 "Tarun Tahiliani")
JJ VALAYA
Sitting behind a MacBook Air and a tower of books on design, JJ Valaya talks about his bespoke label, Muse. Those who wish to own a Muse piece can do so only through an appointment with Valaya himself. Each piece under the label is single edition and usually falls in the bridal- and occasion-wear category.
The workings of Muse
Valaya traces the origins of Muse to about 10 years ago when he saw a clear market in well-heeled Indians and West Asian royalty indulging in high-end fashion. For a Muse design, the appointment with Valaya "comes at a price". The first meeting usually involves a lot of listening, where Valaya tries to "absorb everything about the person". These meetings are held at his plush showroom located on Delhi's Mehrauli-Gurgaon road, or at private residences of the royal clients. The Delhi showroom has a private room for these meetings, away from the retail space. He explains that a Muse client has a "vague idea about what he or she wants," and it's his job to make it come to life. The second meeting usually entails Valaya and his designers presenting a "mood board" to the buyer, with a series of sketches and discussions around the outfit.
The design is usually finalised in the second meeting, and the third meeting entails a toile or muslin fitting. The outfits can take anywhere between six months and a full year to complete, after which the fittings take place, before the final product is delivered.
What sets it apart?
Valaya explains that Muse is a tribute to craftsmanship, where he wants to "give credibility to the craft", unlike the West, where emphasis is laid more on the "cut". Each design is hand-made, with pieces preserving traditions of old styles of embroidery and handiwork. The label for Valaya is like art, where he feels he is "creating something timeless". The outfits are often embellished with semi-precious stones like rubies, emeralds and pearls. In a market where even the niche French couturier sees about eleven repeats of each design, Valaya's Muse pieces are entirely single edition. All traces of a Muse design, including sketches and swatches, are handed over to the buyer, with a promise that the label will never reproduce that design. He calls his designs "heirlooms", with the promise of a "yours exclusively" experience.
Matters of the pocket
When asked about prices of Muse outfits, Valaya remarks, "How can you put a price on something so priceless?" On how buyers can gauge whether they can afford a Muse piece, he grins and says, "One knows whether one can afford a Muse outfit or not." He gives in a little by adding, "It costs a little less than French couture."
French couture is broadly priced between Rs 65 lakh and Rs 1.8 crore.
Tucked away in the quiet Mehrauli area of New Delhi and opened on October 11, Tarun Tahiliani's by-appointment-only studio is a statement in luxury. With ebony woodwork and beige-and-cream interiors, the dazzling bridal and occasion-wear appears more striking in contrast. Mannequins take centre stage, with lavish gowns and royal lehengas paving the way for rows of menswear on the right.
A peek inside
The appointment-only studio is ideal for those who not only want Tahiliani's label but also their own tweaks and modifications. The designs on display are open for discussion as assistants walk buyers through the perfect look for them. The entire space spells luxury, meant to be one where buyers can choose their outfits in complete privacy, right in the comfort of their opulent fitting rooms. Tahiliani, who already has a showroom in Gurgaon and New Delhi's Defence Colony area, finds the experience of customising your outfit at a retail store "tacky". He adds that "people love the attention" that a space like this promises to give.
Fire up the sewing machine
Once an appointment is booked, the buyer meets the in-house designers, complete with catalogues and walks through the current collection and design samples. Talking about how an outfit is created here, Tahiliani says, "What people might like and what might look good on them are two different things. We try to bridge that gap here." Once the design is finalised, measurements are taken and the buyer is fit into a toile to get the perfect fitting.
The outfit then goes into production, which takes between two and three months to complete. The buyer is then called for a first fitting, with the garment in its final design, but with kachcha stitching. The second fitting takes place next, after which the garment gets its final touches and is ready for collection.
Matters of the pocket
A bridal lehenga at this studio will cost at least Rs 8 lakh and can go up to Rs 25 lakh, or even more, depending on what one chooses. Men's sherwanis are priced around Rs 1.5 lakh and can, depending on the embellishments, touch Rs 6 lakh.
