In 1989, JJ Valaya stepped into a nascent fashion Industry in India as a student of its first, and only fashion institute, the NIFT. In 1992, he, along with his brother, an ex-army man, TJ Singh, launched his eponymous label. He therefore enjoys the privilege of being a part of the pioneering group of Indian fashion designers … the ones who started the style revolution for Modern India. He is a founding member of the Board of Governors of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), and the first official brand ambassador for global crystal giant, Swarovski, a brand he continues to work with passionately.
He is considered one of India’s leading fashion pioneers and founder of one of its most respected luxury fashion and lifestyle houses, a journey that has earned him the title of the ‘Czar of Indian Couture’. No words perhaps best describe the Valaya brand than the one made by the Maharani of Kapurthala on a visit to his atelier: “You are truly the future of the past”