (for guys and girls.) For the guys there were wild western shirts - with fringing, a motif that featured on the women`s range as well. A style note here: he showed a very interesting take on layering with trousers that fell straight and narrow to just below the knee, then emerging from the fringed hem were churidars to finish the silhouette. The fringing also appeared down the sleeves of the women`s shirts. This rugged western theme was echoed by the use of corduroy, particularly on mens` jackets and denims in both ranges.

LIFW 2005
The Valaya LIFW 2005 collection was a tribute to the sheer genius of Georges Remi popularly known as HERGE, the creator of the world`s most prolific comic book characters-TINTIN. The 51 glamorous outfits revolved around components from the TINTIN series. The fabrics included lyra, linen, voiles and georgettes.

Wills Lifestyle IFW 2006
The theme was War - The year is 2040. The world is devoid of passion, culture, values and ethics. But hope emerges in the form of legendary warriors -- the Amazons of South America, the ancient Greeks, the Masai of Africa and the formidable Samurai of Japan who rise to create a spectacle of fashion entertainment that`s pure glamour and flash!