How it started
Fashion guru, Jagatsharan Jit Valaya started at the National Institute of Fashion
Technology (NIFT) .
Getting into the NIFT is not easy - and
surviving there was even worse, but once he got an idea of what this line is all
about there was no looking back for him. With the pre-determined Incitation,
he won the Elyxa award, the Thapar Dupont medal, and the first prize at the NIFT Alumni
Competition while he was graduating, Valaya lost no time in launching his label.
Over the years
His first collection, launched in Calcutta in
1991, he sell a single piece! Disillusioned but not defeated, he got his brother involved
(now his financial manager) and got familiar with the commercial aspects of fashion!
By the year 1992 JJ Valaya going high
profile. He started from his first shop in Delhi's posh Vasant Kunj, by 1993 he was
retailing his garments across the major cities of India.
In 1996, JJ stepped into lifestyle
with his own designer store 'Life'. Spread over an acre of land, it retails clothes for
both men and women, soft furnishings, signature tapestries, accessories, art, furniture,
objects d'art… he has got it all!
Famous for his countless fashion shows, 1998
was a step towards international fame for the enterprising sardar. He joined hands with
American designer Todd Oldham for a show at the Plaza Hotel, New York. And now that
seen it, JJ wants more - of the international recognition, that is - and he plans to have
a couple of shows more, testing the waters so to speak, before plunging in at the deep end
of the world market!
Style
JJ started by transforming the humble salwar-kameez into something out of the exotic
merely by incorporating the traditional. Zardozi, lush brocades, tissues and exquisite
embroidery was his forte, and he still depends on these for his signature styles. Hot pn
the list buzz, comes from his pret Studio Valaya line, a simpler, more wearable line
of contemporary classics, facilitate by a tie-up with Celanese Acetate, the largest
producer of acetate yarns worldwide, giving him access to a range of luxurious, versatile
fabrics.
With a new outlet at Crossroads, the up
market shopping mall in Mumbai, 'Life' in Delhi and with outlets retailing his garments in
all the other metros, JJ seems to have India pretty much wrapped up. The UK and USA beckon
invitingly. Superstitious to the extreme he won't talk about it yet, "Umm there are
plans… but nothing has really crystallized as yet." |
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