JJ Valaya and his passion for fashion

The decision to start my own label came after the flip of a coinrdquo says acclaimed fashion designer JJ Valaya This revelation stumps me when I meet him on a Friday afternoon at a five star hotel in Nariman PointldquoAfter our graduation Ashish Soni and I were sitting on the steps of the National Institute of Fashion Technology NIFT building and thinking about our next course of action He asked me whether we should work together I told him it was a bad idea Then he asked me whether we should look for a job I suggested that we flip a coin Heads we do our own thing and tails we go and get a job Fortunately it was heads and thatrsquos how we launched our own labelsTill today Ashish thanks me for that decisionrdquo guffaws the czar of Indian coutureTill a few months back JJ Valaya was a regular visitor to Mumbai ldquoBut I came here after almost four months this time aroundrdquo he said He likes the cityrsquos positive vibe ldquoAnd where in Delhi would I get thisrdquo he asked pointing to the vast expanse of the sea outside the window of the hotelPicSayyed Sameer AbediAfter designing for the cregraveme de la cregraveme of Bollywood and the Indian fashion fraternity for more than two decades and showcasing his creations at the most reputed fashion weeks itrsquos easy to presume that the turning point of Valayarsquos career could have been a huge international fashion show But his answer is anything but that ldquoI quit Chartered Accountancy to do something I had no idea about I believe therersquos divinity at play at times and you just have to grasp the right moment Something propelled me to tread new groundsrdquo says the designer The secondmost important factor he adds was to get admission into NIFT which had recently opened then ldquoIt was really one of those big magical moments of my life After that the magic of life took overrdquo he smilesThe beginning of the era Valayarsquos journey has been truly magical The designer launched his brand House of Valaya and his couture label lsquoJJ Valayarsquo in the year 1992 Since then he has gone on to become one of the founding members on the Board of Governors of the Fashion Design Council of India FDCI the first Indian designer to showcase his creations along with an American designer Todd Oldham in New York at the Plaza Hotel in 1998 and is today one of Indiarsquos leading fashion gurusThe 46yearold who is known for his ethnic designs resplendent with intricate embroidery and handiwork has expanded his horizons by curating home deacutecor furniture and lifestyle accessories with Home of the Traveler a concept store In a couple of months he will also launch the Valaya Home which will venture into designing spaces and signature furniture and accessories The Delhiite says ldquoI believe if you stop evolving you stop living I suppose itrsquos a matter of what you truly enjoy doing because then you donrsquot think of it as expansion and evolution You do it simply because you enjoy it so much and that totally changes your perspectiverdquoPerson behind the personalityFor somebody who has enjoyed fame mdash nationally as well as internationally mdash Valaya remains a private person Ask him about his spiritual leanings and he clams up ldquoIrsquom deeply spiritual but itrsquos a private world Itrsquos the biggest treasure I possessrdquo he reveals Though he comes across as someone who is greatly attached to his family and extremely guarded about them he confesses that there is another side of his personality which is not known to many ldquoThough Irsquom a family man Irsquom a loner who loves to travel alone Itrsquos a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde situationrdquo he laughsHe confesses that travel for him means experiencing the world rather than just sightseeing ldquoI prefer going to places which are culturallycharged So America doesnrsquot interest me but every country in Europe does I like to discover places on my own I get off somewhere and walk live for extended periods in a city and really soak in the experiencerdquo he elaboratesThe artiste also has a penchant for photography His romance with the camera started while he was studying fashion Over the years he has held two shows released a coffee table book of his photographs and his work has also made it to private museums ldquoI love photography because I do it for myself It doesnrsquot matter to me whether people love or hate my picturesrdquo he says before revealing that hersquos yet to discover the functions of all the buttons on the camera ldquoI just press the shutterrdquo he laughs The father of two reveals an anecdote when he had released the coffeetable book ldquoMy photographer friends had attended the launch and praised my efforts One of them told me that the fact that I havenrsquot learnt photography is what works in my favour I shoot from the soul from the composition point of view not from the technical point of viewrdquo he addsValaya walks the ramp at a fashion show File picCreative compulsionsThe selfconfessed foodie admits that though he doesnrsquot cook he would love to try his hand at baking and even open a bakery someday ldquoTherersquos something very sensual about baking Irsquom sure Irsquoll be a very creative bakerrdquo he smiles Ask him if this is a part of his retirement plans and he seems almost outraged at the thought ldquoMy God how can you even talk about retirement Thatrsquos the most boring thing on earth What is retirement after all Thatrsquos the time when you want to relax and do things that you love Well then people who do what they love are retired for liferdquo he shares his philosophy Toucheacute