The czar of Indian couture, JJ Valaya unveiled his 10,000 square foot flagship store and first edition of ALika Jacket at ‘The Gallery on MG’. 

Braving the monsoon, the capital came together to celebrate the opening and raise a toast to the occasion where the first edition of the signature Alika Jacket was launched with much fanfare. Guests surrounded the gallery’s atrium on first floor looked down as a black box opened and the Alika: Series 1, Number 1, based on the Jamavar and inspired by the pattern closest to JJ Valaya’s heart, rose up suspended by a string from the ceiling. 

After being nestled in a 2,500 square foot space in a farmhouse for over 14 years, the new flagship moves into its rightful new home, one that has dedicated floors for Womenswear and Menswear and will carry all the Valaya labels i.e. JJ Valaya Muse, JJ Valaya, Valaya Quantum, Valaya Base and Valaya Home. In addition, the store will also house ETHOS: a fine selection of unique books for purchase (set up in association with CMYK) besides a new line of lighting and glass installations developed in association with Klove. Another unique experience in this space would be THE HOME OF THE TRAVELER, a concept born out of the designer’s affinity to fine living. 

The early birds included artist Satish Gupta and his wife Amrita dressed in an elegant black dhoti pants. Actor Nasir Abdullah was spotted admiring the neatly flawless spread of the men’s line on the first floor. As the evening proceeded, designers Rohit Bal, Manish Malhotra, Payal Jain, Hemant Sagar and Ranna Gill and Sunil Sethi of FDCI amongst others mingled with the capital glitterati – Tanisha Mohan, Ramola Bachchan, Simar Duggal, Malvika Tiwari, Ruchi Malhotra, Neesha Singh, Ayesha Thapar, Thenny, stylist Pernia Qureshi and model Joey Matthews, artists Subodh Gupta and Jatin Das and entrepreneurs Navin Ansal and Raseel Gujral of Casa Paradox, AD Singh of Olive, Shabnam Singhal and V.N. Dalmias with his daughter author Himani Dalmia. Klove boys – Gautam and Prateek who have collaborated with JJ Valaya for a new line of lighting and glass installations partied with Sumant Jaikishen amongst others.