JJ Valaya On Weaving Dreams and Draping Legacies
From dressing generations of brides to crafting heirloom pieces, JJ Valaya emphasises the enduring power of luxury beyond trends.
When you think of Indian fashion steeped in opulence, heritage, and timeless sophistication, a name that almost instinctively rises to the fore is JJ Valaya. With over three decades working with and towards luxury design, JJ Valaya has become synonymous with an era-defining blend of careful craftsmanship, deep cultural resonance, and a flair for storytelling through his statement pieces across textiles. A founding figure in India's fashion industry, he has not only witnessed the Indian fashion industry but also shaped most of its evolution and growth, navigating change with a rare combination of creative integrity and a vision for reinvention.
In a world that is today largely driven by fleeting trends, JJ Valaya's work remains greatly rooted in its foundation. His design philosophy marries the traditional regalism of India with contemporary global sensibility, a philosophy that has stood in the face of several passing trends, turning his creations into heirlooms to be carried into eternity by generations. Ranging from red carpet couture to bridal masterpieces, his is an art that transcends the garments to the life experiences that combine richness with the narrative, detail, and soul.
In this exclusive conversation with Manifest, the designer shares the creative origin and what the to-be-weds will experience from the couturier at FDCI Manifest Wedding.
In Conversation With JJ Valaya
Manifest: So, my first question to you is what inspires you to create every day?
JJ Valaya: My God, I've been doing this for, now, if I include NIFT, 36 years, and never a dull moment in this trade because we are put to test every six months, as you know. And that's the fun part of it. And that's the reason why I'm in it. So, inspiration is the love for what you do and that in itself is good enough to keep you going.
M: And what is your favourite part about Indian weddings?
JJV: Because nothing like that exists in the world, they are probably the largest testimony to what can happen when history, culture, extravagance and celebration come together. The fact that we have the freedom to create just about whatever we want to. You know, to have muses one after the other, to keep making something special for all of them. I think that just makes up Indian weddings in a nutshell, it's just the big, you know, the big shebang that India is.
M: Tell us about your favourite moment when you dressed up a bride?
JJV: I think it's a lot to do with how she feels. Of course, it all starts with how she looks. But how is she feeling when she wears her clothes? How does she feel when she walks down the aisle and all those moments, I think, when they come back and just thank me for making something so special and so beautiful. And in my case, of course, I'll go a step further because now I have daughters of my brides, coming back with their mothers with their wedding clothes from their mothers, saying that we love this so much. So, that's truly something very, very different because, you know, we've been marrying people off for more than 30 years. And now we're seeing the children getting married. So, it's something very special.
M: What are some of the fashion trends we're going to see in this wedding season?
JJV: Well, I'm not much for trends because I always believe that luxury, if you’re into luxury, you have to be timeless and to be timeless, you must create something that endures the test of time and therefore trends are, you know, short-lived. They are there today, gone tomorrow. But let's just say we are obviously designing for the modern woman of today, and at the same time, she or he (the poor grooms, always get ignored) should be somebody who respects their country, their culture, and knows that being Indian is special.
M: Lastly, what can to-be-weds expect from you at the FDCI Manifest Wedding?
JJV: Whole lot of fabulous-fabulous wedding clothes which will make up their memories for life.
Looking to explore the best of couture and fine jewellery? Then head to the FDCI Manifest Wedding Weekend this August 2–3, 2025, at the Taj Palace, New Delhi. Register here.