‘Boss lady’ — that’s the impression you get when you speak to Joita Sen. As the Director and Head of Marketing and Design at Senco Gold and Diamonds, one of India's leading jewellery brands, she exudes passion for her work. Creative, focused and innovative, Joita is also the mastermind behind popular sub-brands like Gossip and Everlite. On the eve of International Women’s Day, My Kolkata had a candid chat with this alumna of St. Xavier’s College and Presidency University about her journey so far — her learnings, creative process and more. Edited excerpts follow…
My Kolkata: The year 2024 marks 15 years since you joined the company. Looking back, how do you see your journey so far? Any memorable memories that stand out?
Joita Sen: You never give up learning in life, do you? The past 15 years have been a journey of learning, challenges, growth, evolution and innovation — marked by significant milestones. If I look back, a roadmap has been created over the years.
One of my most memorable moments was during my first week of work, when I was mentored by my father-in-law, Shankar Sen. Walking into his office, I saw he had a tray full of colourful gemstones, which I was supposed to sort. For me, that was really something because it meant he trusted me enough, and it signalled the beginning of my journey. Those gemstones were to be procured for the company. Depending on my decision, we would buy those stones. After I was done, he guided and corrected me. For me, that memory really stands out.
You are the director and head of marketing and design of one of the leading jewellery brands in the country. What does a day in your life look like?
A day in my life is extremely hectic because I also give priority to my family. I try to spend my mornings with my children as much as possible — waking up early and getting my kids ready, and then, sending them to school. Then I take a little time for myself to plan my day and connect with myself. From 9am, work calls begin and I get busy with work. I also organise everything at home before leaving for the office. I usually try to keep an hour or two in the evening or weekends for my friends and my girl gang.
Joita Sen with her husband Suvankar Sen at a Senco event
The company has launched several collections under your leadership and a sub-brand like ‘Gossip’. Could you describe the creative process behind these initiatives?
When I joined, I noticed that there were a lot of college children who would come to the shops with their moms. At that age, you are more interested in silver and fashion jewellery than gold. That’s when I decided to launch ‘Gossip’, so that we can cater to all age groups. Following that we launched ‘Everlite’, another sub-brand, providing trendy jewellery for a younger demographic. And that is how the sub-brand, Everlite, was born.
Senco’s Vivaah collection has appealing designs that appear bold but are lightweight
When it comes to the creative process, we take inspiration from the trends around us, and sometimes we identify a trend before it becomes one. That is the first process, followed by R&D and designing. The creative process is very challenging. Sometimes it comes out very easily on paper, but it may not come out as well when you try to manufacture it. Sometimes you are also creating new techniques of making items, which is different from the traditional one. Then comes the part where you speak to the karigar and explain it, followed by putting it on the counter and creating a campaign around it.
Which is your all-time favourite collection?
My favourite collection from Senco is our ‘Vivaah’ collection. I love earrings, and we have an amazing collection of lightweight laser earrings. I like it because the designs are very appealing and for the weight, they look really big. Also, the Ginkgo collection, from the sub-brand Everlite, holds a special place in my heart. Its design reflects a beautiful story — the Ginkgo tree is known for its longevity and symbolises good health and prosperity. The collection’s design — transitioning from a lighter to a darker colour — is truly interesting.
Senco’s Women’s Day jewellery collection
How do you balance meeting consumer needs and creating new products simultaneously?
Sometimes it is the trends that dictate a large part of our collections and our creative process. Striking the balance is understanding what the customer wants, and then designing accordingly, also giving your designers the creative freedom where they come up with their own designs. Inspiration is all around us. Between following trends and having the creative freedom, we create something unique that stands out because we have a diverse customer base.
What are your learnings from a collection that outperforms or underperforms?
When a collection does well, it is a combination of many things — placement of the collection, the design, the thought behind the campaign and that it resonates with a large group of people. You take notes from what worked and what did not and analyse. You improve or sometimes, you let it go. The best part about the collections is that you usually get a huge learning experience from it. And you continue with what is working.
How do preferences in cities differ when it comes to jewellery design and aesthetics?
In cities like Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai, there is a rising demand for everyday fine jewellery among the working women, who appreciate innovative modern designs. In other cities, traditional designs and light weight jewellery are popular. Design preferences are of course influenced by cultures and traditions. But emerging out of that are some designs that have a pan-India appeal.
In metropolitan cities, working women and women across all professions, as well as youngsters, prefer lightweight jewellery for everyday wear. International trends have a big influence on our jewellery designs.
Senco’s Ginkgo collection
Can you share your efforts in supporting women’s empowerment, gender diversity and LGBTQIA+ inclusion at work? What are your future plans in this aspect?
In our organisation, it works in different phases. We emphasise equality right from the hiring process, focusing on qualifications and capabilities rather than gender. We have many women managers, and their perspective is very important in our company. Our growth is based on capability rather than gender. Even in the top management, every department has almost equal numbers of men and women.
We also believe in giving equal opportunities to the members of the LGBTQIA+ community, because we value talent and capability. We have members of the community working within our organisation at different levels and across departments. We also believe in going out of our way to employ people with disabilities. We train them with basic system management. Our CSR initiatives also include skill training for women to empower them and their families.
Looking ahead, we believe the future is now, right? You have to start somewhere. And we have already started. We’re committed to turning our words into actions.
Rings from the Women’s Day collection and (right) Ribbon collection. Joita Sen’s chic and stylish designs for working women showcase the entrepreneur’s minimalist fashion aesthetics
Tell us about your other passions.
I don’t get time to indulge in all my passions, but I love to bake. I’m also quite innovative in the kitchen when it comes to cooking for my kids. Travelling is another passion, as it inspires my work. And of course, I’m deeply passionate about my work and designing.
On International Women’s Day, what is your message to all those women who are making their mark in their own ways?
I have always believed in setting short-term goals within long-term goals, and it is okay to fail along the way. What is important is to learn from the failures and continue at it, because the only thing that really works for us is to keep going and never give up. If you are passionate about something, you will always find a way.