How JJ Valaya collaborated with Ruth Carter for 18 costumes in 'Coming 2 America'

It is true that the technology has made the world smaller, bringing us closer together, but also opening up channels of creativity. Due to the global lockdown last year, the creative world was quick to respond with its work from home culture, and fashion adapted with virtual runway shows and digital campaigns. For JJ Valaya, the new normal welcomed many changes—he launched his e-commerce website in August 2020 and was even part of India Couture Week’s first-ever virtual show. 

Known for his craft-intensive couture, Valaya also took on a creative collaboration in this time, with Ruth E Carter for the Amazon Original movie Coming 2 America. His designs have always reflected rich craftsmanship, textile explorations and heritage-inspired opulence, which is truly what describes the film as well. In the sequel to the original 1988 film, Prince Akeem Joffer, crown prince of the fictional African nation Zamunda is back, this time in search of his long-lost son. It is an Afro-futurist paradise, filled with royals, courtiers, politicians, citizens and dancers, garbed in luxurious fabrics and ornamentation. 

If you look carefully, a lot of East-Indian influence can be seen in embellished African fabric, considering East Africa and India traded for centuries. To achieve the rich opulence of the royal family, Carter worked with Valaya on 18 outfits and even sourced fabrics from India that bring their vision to life. On his experience about working with the Academy Award-winning costume designer, he tells Vogue, “Being an international project, taking place in the US, all my interactions with Ruth and her team had to be taken up virtually. Having said that, the entire process from designing to curation was extremely seamless”.

We spoke to the designer about the highlights of his first-of-its-kind partnership, experience of working with Carter and his approach towards the craft.

How did the collaboration with Ruth Carter came into being?

"Ruth and her team had been scouting and seeking out numerous designers from all over the world for this glorious period drama. They had been researching and following our work through social media and various other mediums. After extensive research they zeroed in on us from India along with 38 designers worldwide as the House of Valaya has always been synonymous with regality and grandeur and that is precisely what this film is all about, magnificence and panache.

This is my first collaboration with an international artist for a Hollywood movie. If I am not mistaken, this is the first of its kind collaboration of an Indian designer with any mainstream designer of foreign origin or a Hollywood film banner."

Tell us about the experience of working in a film from home. 

“As it happens, we winded up with this project before the pandemic started. Therefore, all the work was curated and undertaken in my factory and not from home. However, due to this being an international project, taking place in the US, all my interactions with Ruth and her team had to be taken up virtually. Having said that, the entire process from designing to curation was extremely seamless. I believe this was due to Ruth and I being on the same page in terms of what this project required and understanding the sensibilities and nuances of all the characters.”

How would you describe the silhouettes, fabrics, colours and crafts used?

“While collaborating with someone of the stature of Academy Award winner, you know the process is going to be tremendously smooth and uninterrupted. They sent us directional sketches for each and every character and in turn, also shared some of our designs which they picked up from our social media that they could relate the plot of the film along with the characters. Hence forth, mating the directions and their selected choices was our end of the deal, wherein, we had the creative liberty of deciding the fabrics, colours, techniques, embroideries and crafts and curating something that magnificently fit this gargantuan feature.”

Do we see nuances of traditional Indian work there or did you have to learn about their indigenous crafts?

“As a matter of fact, everything that you see is India centric and I believe that is what the power of fiction lets you achieve. When you create something purely from your imagination, you are not confined any international borders and that sort of creativity can traverse globally. Even though, the kingdom had a strong African undertone to it, it also had a glorious amalgamation of various cultures which have been depicted in a beautiful manner. Therefore, all the fabrics, embroideries and techniques used are predominantly Indian. Additionally, as this is a fictional set-up of a kingdom called ‘Zamunda’, we had the creative liberty and levy to play around with the level of flamboyance, royalty, and mix it up with a desirable medley of interesting silhouettes.”

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