For most designers, the process of creating a collection is rather structured. First, there’s the ideation and sketches, then the creation of the mood board, that include the colours, the textures, the motifs, and finally the execution. However, the 24-year-old Samriddhi Balasubramaniam chooses to go with instinct, letting her imagination and (dare we say) mood of the day decide her design for the next piece of jewellery. “As a student of fashion, my own process irks me sometimes. But, I think uniformity is slightly overrated. Sometimes, not overthinking and overcomplicating things can give rise to something beautiful,” offers the creative head and founder of the Chennai-based Instagram brand Unbaked — that is fast gaining popularity for its statement polymer clay jewellery.
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Fascinated by the endless design possibilities of polymer clay (a raw material that can be worked on for long periods of time without drying out), the fashion graduate from Symbiosis, Pune had initially started her venture in 2019. But, it wasn’t until the coronavirus-induced lockdown that Samriddhi decided to pursue designing jewellery, full time. “After working as a designer for sustainable brands (Chennai-based Brass Tacks and Bengaluru-based Quancious) for the last three and a half years, I realised that the market has many designers that work on sustainable clothing. But there aren’t too many who work with jewellery.”
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All drops by Unbaked are weekly and limited edition, with six to eight pieces a batch.
The brand attempts to discourage the use-and-throw culture and encourages customers to swap or thrift old pieces.
All of the packing material is sourced mindfully, and Samriddhi is working on switching to acid-free paper and soy-based inks.
While handmade jewellery is not a novelty in India, this boho-chic avatar is certainly a twist on the craft. ”In the Indian market, clay jewellery is often ornate and ethnic-leaning,” explains Samriddhi. Modern and minimal, Unbaked’s repertoire offers an entire gamut of whimsical earrings like rainbow studs to more refined, classy geometric silhouettes with an almost marble-like finish — and they are influenced by the designer’s everyday life. This inspiration is quite evident in the brand’s latest capsule called Vicarious Womxn. “This capsule is special to me because it echoes common sentiments and the frustration we all have towards 2020.” A limited-piece edit, the line features faces of women at a music festival decked up with a flower barrette, on vacation with a floppy hat and even on a brunch date with her girls.
Rs 600 onwards. unbaked.shop