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Sumit Sawhney of Apala and Geetanjali Kasliwal of AnanTaya share the stories of their exquisite creations

Apala specialises in making exquisite pieces of handmade silver jewellery with a touch of modern artisanry, while AnanTaya believes in sustainability to create their furniture and interior accessories

Rohini Chakraborty Published 09.08.23, 10:51 AM
Sumit Sawhney of Apala, Geetanjali Kasliwal of AnanTaya

Sumit Sawhney of Apala, Geetanjali Kasliwal of AnanTaya B. Halder

Artistic Alchemy was a successful second edition of the avant-garde exhibition, where lifestyle brand Kaia brought together jewellery brand Apala and home studio AnanTaya for a three-day pop-up at Taj Bengal recently. Apala specialises in making exquisite pieces of handmade silver jewellery with a touch of modern artisanry, while AnanTaya believes in sustainability to create their furniture and interior accessories. t2 sat down with the two owners for a chat to know more about the brands.

APALA

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1. Your pieces are a statement. What is the key to style statement pieces?

The key to style statement pieces I think is thinking out of the box and unusual combinations. For me, my bolder pieces stand out because of how I mix the opposites, like having a piece which is Victorian-inspired but I add a Mughal twist to it. That kind of fusion, the fusion of old and new, fusions of different art and cultures of the world, reviving Indian manufacturing techniques makes the statement pieces.

2. How are Apala pieces conceived?

The audience conceives Apala as eclectic, wearable, versatile and affordable. Being a designer brand, we specialise in silver with precious gemstones, which are treated as a piece of art or a piece of inheritance for being silver. The pieces are enjoyed as fine bold pieces because of their beauty.

3. How do you see the modern woman buying her jewellery?

I guess a woman should always go for Apala because an Apala piece is an accessory which becomes the focal point of your look and doesn’t require too much working around. It is a piece which would speak its own subtle language, despite being different and bold. At Apala, our jewellery has a very strong design language which stands for a strong aesthetic. Under one roof you will get jewellery of bridal style, work wear, evening wear and others. We do it for fashion mavericks to intellectuals and also for Bollywood divas like Sonam Kapoor and Deepika Padukone to name a few. It’s like everybody can relate to our style and at the same time they are proud to own the pieces. People have started looking at the pieces as an heirloom and they wait for our stuff.

4. Where do you draw your inspiration to make a jewellery piece?

I usually draw my inspiration from my travels or whatever I listen to. I think it’s something which is within, a process which keeps on happening. For example, if I’m listening to sitar or Tibetan chants, the collection would end up with a classical touch or a Tibetan influence. As I’ve studied art, my inspiration has always been art and architecture. For instance, the ceiling of Mysore Palace, door handles, pillars... or an angel with a... trumpet I took inspiration from Venice, which co-incidentally I also found today at the top of the Victoria Memorial in Calcutta. These elements and patterns take form in my jewellery but I add my own style to it.

5. What are your favourite materials to match silver with?

I think gemstones. We use gemstones from all around the world. We have stones like lapis lazuli, which is one of my favourite stones to pair with silver. Other than that we use sapphires, turquoise, rubies, emeralds and all other precious gemstones to make the pieces. I also use wood with silver from time to time. I use acrylic to combine with the gemstones. I also pair miniature paintings with jewellery. For me, texture and quality of a material are very important so in terms of materials, I’m not restricted.

ANANTAYA

1. What kind of changes have you seen in the decor world?

Pre-Covid was a different era I would say, and post-Covid I’m seeing a remarkable change in how people are thinking and buying. I guess post-Covid, people have become very close to who they want to be... live every moment of their lives. They want to consume very conscious and meaningful products which will bring value to their lives. So lots of meaningful decor, which includes modern heirlooms are cherished by the buyers. Even the younger generation is into home decor, they want natural materials to decorate their homes, and they want more earthy and minimalistic products.

2. How are you designing to keep pace with the demands of the new-age homes?

Our designs are multi-purpose. A singular product can be used in five different spaces in five different ways. Like post-Covid, people are using their homes as offices, so our products are such that they are not only for decor but also utility oriented. Being a utility product, the pieces are a treat to the eyes with their excellent craftsmanship and finishing. This is how AnanTaya caters to their needs.

3. How will homes change further?

A lot of technology is going to come in in future and in our products too. For Diwali, we have launched wireless, rechargeable, dimmable lamps which are made of wood, glass and alabaster, which speak the same language as AnanTaya but are also very tech-friendly. So those are the kinds of materials which will integrate a lot of tech, which are recyclable. We are also making things out of multani mitti and paper mache, which are very earthy. It will be inspired more by the day-to-day needs of life.

4. How does sustainability and lifestyle design go hand in hand?

It begins with you as a person. What you choose in your life directly impacts your thinking. So if you get honest natural materials which speak a very high luxury language, that have an effect on the thought. The beauty around you impacts you inside. The materials we use are not carbon intensive and go back to earth very quickly. The products are not impacting the environment as it is not made out of plastic, everything is natural.

5. As your products are repurposed elements, where do you often get the raw materials from?

For wood, we get pre-kilned wood, for castings we use aluminium and for our sculpture boxes, we use papier-mache and multani mitti to sculpt them, which are all repurposed materials.

6. Is sustainability the future in the lifestyle and interior design world?

I think there is no other option. We have explored and used all the resources found on Earth. There’s only so much of dump yards left to create products from. We have to be conscious and we have to live in a way which is mindful of our planet.

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