May 4, 2007
Future Indian Jewellery Design Is In Good Hands!
Posted by Hardika Panchal under Diamonds, India, JewelleryThe future of the Indian jewellery industry is in good hands – at least in design terms. Jewellery design institutes in Mumbai recently held their annual exhibitions showcasing graduating students’ jewellery collections. I visited three – the Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery (IIGJ), the Indian Institute of Jewellery (IIJ) and the Jasani Department of Jewellery Design and Manufacture (JDM) (the S.N.D.T Women’s University’s jewellery division) – and was pleasantly surprised.
The new designers seem to be brimming with fresh ideas and, most importantly, in sync with contemporary fashion. The students were given full creative freedom in choosing themes and materials and the result was impressive. Popular jewellery designer and gemologist Farah Khan, who inaugurated the exhibition at the IIGJ, was delighted with the creativity and style quotient in the designs. The collections at the IIGJ were inspired by modern-day international trends; students at the IIJ experimented with different accessories while the JDM’s collections were based on unique themes.
Moulin Rouge Collection
I have to say, however, that the IIGJ seemed to stand out – most of the work I saw was not just classy, but also up to international design standards. With themes like moulin rouge, dream catcher, tattoo, pop art and supernova among others, these collections reflected world fashion. On the other hand, students of the IIJ broke out of the mould by fashioning jewellery with other accessories like clutches, money pins, belt buckles, wristbands and even a pair of slippers, a trend that is fast emerging on the global style circuit, with studded mobile phones, belts and the like becoming a must-have on every fashionista’s list.
Tattoo Collection
What I’m happy about is that these institutes let students develop their own individual styles. That individuality is key to developing a creative process that doesn’t simply follow but steps out to set fashion trends.
