Amrapali@Amethyst will showcase its “India Adorned” collection as part of the many events lined-up for the launch of the World Crafts Council conference in Chennai on Sunday. Famous for taking Indian jewellery to fashion capitals in the world, Amrapali’s clients include Hollywood stars, pop icons and royal families. In an interview to MetroPlus , Amrapali’s CEO Tarang Arora speaks about the collection for the WCC show, his recent collaboration with Manish Arora for the Paris Fashion Week and dreams of establishing a museum for silver artefacts. Here’s a quick five:
1. THE NEW LINE The collection for Chennai includes gold and silver ornaments encrusted with stones. The jewellery market these days has become so diamond-centric. We want to change that by experimenting with good-looking, quality coloured stones. Also, at Amrapali, jewellery is more art than commodity. So the pieces are painstakingly crafted, keeping in mind traditional nuances and techniques. The collection features many pieces with tanzanite, rubies and sapphires. The stones are sliced flat. So they look big and beautiful. Both our prêt and couture lines will be on show at the WCC fare at ITC Grand Chola, Guindy, from October 7 to 10.
2. PARIS CORNER It was the coming together of the regal and the quirky when Amrapali collaborated with design ace Manish Arora for his Spring/Summer 2013 show at Paris Fashion Week. We updated many pieces from our archives with a contemporary colour palette, interesting settings and a fresh take on Meenakari. The collection proved how tradition can be revitalised. It became a big hit and we carved our own little niche in Paris fashion circles!
3. SILVER SPELL When my dad Rajiv Arora and uncle Rajesh Ajmera, founders of Jaipur-based Amrapali, decided to turn the spotlight on silver ornaments of India, they collected some rare pieces. Over the years, the collection has served as a window to the past as far as designs, motifs and techniques are concerned. Amrapali plans to open a museum featuring silver ornaments and artefacts sometime in the near future. It will certainly throw light on our culture and jewellery traditions.
4. PASSION NOTE Amrapali was built from scratch. It is passion that drives the brand. And it is the same passion that we see in our craftsmen. We have gone to remote villages of Rajasthan to identify talent and nurture them. We try to use less machine work as far as the creation of our pieces are concerned. There’s nothing that can match the luxury and unique beauty of handskill.
5. FUTURE STOCK Though Amrapali has a host of business plans on the anvil, we will be focussing on more fashion-related collaborations and participation in fashion weeks. Thanks to the growing popularity of desi designs, international designers are now turning to India for inspiration.
