He may be amongst India’s senior designers, but on first look JJ Valaya’s ample presence and warm beatific smile reminds you of Santa Claus. And given the one day trips that he makes, with gruelling travel schedules, his mood hasn’t dampened a bit.
The only sign of annoyance, and that too is a slight glimmer, which quickly disappears, is when the photographer asks him to get up from the sofa and strike a pose.
He frowns at the security measures that have converted his hotel into a fortress. “It’s a great feeling coming back even though I always manage to visit Karachi and that too, just for a day,” he says. His association with Vaneeza Ahmed, model-turned-creative director for Style 360, is what brings him to Karachi. She had modelled for him back in her hey days. And when Style 360 brought its Bridal Couture Week (BCW) to the city by the sea, JJ Valaya just couldn’t say no. He opened the BCW with his rose-tinted showcase of Indian regalia. Upon hearing tales of Jalal Salahuddin’s cultural icon of a father and his culturally enriching hospitality, Valaya pined, “I have never been to Lahore and I am just dying to go there.”
We speak of India and its incredible rise in the global economy, of the freedom of a secular state and the open culture which allows young people to enter the political arena and take on the country’s future head on. He tells me proudly about a 37-year-old politician in handling a mainstream ministry.
In his 45 years, he’s seen India transform, and one can see that sparkle in his eyes as he speaks of his own brand. “It’s been phenomenal journey full of challenges and pitfalls,” says Valaya. “It’s been very satisfying to be able to create a brand in 20 years and now that the country is exploding with opportunity, the most logical step is expansion on a large level. We are still expensive. A recent report declared that the current spending population in India equals the entire population of the United States.”
With Pakistan experiencing a boom in retail, one can only imagine the power that prêt must hold in a country like India brimming with opportunities. But for a brand as high-end as Valaya, can there be a market in Pakistan particularly with the Rupee devaluing considerably? “I strongly believe that there is a market here,” speaks Valaya reassuringly. “However it’s not yet time for me to be here. I want to do things properly.”
Speaking of where he thinks Pakistan’s infant fashion industry should head and what it should learn from people like him, Valaya pragmatically answers:“Every country has its own ovulation period which leads to an evolution, so I don’t believe in these ‘coming at par’ business models. Every nation has its own bespoke and intrinsic sort of experience. Everyone goes through a learning curve. At the moment, though, the industry is clearly at the throes of fragile egos.” A perceptive man, he was able to assess the state of the fashion fraternity in a mere 48 hours.
Valaya’s professional vision for the future, entails the brand truly encompassing life style. “We have been aggressively looking into home. As a design house we can contribute a lot more and we want to create India’s best luxury lifestyle brand.” On a personal level, he dreams of what every creative individual across the border does: peace.
“The only thing I take back every time I visit is the desire that some day we can drive freely across the border,” says Valaya wistfully. He enacts what he truly means by adding that: “Can you imagine a friend from India can call up a friend here in Pakistan and say ‘Get dinner ready, I’m on my way’, and just simply descend on one’s own whim!”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 1st, 2011.
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