Sleek with a sense of effortlessness makes the Aulerth X JJ Valaya collaboration collection ‘The Valaya Perennials’, which features his signature ‘shifting leaves chevron’. Earrings, pendants and bangles are a part of the range and can multitask as accessories for a range of looks. Aulerth is a two-year-old ‘consciously crafted, couture-inspired jewellery’ brand. JJ Valaya tells The Telegraph about the creative process and also gives us a sneak peek of his upcoming showcase at Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI in Mumbai, next week.
‘The Valaya Perennials’ look so sleek and smart...
Chevron is a perennial (motif). It is one of our signatures which we have done year after year in various shapes and forms. We have also used it in our furniture, flooring and furnishing. Just about everybody who shops with us, invariably always picks up something from the chevron line. That is why we thought we must introduce a small collection of jewellery where there is the same pattern.
This is the introduction of a perennial line which is based on our signature ‘shifting leaves chevron’. This will be done year after year just like the clothes are being done year after year. But obviously, they are evolving, and the styles change. It is a great entry point into our ecosystem because the price points are accessible.
How do you adapt your aesthetics to jewellery?
It is something which is a very versatile pattern. I can only do this in my bridge-to-luxury stores, which is the JJV line. In couture, if I were ever to interpret chevron, it would be done very differently, probably with diamonds and golds and rubies. It is a different language. Because of the versatility and recognisability of the patterns and because it is now synonymous with our brand, it becomes a great contender to an effective sort of line which can be a first step into the Valaya ecosystem... today’s people who aspire for it are tomorrow’s buyers.
In this case, it worked beautifully because it blended with our favourite metallic, which is antique gold and putting black and white with antique gold is always a winning formula for us.
How has your taste in jewellery evolved over the years?
I am very clear about the DNA of the brand. When it comes to couture, it’s always about grandeur and refined maximalism. This is what the hallmark of India’s past was when we had the maharajas in palaces and costumes, they were all very maximal, but very sophisticated. That’s the DNA we take forward in a watered-down avatar but in a much more modern way, through JJV. Kapurthala, which is our bridge-to-luxury line. We have just launched the first JJV standalone store in Delhi, in The Dhan Mill. And, that’s where this line was also introduced.
Is your taste in jewellery in sync with the brand?
Designers are always very basic dressers because we are constantly dealing with so much magnificence and detail and surrounded by it all day long, personal dressing ends up being very basic. You will never see me in embroidery and I am the master of embroidery. You will always find a chevron turban on me because that is a signature. When it comes to home interiors, then I am noticing that my ideology for what I do for people’s homes is very similar to what I do for my own home.
Finally, please give us a sneak peek of your Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI showcase...
We are working with R-Elan, which is a sustainable brand where the fabric is made out of PET bottles. I like the fact that the bottles instead of landing up in the ocean are now being recycled into yarn and being used in textiles. Other than that, it’s going to be a tight collection, the latest from the JJV. Kapurthala brand. It’s the younger maharaja. The collection will have the soul of India.
Pictures courtesy: Aulerth X JJ Valaya
