JJ Valaya: ‘The Mumbai luxury buyer is incredibly evolved’

JJ Valaya

Evoking luxe velvets, rich silks, Indian craftsmanship, and the regal heritage of Punjab, JJ Valaya's name has been synonymous with timeless style for 33 years.
Last month, Valaya marked his return to the couture scene of Mumbai after 24 years, with two new stores at Jio World Plaza - JJ Valaya Couture, and JJV Kapurthala, the house's bridge-to-luxury brand. The designer discusses the expansion of his label.

What made now the right time to return to Mumbai?
Over the past few years, I've had the privilege of rethinking and re-energising everything that the JJ Valaya world stands for. After 33 years in fashion, and post my sabbatical and then the pandemic, we had structured our growth carefully. I felt this was the right moment to return to Mumbai - a city that has always been such an important part of India's style and cultural narrative. Together, the two stores reflect both sides of my philosophy: timeless craftsmanship and modern relevance.

JJV Kapurthala

Coming back to Mumbai after 24 years is truly emotional. This city was part of my earliest journey as a designer, and to return now with two stores feels like coming full circle - but with far more depth, maturity, and intent. For me, Mumbai deserves this dual expression. It's a city that thrives on both tradition and reinvention.

What sets the Mumbai buyer apart from Delhi's?
The Mumbai luxury buyer today is incredibly evolved - global in outlook, yet deeply appreciative of Indian craftsmanship. What sets them apart is their innate sense of modernity; they like luxury to feel effortless, versatile, and in tune with their fast-paced lives. Delhi, on the other hand, has always celebrated grandeur and opulence in a very visible way, which I absolutely love. Mumbai brings its own flavour - it thrives on understated chic, a cosmopolitan confidence. It's exciting to engage with both energies - Delhi's love for the spectacular and Mumbai's flair for the neoclassical.

How is the Indian market maturing for luxury couture versus pret?
Couture continues to hold a sacred place - especially for weddings and milestone celebrations where people want timeless pieces that can be passed down. But alongside this, there is a definite shift towards diffusion and pret, where buyers are looking for everyday expressions of luxury that are versatile, travel-friendly, and globally relevant. What this really signals is maturity - the Indian buyer now understands that luxury isn't only about the big occasion, but also about how you live every day.

JJ Valaya Couture

What drew you to Maharaja Jagatjit Singh as a muse?
At its essence, JJV Kapurthala is a tribute to Maharaja Jagatjit Singh, a true cosmopolitan and cultural visionary. While much has been written about his fascination with Europe, what intrigued me was his eastward explorations, where he discovered a different kind of richness. Saat (his pret collection) reflects that side of his journeys.

Is Gen Z a strong fashion consumer for your brand?
Gen Z is becoming a strong consumer for our brand. What excites me about this generation is that, despite being digital natives with global exposure, they have an instinctive curiosity about heritage and authenticity. They don't just buy luxury for the label - they want to know the story, the craft, the values behind it.

How do you balance nostalgia for India's regal past with the need to stay contemporary?
For me, nostalgia for India's regal past is not about recreating history exactly as it was, but about reinterpreting its essence for today. It's a sort of bridge between reverence and relevance. I draw inspiration from the grandeur, craft, and storytelling of our heritage, but I translate it with modern cuts, contemporary functionality, and a global aesthetic. The balance comes from respecting the past without being trapped by it. A JJ Valaya piece will always carry echoes of royalty, a nomadic spirit, a sprinkling of the glamour of Art Deco - but it will also feel relevant to the woman or man of today, who wants luxury to be timeless yet wearable.

As both a designer and photographer, how do the two practices influence each other?
When it comes to fashion; design and photography are, for me, two sides of the same coin. Both are about storytelling, composition, and capturing emotion. When I design, I am always visualising how a garment will live in an image, how light will touch a fabric, how the silhouette will translate into a frame. Similarly, when I pick up the camera, my sensibility as a couturier influences the way I see detail, texture, and the balance of tradition with modernity, and most importantly, people. Photography sharpens my eye for narrative and proportion, while design gives me the canvas on which those narratives can exist. Together, they allow me to constantly refine my vision - one discipline feeding the other, ensuring that every creation, whether a garment or an image, carries a sense of timelessness and theatre.