House of Valaya has always been a creative surprise, whether it's its signature chevron changing leaf designs, its culturally rich display cases or its collaborations, JJ Valaya always loves new creative challenges.
On Day 2, Sustainable Fashion Day, JJ Valaya's bridge to luxury brand JJV Kapurthala has collaborated with R|Elan™ to present Char, a collection where luxury intertwines with consciousness, promising an unforgettable display of style and spirit.
Commenting on the collaboration, Hemant D. Sharma, President, Polyester, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), said, “RIL’s collaboration with JJ Valaya’s JJV. Kapurthala exemplifies our commitment to fostering the best talent while promoting sustainability and circularity in the textile and fashion industry. By integrating eco-friendly fabrics and innovative technologies from R|Elan™, we are not only fostering a new wave of creativity in the luxury segment, but also championing sustainable and circular concepts across the value chain.”
In collaboration with R|Elan™, JJV adopts eco-friendly fabrics such as R|Elan™ GreenGold, made from recycled PET bottles, and innovative technologies such as R|Elan™ Kooltex, ensuring style and sustainability.
A medley of cultures celebrating diversity and unity in a symphony of colors and textures remains the hallmark of JJV Kapurthala season after season. In conversation with News18, JJ Valaya talks about collaborating with R|Elan™ on Sustainable Fashion Day, adopting eco-friendly fabrics made from recycled PET bottles and why the champion of his shows will always be the clothes and not the celebrities.
Excerpts from the interview:
JJV Kapurthala launched in 2022 at Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI, how does it feel to be back this season with R|Elan?
JJV debuted in 2022 at Lakme Fashion in association with FDCI. This season, we partnered with R|Elan and created a collection that champions sustainability. The idea is to continue keeping the flag of the House of Valaya high by doing new things. For us it's also about exploring creatively and having fun in more and more types of areas. With JJV Kapurthala our mission was very clear, we wanted to make a more accessible line so that more and more people could wear it. I am very happy that it was so well received.
What was it like working with R|Elan Fabrics 2.0 to create the new collection, Char?
It's always a pleasure to work with exquisite fabrics while creating a new line and if that fabric is an advocate for sustainability, the journey becomes even more special! R|Elan™ fabrics have lent themselves wonderfully to our prints and cuts and, thanks to their versatility and varying weights, have been highly adaptable to various silhouettes in our stable.
In fact, the R|Elan™ fabrics were quite a surprise. It is very important to feel the fabric, not just see it. So when I saw and felt them, I found it very hard to believe that they were made from recycled PET bottles. As a luxury brand, using a sustainable fabric without compromising the luxury element was a welcome idea and that's what we really enjoy doing.
You're closing out Sustainable Fashion Day on day 2, how does Char celebrate the sustainability narrative?
The Char collection celebrates the narrative of sustainability through the fact that it is made from a fabric that is versatile, luxurious and most importantly, created from recycled PET bottles, and that is phenomenal. Plastic is plastic and being able to recycle it and turn it into thread that can be reused in this case seems phenomenal to me.
What does Char mean for JJV Kapurthala?
JJV Kapurthala collections, season after season, we number them in Punjabi: Ek, Do, Teen, Char, Paanch, Che… that's One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and so on. So what we're showing is the fourth season, Char, and this Fall/Winter it would be Paanch, which will be the fifth season. It is a constant story of a normal nomad, as we are often called, who travels all the time and when he travels, he absorbs multicultures and then puts them together into a beautiful signature and statement that he can present to the world. .
It is loosely based on the travelogues of Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala. And I think she was also quite nomadic, she traveled the length and breadth of the planet at a time when there were no airplanes. If you visit Kapurthala today and see the architecture that he had done in his time, you will see influences from France, Morocco and all over the world. I think we carry that spirit forward.
And season after season we'll simply move to another sought-after influence somewhere on the planet and absorb it into the Kapurthala story we're telling.
What should we expect from this showcase in terms of style, silhouettes, patterns and color palette?
Silhouettes, patterns, colors, styles, any fashion house that is reputable and has been around for a while will have a very different palette to play with and we are no different. We carry forward the spirit of the brand, season after season, through its palette, style, silhouettes, patterns and through its core DNA. Like when you look at a particular collection, you know it's from a particular designer. There is no change in that. But yes, it is constantly evolving, so you have to look closer to find where the changes have occurred. Of course, in addition to this season, we will also be showcasing one of our perennials, which we are all already familiar with, which is our Shifting Leaves Chevron line.
Although all your designs are spectacular on the catwalk, for this collection, have you chosen your muse for the show?
Personally, I've never been a big believer in spectacular successes. I say this without disrespect because I truly appreciate everyone who achieves in their life. Many people are constant muses, but in the mind, and then, of course, it is always a pleasure to dress them. But that's where my role really comes in, which is dressing them for their big day, big events or dressing them when they're sitting in the front row at our shows. That's great. This season we are not going with any spectacular because I have always believed and will continue to believe that the champion of a show will always be the clothes. It starts there and ends there.
