"At that time too, I knew that if I had to do something out of my comfort zone, it couldn't be floozy. It had to be credible. We have a 27-year-old design legacy, after all. I told my publicists to call the harshest of critics. The art world has members like a pack of wolves. They see fashion as frivolous anyway. So, I sought their opinion. Thankfully, they loved the show." Despite decades of success in fashion design, validation from the learned lot about his photography skills was gratifying for Valaya, who then released a second exhibition on architecture.

Amin Jaffer, writer-historian

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The Punjabi word for dyer, Lalaari, talks of man receiving life like a blank fabric. Like a dyer, adding colour to it. For Valaya, the exhibit is about telling the story of people, who he is obsessed with. "I stare a lot, people-watch. I like to feel their energies. Thank God nobody minds. They think I am an artist, and I get away with it. It's the energy and aura of a person that makes them. When I was deciding who I will photograph, I sent the selected lot a giant, personal questionnaire, so as to align myself with what they were thinking. In the end, the people in the show, where chosen because of where they were from, and how I felt about them.

JJ Valaya

I have photographed some of my domestic helps, my long-time tailor as well as well known names, like Amin Jaffer!" All photographs are in the old-school portraiture style, including those of Leila hotel group heiress Aishwarya Nair, cinematographer Avani Rai, mountaineers Tashi and Nungshi Malik and model Rabanne Victor. Valaya says, for Lalaari, he used his experience of 30 years in textile, craft, embroideries and furniture design to explore the subtle nuances of the subjects. In some cases, the frame itself, plays an important role and is an intrinsic part of the narrative. He adds that he has been inspired by the decorative arts including Christian iconography and the classical Tanjore paintings. At the end of it, it is about making the subjects feel special. "I think all of us should have a superior belief in ourselves. For me, no matter where we come from, we are all royalty."

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