Synonymous with dressing up grooms for the big fat happy Indian weddings, JJ Valaya is curating an exhibition of rare carpets at The Home of the Traveler located at Sultanpur on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road.
The carpets have been procured from Uzbekistan and other parts of the world. Some are over a century old yet they have been preserved with lot of care, love and perseverance so that generations down the line can either rest their feet on them or take a slow walk enjoying the smoothness of hand crafted carpets. They can also simply take a look or entertain the thought of owning them.
In case fashion lovers and budding designers are thinking what made Valaya, a name to reckon with in the world of fashion, experiment at this stage of his career, read on.
The 40-plus designer, managed to squeeze out time from his hectic schedule to study each and every carpet. “With an enviable collection of 30 carpets, this exhibition is important for me. My credibility is at stake with whatever work I take up. So it was extremely important for me to recommend only the best quality carpets. This private collection belongs to a collector who approached me. In future, we might rope in other private collectors,” says the designer.
Crafted from wool, these carpets are available in interesting colour combinations including oxidised red, green, blue, brown, white, beige, indigo and yellow. Explaining the contours of the exhibition, Valaya said every single piece has been selected by him. “It is a unique and rare private collection.”
A special attraction is an 1890 produced original Caucasian prayer rug with a striped multicoloured field. Kuba Rug is an elegant rug with powerful heraldic designs of eagles and stylised dragons. Baluch Timuri Rug, which is procured from Baluchistan, is available in elegant geometric and shamanic designs. It is woven by tribes living in the Baluch area.
Despite venturing into business of interiors including heavily embroidered expensive carpets, for Valaya fashion continues to be his top most priority.
“I am known across the globe for my garments and fashion journalists keenly follow how I implement ideas into my dresses. However, interior design is also part of my business strategy.”
The collection is available at the store till June 5.
