The rise and rise of Jaywalking

If you live in India and are into streetwear, you must recognise this guy 

This is Jay Jajal, the founder of a very popular streetwear brand called Jaywalking. 

Born and raised in Mumbai, he comes from a family of clothes makers: His father is a pattern cutter, his mother works with textiles, and his sister is a womenswear designer. “I knew that someday I would have my own fashion brand,” he says. However, while his family specializes in formal attire and traditional wedding garments, Jajal knew from a young age that he wanted to do something a little different. He launched Jaywalking in 2019 with the hope of bringing a more unexpected, detail-oriented approach to casual attire. He sells exclusively through his Instagram, and customers can scroll through the patchwork bombers and jackets splattered with paint. 

Jaywalking’s aesthetic is full of attitude, rebellion and the kind of fluidity that offers space for experimentation. Talking about what led him towards design, he says that design is all he knows — the act of breaking and creation comes naturally to him. Steered by impatience to understand the how and why of art, pushed him further in the field. He explains, ‘It’s just beautiful how something priceless to some, is trash to others. What attracts me the most is the freedom that comes when you choose art. I will always choose art.’

Since he was driven so deeply by fashion, Jaywalking was always in the making. All he had to do was gather a little spunk and determination to take the leap, which he managed to achieve about two years ago. Talking about the journey, he adds, ‘I was in Singapore finishing my bachelors, feeling sad and jealous of how there was always this conversation around brands and culture in their country. Coming back, I sort of knew what we were lacking — an original culture of our own which was more inclusive, more scattered. 

Fashion has always been a more easier and more commercial way to put forth a message.’  In terms of its core philosophy, the label’s only constant is change. Persistently evolving, Jay’s label is unique, it doesn’t rely on mainstream validation and they believe in building a clear channel of communication with the audience. The designer further believes in motivating young artists to blossom into their own and not be robotic in their endeavours.