JJ Valaya reimagines the Maharaja of Kapurthala’s life, shaped by travel into a bag edit

JJV Kapurthala, the bridge-to-luxury label from The House of JJ Valaya, recently introduced its Autumn/Winter 2025 Bags Collection. Rooted in the signature ethos of travel and exploration, the 2025 line reimagines heritage textiles through sculptural silhouettes, print techniques, heritage-inspired motifs and couture-grade craftsmanship.

“This collection is rooted in a personal return to Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala — not as a royal archetype, but as a cultured global citizen. His life, shaped by travel and vision, felt especially relevant today. For Autumn/Winter 2025, I wanted to translate that world with restraint, to create bags that carry history with ease and feel instinctively modern. This is evolution, not nostalgia. Each bag begins with a form, often inspired by architecture or function. From there, it becomes a conversation between design and craft. Pattern-makers, leather artisans and finishers work in close collaboration, refining every detail by hand,” JJ Valaya begins.

The edit is deliberately concise, comprising six bags: The Top Handle Bag, The Clutch Bag, Micro Bag, The Bucket Tote Bag and The Dual Wristlet.

“Restraint, to me, is the most contemporary form of luxury. Each silhouette, from top handles and clutches to micro forms, crossbody bags and bucket totes, has been designed with intention and purpose. These are pieces meant to move seamlessly through everyday life, rather than exist as isolated statements. The collection is firmly rooted in our house codes, such as the phoenix and architectural references drawn from the Mansard rooflines of the Kapurthala Palace,” the designer shares.

The collection also features our Shifting Leaves Chevron, a refined monogram and solid colourways that form the core of the range. “Additionally, three limited-edition styles introduce more expressive, contemporary prints drawn from our A/W ’25 Collection, Satt, offering a sharper, more graphic dialogue within the edit,” he adds.

Material is where the soul of a bag truly reveals itself. The fashion house has worked with premium leathers (smooth, grained and textured) selected for their ability to age gracefully. “Certain styles incorporate a saffiano-finish canvas to achieve structure without weight. All hardware is custom-designed in light gold and nickel,” he reveals.

₹13,500 onwards. Available online.