Jewellery designer Vasundhara Mantri looks back at her almost two-decade design journey, catering to the woman of ‘now’, with an eye on the future. A chat with us.

Congratulations on a mammoth journey in designing jewellery which is nearing two decades. How has it been? What has been your biggest takeaway from it?

My journey has been a really fulfilling one — creatively and personally. It has helped me realise many aspects about myself. Where I am today is only because of the continuous support of my family, friends, friends from the industry and my clients who helped me build the brand.
This journey has taught me a lot and given me the drive to grow and evolve continuously, and my biggest takeaway from it is to believe and trust in your own creativity. Nothing is more attractive than originality. Being low-key and humble can take you a long way if your product is unique and quality is always the key. Know every process and step to achieve the best outcome and always be open to criticism.

What were you like as a designer in the initial years? Who did you design for?

Initially when I started off, the landscape was not competitive. Creativity was free-flowing, one could think and conceptualise without inhibitions and the process was fluid. People were open to many kinds of styles and concepts. In the current times, people are exposed to worldly trends, everything in vogue and all things new and incoming.
In the initial days, everything mostly started off by retailing from our flagship store and then designing for big fashion designers like Anamika Khanna, Kiran Uttam Ghosh, and the learning process has been a very fulfilling and educative one.

What were the aesthetics of the women who bought from you 20 years back like?

Fashion as a concept did not exist as a wide subject back then; people would either be drawn towards fine jewellery or imitation jewellery. The women were unaware of this segment and a midway segment was what was missing. Women were graceful, they gravitated more towards pearls, diamonds, gold, usually the classic and the evergreen.

How has the same woman changed?

The women of today have evolved, have been exposed to more, have travelled the world and the overall fashion sense has evolved. They have become experimental, and are slowly driven towards sustainable and minimalist fashion. The classic, however, always and will remain classic!

Your design language too has changed a lot. What brought about the distinct shift?

As we grow, we learn new things and keep evolving with and around the market. First, showcasing at the fashion weeks did bring about the shift, it made me think out of the box and helped push the creative boundaries. Second, being more aware of the trends, the changing fashion around the globe, new materials and techniques has nurtured the shift. It has made me believe that continuous learning is the way forward.

Who do you cater to now?

Our designs and style mostly caters to the women who enjoy being classic yet experimental at the same time. From niche products to artistic styles, the brand stands by timeless styles and also the idea of design being ever evolving and experimental for all those who enjoy the idea of it.

Vasundhara: Creative Jewellery is very different from ‘An Interaction’. What kind of dialogues are the two generating?

Vasundhara: Creative Jewellery experiments with textured metals to create an entire different assortment of jewellery. The collections incorporates the use of enamel, and meshes made of pearls and other coloured stones and chains. Plain metal and silver with semi-precious coloured stones are set in different designs and styles, each ornament a pleasure to wear, which adds joy to every occasion. The impeccable setting and detailed craftsmanship reflected in each piece enhances the beauty of the collection.

‘An Interaction’ focuses on being limited edition and our target audience are the people who like experimental jewellery, who understand art and love the idea of something unique, handcrafted using various techniques and mediums.
The brand is inspired by surreal art forms and the concept of energy. Wearable art must follow its own journey. As it is created, it is imbibed with an energy which eventually passes on to the person who will wear it. Each piece thus has its unique, predetermined purpose. The segment of art jewellery is still unexplored in the Indian market and the idea is to tap into it and keep exploring.

Are you having the most fun now?

The kind of fun in the initial years was a different kind of challenge, it was mostly focusing on creating a market. Now, it is pushing my own boundaries and it is never any less fun!

How different is it designing for the modern woman?

It is a challenging process, as people are more aware of the styles and trends, there is more competition and options for the same kind of products, hence to churn out new innovative designs is definitely a challenge. It is an equally fulfilling process and has helped in the creative growth.

If you could pick one muse for your kind of jewellery, who would it be and why?

Natasha Poonawalla (executive director, Serum Institute of India), I would say. She is a multifaceted personality and I have always admired and appreciated her sense of styling and her poise at carrying everything she adorns.

Rapid fire

Five multipurpose pieces that every woman should have....

Hoop earrings — a definite must-have!

Layered necklaces — an absolute staple.

Chunky chokers

Cocktail rings

Long dangling earrings