Case Study: Website Design For JJ Valaya — one of India’s top fashion designers
Background
In today’s changing environment, conventional consumer culture has received a digital update, making e-commerce a core component for businesses to work seamlessly.
As one of India’s leading couturiers, JJ Valaya approached DesignAR wanting to launch his website under the name- ‘World of JJ Valaya’, creating a flagship experience that gives a ringside view of the design label’s legacy and portfolio, both as an offline store and through a dedicated online platform.
As a brand and legacy, JJ Valaya believes in accentuating maximalism and sophisticated luxury in his designs. His collections tell a story about royalty in history with his signature prints and patterns. Showcasing him and his versatile approach towards art and design is what his digital presence is all about.
Design Challenge
After a two-year sabbatical, JJ Valaya relaunched his brand with the idea of reviving his works through a website of his own. JJ maintains that the website is essentially an experiential space and it’s not only about selling clothes. He regards his website to be a visual narration of the brand’s history and experiences.
Our team at DesignAR had to curate a website that stayed true to the brand’s ideals-
- Opulence
- Romance
- Legacy
- Royalty
A platform that showcases and well, the master, the muse, and the result. Not only having space for the brand to exhibit their years of excellence but use that as leverage to create an e-commerce platform for sales.
As a couturier, designer, photographer, and artist, JJ’s website should reflect all of his works in a way that ties in with the brand’s mission and vision. His label had established itself well for Indian outfits, and ready-to-wear both for men and women, and wishes to bring modern flavors in their jackets and accessories. JJ emphasizes the need to expand his e-commerce platform to go hand-in-hand with his offline flagship stores.
Thus, our team could now deem his website to be-
- Bespoke
- Extravagant
- Experiential
- Buyer-Friendly
The challenge our team faced was to balance the richness of the designs such that they wouldn’t be heavy on the eyes yet coherent with the brand’s ideals.
The Solution
Translating the essence of JJ Valaya and his vision into a website was what we planned on tackling first. Since they are a cohesive brand, it was essential to offer a holistic and bespoke experience. The focus was not only on fashion and jewelry but also provide services like interior design which would be launched later in the year. JJ also wanted to share his works from his projects for the photographer side of him along with videos and shoots of his events & shows. The website is a multitude of everything JJ and his label stand for.
We used campaign imagery to add to the homepage — the narrative of maharajas, maharanis, opulence, and Indian “regalia”, a signature of the brand, stamped clearly as Valaya, who often photographs the models himself. We added an inspiring story and a mood board with images of textile swatches and historic references for each of his collections to allow the viewers a deep dive into the process behind the product.
One of Valaya’s collections, The Alika, got a makeover as The Ika which was a build-your-own jacket. Here the buyer could custom build a jacket from an array of textiles, borders, and piping. Designing this deftly was important as this jacket was a modern take on an older collection, bringing the audience to see the collection in a new light. Working alongside the strategic facilitators I had to be careful to design the flow of the customization page such that the user can easily build a jacket as per their liking without any restraints.
What Was Delivered
The final website encompasses JJ’s manifestations, personal and professional experiences, his narrative, the brand’s voice, and beliefs. Allowing his products to stand out amidst shoot or event images thus pushing sales. Tying all of this along with his collections using signature Valaya motifs giving users an authentic experience in a seamless way.
- Website Creation- A website that stands by the brand’s guidelines and carries its legacy while promoting steady sales. Optimizing the user’s experience.
- Improve Conversion Rates- Expand on the e-commerce platform, while keeping the romance of the brand alive so that one can actually go through the legacy and see what had happened over the years that have gone by. Highly experiential, very user-friendly, and sales-driven to make the brand reach people globally.
- Content Hierarchy and Information flow- Organise and structurize collections, categories, and navigation for effortless access. Set up for physical and virtual appointments with the store for customizations and consultations.
Learnings
- What we would add: Three-dimensional rendering of each outfit, options that allow zooming into details to gauge embroideries, finer details. This would reassure buyers about the material and its authenticity.
- Designing and curating a website that is cohesive with a well-established brand was more challenging than we anticipated. Staying true to the brand’s ideals and providing that digital authenticity that was expected of it.
- JJ Valaya has 5 collections with 25–50 products each, paving a concise user journey to enable users to comfortably navigate the store was significant.
News & Media
- https://www.vogue.in/fashion/content/jj-valaya-launches-e-commerce-website
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/fashion/designers/jj-valaya-launches-his-virtual-address/articleshow/77874144.cms
- https://www.telegraphindia.com/culture/style/the-virtual-world-of-jj-valaya/cid/1790456
- https://thevoiceoffashion.com/real-shop/store-review/buying-jj-valaya-online-3982
