Inspired by gypsies and Bohemian tribes, Nomadic Nights is the name of the line that the New York-based label Deepa Gurnani is bringing to the city. As a combined effort of Indian born and New York-based husband-wife duo Jay Lakhani and Deepa Gurnani, the label was launched earlier in 2006 in NYC. Both are designers and have a background in fashion and jewellery designing. The label in 2016 diversified into two separate brands to cater to different global customers. While Deepa Gurnani remains a luxury brand, the new one Deepa by Deepa Gurnani focuses more on chic and easy-to-wear pieces. The same year, they also released a hand embroidered line with Swarovski crystals based on the works of 1920’s Russian artist Erté . “We are coming to the city for the second time and our jewellery can be teamed up with all kinds of attire,” says Jay.
Keeping dark colours, they have used the Swarovski crystals to add shine to the pieces. A collection of 40 pieces of bracelets, earrings, necklaces and hair accessories has taken them about three to four months of planning. “We are working with crystals, glass and resin from Italy that have also been hand-painted for this collection, along with semi-precious stones like Labradorite, Amethyst and Quartz from Jaipur.”
The Cleopatra necklace is their biggest seller besides their statement earrings with a fringe and tassles. While the jewellery pieces are made in New York, hand embroidered aari and zardosi work are done at their manufacturing unit in Mumbai. “We work with at least 500 different elements in our collections and making sure we reproduce the exact same item every time is a huge task,” says Jay. The design might be intricate, but the pieces are light and versatile.
With 10 years of experience in the business, they are sold in outlets worldwide, including United States, London, Paris, Germany, the Middle East, Australia and Japan. “We are planning to launch a line of handbags and open flagship Deepa Gurnani stores in India over the next two years,” shares Jay Lakhani.
`1,500. At Amethyst, Royapettah.