JJ Valaya launches heritage-inspired accessories as the label turns 35

For JJ Valaya, manner has ever been astir storytelling — of journeys, dynasties and trade traditions that agelong crossed centuries.

Now, arsenic his statement approaches 35 years, the decorator is expanding that communicative into accessories. The newly-launched JJ Valaya Accessories marks the house’s archetypal dedicated handbag line, with styles similar an oversized velvet clutch, a mini flap bag, a modern batua loop bag, and the Raj–Jagjit bag, which carries a profoundly idiosyncratic story. 

For Valaya, the determination felt instinctive. “Historically, for immoderate manner brand, extending into accessories becomes a precise earthy progression,” helium says. “Over the years, our clientele has asked for pieces that transportation the aforesaid consciousness of practice and recognisability — but whitethorn not needfully beryllium a afloat garment.”

Handbags, helium explains, offered a mode to construe the label’s plan connection into thing much functional. “A couture garment mightiness travel retired connected peculiar occasions, but a container becomes portion of your mundane identity. You could beryllium dressed successful thing precise elemental and modern, and a connection container tin alteration the full look.”

Craft astatine the core 

Valaya has agelong described himself arsenic a pupil of past and craft, and that sensibility remains cardinal to the accessories line. The bags — presented successful jewel-toned shades of emerald, burgundy, midnight bluish and ivory — are crafted successful materials specified arsenic velvet and quilted leather, with suede-lined interiors. Their surfaces are richly elaborate with embroideries executed successful resham thread, sequins, crystals and zardosi. Semi-precious chromatic embellishments are developed successful collaboration with specializer artisans successful Jaipur.

“We bash museum-quality embroideries,” Valaya says. “India has immoderate of the finest artisans successful the world, and determination is perfectly nary crushed not to observe that. Even the large European houses trust heavy connected Indian craftsmanship.”

For the designer, luxury indispensable besides transportation the committedness of longevity. “When you put successful a beauteous object, you privation to usage it again and again, possibly adjacent walk it on,” helium says. “That is the joyousness of uncovering a vintage portion from a large manner location — it inactive feels peculiar decades later.”

A profoundly idiosyncratic design

At the centre of the postulation is possibly its astir affectional piece, The Raj– Jagjit bag, named aft the designer’s parents.

The plan consists of 2 connected bags that tin besides beryllium utilized separately. The larger Jagjit container represents his father, portion the smaller Raj container symbolises his mother. “You transportation them unneurotic astir similar an embrace,” Valaya explains. “The larger 1 becomes the protective beingness astir the smaller one.”

The tribute reflects the power his parents had connected his beingness and work. His mother, helium recalls, spent clip teaching embroidery techniques astatine service payment centres, portion his father, an service officer, instilled a beardown consciousness of discipline.

“They were the instauration of everything that shaped me,” helium says. “So naming the bags aft them was truly a mode of preserving that representation and honouring their values.”

The thought for the plan had existed for years. “I sketched it astir 5 years ago,” helium adds. “I ever knew that if I ever started an accessories line, this had to beryllium the portion that began the journey.”

The thought of the modern heirloom 

Beyond idiosyncratic designs, Valaya sees the postulation arsenic portion of a broader philosophy, creating what helium calls “modern heirlooms”.

He believes modernity has small to bash with fleeting manner cycles. “Modernity is often misunderstood arsenic pursuing trends,” helium says. “But existent elegance comes from having a beardown consciousness of identity, knowing who you are and however you privation to contiguous yourself.”

With the statement already processing aboriginal collections for upcoming seasons, the handbag enactment appears acceptable to go a lasting caller section successful Valaya’s plan journey.

The handbags, priced from ₹39,000 onwards, are disposable astatine JJ Valaya stores successful Delhi and Mumbai, arsenic good arsenic online astatine valaya.com