For ace designer JJ Valaya, this isn’t his first rodeo with the Oscar-winning costume designer, Ruth Carter. Their association began a few years ago when her team was looking for an Indian collaborator to work on costumes for Coming to America, starring Eddie Murphy. Collaborating for the second time with Ruth and her team, the designer recently created costumes for Marvel’s Black Panther. Working tirelessly for over a period of eight months, the process for queen Ramonda’s costumes involved immense back and forth, constructing special fabrics, techniques and prints to attain what the costumier had in mind for the character. We’re in conversation with the designer who sheds light on the research work involved, his process, and more.
Tell us about the collaboration?
There’s a wonderful chemistry between Ruth and myself which is so special. So obviously the initial thoughts and ideas always come from Ruth because she has to look at the holistic overview of the film at large. Wakanda is a fictional African nation, so the motive and everything were loosely based on the Mayan culture as well as African influencers, but putting it all together involved a lot of back and forth between Ruth and I, and eventually we came down to the exact look that we wanted to work on, and of course I am glad that everything worked out so perfectly.
Essentially, Black Panther is a movie where the only opportunity where one really gets to create the kind of clothes we do is for Queen Ramonda. The rest of the look is fairly futuristic or semi casual. But when it comes to Queen Ramonda, and especially in Wakanda Forever, where she is now the queen and she has to appear authoritative and take hardstands, it was very important to kind of reflect the character in that way. So we worked on seventy percent of all of Queen Ramonda's looks in the film. The simpler pieces — I think there were two or three casual/ simpler pieces — were handled by Ruth herself out of LA. But we actually sat down and kind of worked in extreme detail on how to create the aura that the Queen needs when she's taking control of the kingdom.
What kind of research did you have to undertake?
We worked on this collection for nearly eight months, but it involved a lot of to and fro, and a lot of R&D. We were working very closely with Ruth's Studio in Los Angeles and creating specialised fabrics, specialised techniques, design, prints, and to make sure that the palette of the look and feel is very similar to what Ruth had in mind for the entire film. We are all about craftsmanship, which is why Ruth came to us. She recognised that we have a skill which is unique, and she respected that and honoured that.
There is no place like India when it comes to exquisite craftsmanship, but in this particular case, three processes were involved. Identifying and developing some special fabrics; working on a wonderful surface through the medium of prints, so the creation of prints themselves; and of course, the embellishment process, the signature Valaya Ethos that is resplendent from extremely fine thread work used with antique stones, vintage metals, subtle glitter so that it looks almost museum like, and not like something new and brash.
What do you think is the most challenging part of costume design, as opposed to regular garment making?
I think the primary difference that I noticed was, besides of course the professionalism, the humility and the respect, and I think that completely changes the energy of a situation when you are working together on something absolutely wonderful. I have often missed that because I've noticed in India, success does seem to go to everyone's head much faster, which starts reflecting in one's attitude towards others as well, and invariably it affects the energy. But when it comes to working with Hollywood/LA, with Ruth herself, who was an absolutely wonderful person, most humble and respectful, and her team who was very forthcoming, very helpful, extremely meticulous in their planning and detail-oriented, one enjoys the journey. It is not only the feeling of being able to create something wonderful. but also enjoying the entire journey and the constant interaction and the constant sort of to and fro, which only helps in creating something even more wonderful
Finally, what's keeping you busy right now?
The two-year sabbatical that I took was a much needed one, post that of course we had COVID, but we used that with good effect in giving shape to all the plans and ideas which were floating in my mind during my sabbatical. A lot of action has happened since then. Some amazing shows, a brand new baby, the incredible World of Valaya which opened in Delhi, spread between fashion and home, we launched our bridge to luxury line, and a lot of things are in the pipeline. When it comes to projects such as this, the very fact that we have been able to create something for perhaps one of the Hollywood's largest projects for this year, to be able to work with the Academy Award-winning costume designer not for one, but now for my second film, I think there can only be gratitude, no other emotion than gratitude, and absolute joy for many more interesting initiatives in the years to follow.
Text Unnati Saini
Date 07-12-2022