Gone are the days when dainty traditional and silver jewellery made it to your everyday look. Now the buzz is all for clay accessories. Be it the chunky, vibrant rings or the cottage-core-styled earrings, clay designs look adorable and are fashion staples. A few quirky designs can exude a fun quotient to your style.
Anusree Pillai is giving clay jewellery a new life through her online venture ‘Made of Clay’. Her collection includes fruit studs, monstera leaf hoops, daffodils and minimalistic designs with pastel shades. Her exclusive polymer clay accessories have been giving the trend a new dimension.
“When I introduced my clay accessories to Kerala at a flea market, I never thought that it would have any demand. But people readily accepted it. Now, I have a moving crowd in Kerala,” says Anusree, currently settled in Bengaluru. It has been just seven months since the Thiruvananthapuram-native kick-started her dream venture. Imagine if you could wear a beautiful garden filled with roses and daisies to adorn your ears. How about wearing a terrarium-inspired earring, a fruit stud, or a chicken hoop with leaves and flowers stuck on it? Her array of clay accessories has undoubtedly brought nature into fashion in a fun, quirky way.
The designs she creates are mostly cottage-core-styled ones. “I was always into western-styled earrings. Such aesthetics were seriously missing in the Indian market. However, the traditional heavy pieces were in abundance. When I first made a clay earring, it felt so light and weightless. I wanted people out there to experience such a feather-light touch. This thought paved the way for Made of Clay,” says Anusree. The clay blocks are conditioned using a pasta maker. She then uses shape makers to get desired shapes. “If the accessory is laden with detailings, it would take a day to finish. If not, it can be done in 10 minutes,” says Anusree.
Anusree always wanted to start something on her own that would make her feel alive and creative. The MBA graduate resigned from her 9 to 5 job in search of a calling. “I was never into art. However, while doing MBA, I tried freelance photography for a while. However, soon I took a short-term course on clay making in the hope of starting a business. I continue using clay as my medium because it has endless options. And it also helps enhance my creativity,” says the 29-year-old.
Her creations are not just merely eye-catchy. Due to the material used, these are also durable and long-lasting. “It’s bendable. The colour doesn’t fade for at least 10 years. Benefits are many,” adds Anusree. The handcrafted Polymer Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) accessories are nickel-free and hypoallergenic, which is a bonus for sensitive ears. The material she sources is mostly imported. Apart from earrings, she has collections of hair accessories, bracelets, and pendants.
The quartz-like accessories made of translucent clay give a classy and elegant look. These are also one of her best sellers. “Working with clay is therapeutic for me. Waking up everyday to create a new design makes me continue my venture,” says Anusree.
The price of her meticulous work starts fromI 150 and goes up to I1,500. Her husband Jishnu Vediyoor helps her with marketing and packaging.
Instagram: @madeofclay.in