For someone who derives inspiration from ‘mundane details that we encounter everyday’, it’s really quite remarkable how not very ‘everyday’ her design sensibilities are. Worn by everyone from Shilpa Shetty to Sonam Kapoor and listed among the top 10 inventive jewellery designers in the world by the World Gold Council, jewellery designer Suhani Pittie has now released a collection with Swarovski as part of Confluence, their jewellery collective, which features some of the country’s most noted designers. Suhani tells us about what to expect from the collection, the design process and other projects she is involved in.
Where have you drawn inspiration from for the collaboration with Swarovski?
The collection, Unsung Tribes, is a celebration of the indigenous tribal communities of India, their spiritual existence and philosophy of life. We have used metal with Swarovski Crystals to re-tell the untold stories of our past with a fresh perspective. The strong tribal influences of the pieces are beautifully juxtaposed with the edgy elegance of Swarovski Crystals to create genre-defying jewels.
Tell us about the techniques and materials used.
The Dongrias and Banjaras, the tribes of India, are known for their creative use of naturally available elements like leaves, wood, thread and shells for ornamentation. We have drawn upon certain aspects of their ornaments, such as the ghungroo and colourful dori cords, used extremely rustic colours and boldly accentuated the pieces with Swarovski Crystals. The metal used in the collection is 22K gold-plated copper.
Tell us about the whole design process.
Designing is a very personal journey. Once the creative story is set, it is not very difficult to bring the product to life. For this collection, we were very sure about the ‘tribal’ direction we wanted to take as we were completely taken in by their stories, and we wanted to do something that would contrast and enhance the refined Swarovski Crystal. The ideating to drawing took less than four days. The rustic colour palette, the crystal embellishments and the bold design aesthetic fell into place and took the tribal narrative forward.
What are a few key pieces from Unsung Tribes?
The oversized hoop earrings, chunky choker necklaces, cuffs and maangtika-inspired hair accents are luxurious updates to the classic styles. They are perfect for pairing with everything from rich Indian ensembles to contemporary attire.
What are the other projects you are working on?
There are many exciting things in the pipeline for this next quarter like new verticals and portfolio expansion. Personally, I am investing a lot of my time in renewable energy, rural development and administration.
Rs.4,000 upwards. Details: suhanipittie.com