JJ Valaya
Born October 8 in Jodhpur, India, 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. His creative sensibilities were apparent at an early age when he would unabashedly fill the last pages of his schoolbooks with sketches and doodles and remained the best artist and calligraphist in his school for five years in a row. Despite the common notion that he attended fashion school as his foremost chosen career, 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. Along with his older brother, TJ Singh, he then launched his first label- ‘JJ Valaya’ in 1992 as a 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, Johannesburg as well as in most major Indian cities to his credit.
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. He lives in Delhi with his wife and daughter.
The House of Valaya, today considered as one of India’s most respected fashion houses, was born in 1992 with a workforce of 3 persons working out of a 150 sq. ft. room. Today the group employs more than 250 persons and works out of its 40,000 sq. ft. facility in Gurgaon.
BIOGRAPHY
1967: Born 08, October in Jodhpur, Rajasthan (India)
1989: Joined the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) based in New Delhi, India.
1990: Became the first Indian student to win the Prix D' Incitation at the Young Designer’s International Competition held in Paris. This event was organised by the Concours International Des Jeunes Createurs De Mode.
1991: Won the Elyxa award at the NIFT Graduation Show, New Delhi.
1991 Won the Thapar Dupont medal at the NIFT Graduation Show, New Delhi for the most innovative use of fabric.
1992 Won the first prize at the NIFT Alumni Competition held in Bombay. This show was jointly organised by KLM and NIFT.
1992: Launched couture label - JJ Valaya.
1993: Became the first designer to hold a solo show in India.
1993 to 1995: Introduced the label in various upmarket stores in India and overseas, including amongst others Ensemble & Vama (Bombay), Ogaan, Signature, Linea & Heritage (New Delhi), Ffolio (Bangalore), Ffolio (Chennai), Ogaan (Calcutta) and Fasateen (Dubai). Also had joint shows along with other prominent designers in major Indian cities as well as in London, Dubai, Singapore, Bangkok and Hongkong.
1996: India's largest single designer store JJ Valaya 'Life' opens in New Delhi. This store, spread over an area of one acre, announced the evolution of the label into other related fields akin to fine design. JJ Valaya 'Life' comprised of womenswear, menswear, soft furnishings, signature tapestries, accessories, art, furniture, object d' art.
1996: Held solo shows in Hong Kong and Manchester.
1998: Became the first Indian designer to show along with an American designer (Todd Oldham). This show was held in New York at the Plaza Hotel, 5th Avenue.
1999: Launched the Valaya pret label- Studio Valaya through exclusive stores in Delhi and Mumbai.
1999: Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) created. Founder member of the governing council / board of directors
2000: The Jj Valaya Couture Spring Summer 2000 show is the first show to feature French models (Agency-Ford) and hairdressers (Lo’real) especially flown in from Paris for an extensive mixed media event.
2000: Studio Valaya opens in Bangalore.
2001: Shows spring summer collection during the Haute Couture Week in Paris
2001: Holds solo show in Germany and Singapore.
2001: Appointed as brand ambassador for the crystal component division of Swarovski India Pvt. Ltd. for three years
2002: A decade of ‘JJ Valaya’ is celebrated through two grand shows in Delhi and Mumbai
2003: Moves into new headquarters, a 40,000 sq. ft. facility set in one-acre in Manesar, Gurgaon.
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