JJ Valaya returns to Mumbai after 24 years with two landmark stores

Mumbai’s luxury landscape has gained two new additions this season as celebrated couturier JJ Valaya made a spectacular return to the city after 24 years. With the launch of JJ Valaya Couture and JJV Kapurthala at Jio World Plaza, BKC, the designer introduced a new chapter in his three-decade-long journey of couture, craft, and culture.

Spread across 1,500 sq ft and 850 sq ft respectively, the two stores echo Valaya’s signature ethos of opulence, architecture, and timelessness. Inspired by the grandeur of royal India but reinterpreted for a modern audience, the spaces bring together his bridal atelier and menswear offerings, surrounded by walls draped in tapestries, mannequins dressed in the iconic Valaya chevron, and chandeliers casting a regal glow over it all. 

"This felt like the right moment to return to Mumbai, a city that has always been central to India’s style and cultural narrative," says Valaya. "What makes this homecoming after 24 years even more special is the launch of two distinct spaces: JJ Valaya, our pinnacle couture and bridal heritage, and JJV Kapurthala, our luxury pret label that brings our ethos to a wider audience. For me, Mumbai has always thrived on tradition and reinvention, and I couldn’t think of a more fitting time to bring both these worlds here—almost like completing a circle," he adds.

JJ Valaya: A legacy of couture

Since its inception in 1992, JJ Valaya Couture has cemented its place as one of India’s most celebrated luxury fashion houses, earning its founder the title of "Czar of Indian Couture". Known for architectural precision, intricate handcraft, and opulent designs, the couture line represents the brand’s cornerstone. Valaya’s ensembles are distinguished by the use of rich fabrics, zardozi, resham, Swarovski embellishments, and his signature mixed-metal embroidery.

 

For Mumbai, Valaya unveils EAST—his latest collection that traverses centuries and continents through three evocative chapters. From the layered romance of the Balkans to the refined aesthetics of the Far East and the grandeur of India, the collection offers a sweeping narrative of cultural cross-pollination, making it especially coveted among global brides and grooms.

JJV Kapurthala: Couture meets everyday luxury

Complementing the couture line is JJV Kapurthala, Valaya’s contemporary luxury pret label. While couture focuses on exclusivity, JJV Kapurthala extends the brand’s artistry to a wider audience. Rooted in the same ethos, the label adapts Valaya’s design language into versatile pieces suited for modern lifestyles, making the brand’s DNA accessible beyond the bridal and red-carpet spheres.

With the launch of the two new stores, the Maximum City is all set to rediscover his world—where craft becomes couture, fashion becomes art, and tradition finds its place in the modern moment.

All images: The brand
 

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