ELLE Exclusive: JJ Valaya On Craft And Cultural Excellence At Hyundai India Couture Week

In an era where trends fade in the blink of a digital eye, JJ Valaya remains resolutely rooted in the art of slowness. Ahead of Hyundai India Couture Week 2025 in partnership with FDCI, the couturier opens up about his enduring creative compass and the uncompromising standards of luxury – seen effortlessly in his upcoming regal collection. In an exclusive conversation with ELLE, he speaks candidly about resisting gimmicks, collaborating on custom soundscapes, and why true luxury isn't loud – it’s lasting.

ELLE: What’s different this time? You’re a seasoned player. How do you embrace reinvention every season?

JJ Valaya (JJ): For us, reinvention is more about evolution. When you work in luxury, especially couture, what you create must have a high degree of timelessness. Our garments are designed to endure, to remain relevant for decades, and to be passed down through generations. That’s always the intention.

We do, of course, keep an eye on evolving trends and absorb subtle nuances to stay attuned to the present, but never at the cost of losing the perenniality of our aesthetic.

ELLE: Tell us about the cuts, colours, and silhouettes utilised in your upcoming collection for ICW 2025.

JJ: As always, our work is a celebration of India. You’ll see a strong presence of Indian silhouettes, forms that have stood the test of time. When it comes to colour, every great fashion house tends to have a palette it repeatedly returns to, and we’re no different. We’re working with hues that truly resonate with our signature, and I’ve always believed that collections, like art, need to be seen and experienced. What we do is not just fashion; it’s artisanal art.

ELLE: If you were to draw parallels between this collection and a previous one, what would the overlap signify in terms of your evolution?

JJ: I don’t draw parallels between collections because our journey is evolutionary, not revolutionary. I don’t believe in gimmicks. They may keep you in the spotlight for a few seasons, but that light fades quickly. We’ve always been clear: we are a luxury brand, and everything we do must meet the highest standards of quality and craftsmanship. Our focus is on endurance, excellence, and the celebration of Indian artisanship, not fleeting trends.

ELLE: How do you deal with creative burnout?

JJ: Burnout is natural. You can’t escape it; it’s human. No one can operate at full throttle year after year, decade after decade. But the key lies in recognising what you're truly good at and then pouring your energy into refining that.

Every year, I act as my own toughest critic. I look at the collection and instinctively know what could be better. That drive to keep pushing the envelope keeps the spark alive for me.

ELLE: If your upcoming collection had a soundtrack, what would it be?

JJ: I avoid using standard music tracks to accompany my collections. Every season, we collaborate with composers to craft something unique. Sometimes it’s live music, sometimes it’s recorded, but it’s always created to reflect the spirit of the collection. This season, we’re working with Gaurav Raina on a soundtrack that merges mystical influences with house and a touch of folk. It’s an unexpected blend, but one that we believe will create something quite magical.

ELLE: Couture, why? What keeps you hooked on creating something extravagant today, when prêt is king?

JJ: There is no king or queen in fashion. It’s like cars. A Rolls-Royce sells, a Mercedes sells, and so does a Maruti. Each exists in its own category. What we do, couture, belongs to the highest slab in fashion. That said, I love my bridge-to-luxury line, JJV by JJ Valaya, just as much. One celebrates flamboyance, the other restraint. But couture remains my playground. It’s where I get to be free, to imagine, to design without constraints, and to work with the finest artisans to create something truly extraordinary. This freedom to express, to create something enduring and exquisitely handcrafted, is what keeps me coming back to couture. Decades from now, when someone looks at our work and says, “Was this really made in India?” – that moment of awe is what I live for.

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