India Couture Week 2025: 'East' by J J Valaya
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
8 hours ago
- India Today
Gen Z don't give a sh*t, and Tarun Tahiliani loves that
Designer Tarun Tahiliani, who recently celebrated 30 years of his label with new collection at Hyundai India Couture Week 2025, admires Gen Z for how they are so unabashed and don't give a damn about others' opinions.'They (Gen Z) don't give a shit! They just want to wear what they want to. They are cool,' he told India Today when asked if there is a difference in how Gen Z sees fashion. But does this generation make him alter his design philosophy in any way? Well, just stay modern, and I hope that is relevant,' he says. From Tarun Tahiliani's new collection titled 'Exquisite' The couturier, ever since the inception of his label, has pushed forward the legacy of 'India Modern'. His latest collection 'Exquisite' (showcased at the ICW 2025) is the latest addition to this sartorial philosophy. Models legit glided in silhouettes like jumpsuits, jackets, corsets, sheer modern sarees and lots and lots of sultry blouses. Glided, because Tahiliani's creations may appear to be heavy but the weight is always light. Tarun Tahiliani unveils new collection at Hyundai India Couture Week 2025. 'What does beautiful mean if one cannot move in it, dance in it?' He strongly believes. It was no surprise to see models groove with ease to Alisha Chinai's peppy Made In India playing in the background. The master of draping sent down sculpted yet fluid Oberoi, New Delhi - where Tarun Tahiliani's design journey began with his first assignment designing uniforms - played gracious host to the show celebrating 30 years of his couture label. Interestingly, the year also marks 60 years of The Oberoi Indian craft - always central to Tahiliani's couture - stood out too. He worked with Bandhej, Chikankari, Kashidakari, crystals, and fine resham embroidery, this time with a touch more sensuality and fluidity. Tarun Tahiliani believes in creating visually-heavy yet lightweight outfits for modern Indian women. 'The collection is made for the bride who wants to feel light, present, and entirely herself. Adorned, not overwhelmed,' he got their fair share of glam in Tahiliani's new collection. The modern groom is no longer content playing sidekick at the wedding - he wants to be just as much in the spotlight. Tahiliani responded with fresh silhouettes that moved beyond the classic ivory-and-gold sherwani. Think short achkans paired with velveteen pants and stoles, added scarves, asymmetrical cuts on traditional sherwanis, functional dhotis, and bold statement jewellery. Hues like coral and mustard have entered the groom wardrobes too. Groomswear in focus at Tarun Tahiliani show. The collection scored high on practicality, too. The jackets, in particular, were designed with versatility in mind. Sure, they're the perfect occasionwear companions to lehengas and saris — but on other days, the designer wants you to rock them with your denims too. Jackets galore! 'Buy quality. Invest in pieces you can wear in multiple ways and for years to come. We need to move past disposable fashion. Around 90 billion garments end up in landfills, while so many people don't even have enough to wear. We know what's happening globally, so it's time we all become more responsible in how we shop, consume, and use clothing,' Tahiliani told India Today in a brief interaction after the Z's are you listening?- EndsMust Watch
News18
a day ago
- News18
A Royal Thread Through Time: JJ Valaya On Memory, Craft, And The Enduring Pulse Of Couture
JJ Valaya's EAST is a regal cartography of memory, travel, and craftsmanship where every thread tells a timeless story. When JJ Valaya's couture creations walked the ramp at the Grand Finale of Hyundai India Couture Week 2025, they weren't just clothes, they were cartographies of memory. Entitled EAST, the Autumn/Winter collection was part travelogue, part tribute, weaving together the Far East, the Balkans, and India into a majestic, imagined Silk Route. But beneath the silk, zari, and structure lies something deeper: an insistence that fashion must mean something. That it must hold a story, a soul, and above all, a sense of time. 'We are Kuturiyas at heart," Valaya says, in his characteristically grounded way. 'We create luxury and luxury has a slower pace." In an era where virality can dictate value, Valaya's house remains an outlier: one that builds slowly, deliberately, and always with reverence. 'Yes, it's the age of reels and rapid content," he adds, 'but once you frame a story with depth, it becomes compelling." For Valaya, storytelling isn't an embellishment to couture, it's the very fabric of it. Each collection begins with two months of deep research, then months more of exploration, silhouettes, surface techniques, dyeing, embroidery. 'This process is what we truly indulge in," he says, 'and I don't see that ever changing." Born in Rajasthan, Rooted in Reverence There are themes that reappear like leitmotifs across Valaya's decades-spanning oeuvre: Art Deco geometry, nomadic memory, and the grandeur of royal India. But they aren't trends, they are emotional inheritances. 'I was born in Rajasthan," he says, 'and I suspect that somewhere, the spirit of royalty and the Banjaras crept into my psyche." It's an observation offered without pretension as if this vast aesthetic vocabulary was simply inherited through osmosis. 'Art Deco, meanwhile, has always fascinated me, it's timeless in its geometry, clean lines, its chicness." Together, these influences are not just decorative, they're architectural. A personal language shaped by places, philosophies, and the passage of time. When asked what has remained sacred through three decades of design, he doesn't hesitate, 'Authenticity. Quality. And a deep commitment to Indian craft." This, for Valaya, is not performative patriotism but a sacred responsibility. 'As an Indian designer, I feel it's my duty to celebrate our craft. It's who we are." On Trends, Timelessness, and Building a Legacy In a cultural moment where many luxury houses flirt with Indian motifs sometimes without nuance or rootedness, Valaya's voice remains steady. 'You don't need to have lived a particular time to recreate it," he says. 'But you do need to do the research. To sit with your inspiration. To ask yourself what you're being true to." The distinction between aesthetic and authentic, he insists, is not binary. 'It's not either-or. The perfect balance of the two is what truly works." And that balance between the romantic and the rigorous, the opulent and the edited is what Valaya has spent decades perfecting. 'We're very clear that we're a luxury brand. And the brand must outlive the man." There's both humility and ambition in that line, a quiet, unwavering belief in legacy. 'Trends help keep the buzz alive," he acknowledges, 'but when you're doing couture, you have to balance that with timelessness. You cannot build luxury on trends alone." View this post on Instagram A post shared by FDCI (@fdciofficial) The Nomadic Spirit Endures If EAST was a finale to the couture week, it was also a declaration: that heritage, when reinterpreted with rigour and imagination, can become futuristic. That couture is not a relic, but a living, breathing art form. 'I'm a nomad at heart," he says, echoing the show's central emotion. 'What excites me is the rediscovery of lost treasures and reinventing them for now." And as the lights dim on yet another season of India Couture Week, one thing is clear: JJ Valaya's world is not built on nostalgia it's built on memory. Curated, constructed, and carried forward, one thread at a time. About the Author Swati Chaturvedi Swati Chaturvedi, a seasoned media and journalism aficionado with over 10 years of expertise, is not just a storyteller; she's a weaver of wit and wisdom in the digital landscape. As a key figure in News18 More The News18 Lifestyle section brings you the latest on health, fashion, travel, food, and culture — with wellness tips, celebrity style, travel inspiration, and recipes. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : classics of JJ Valaya fashion JJ Valaya lifestyle view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 03, 2025, 11:36 IST News lifestyle A Royal Thread Through Time: JJ Valaya On Memory, Craft, And The Enduring Pulse Of Couture Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Deccan Herald
3 days ago
- Deccan Herald
India Couture Week 2025: 'East' by J J Valaya
Celebrity couple Mugdha Godse and Rahul Dev walk the ramp for the designer J J Valaya at the grand finale of the Hyundai India Couture Week 2025 in New Delhi. |
