For someone who makes ornate, one-of-a kind jewellery, Lakshmi Sreenivasan is remarkably subdued and minimalistic — tiny gold studs and a slim ring her only accessories. “I hardly ever wear my own pieces,” laughs the design graduate from the National Institute of Fashion Technology who left her corporate job in the U.S. to start her signature line BeadnWeave.
“I always loved stringing beads together and would do so in my spare time,” she says. “I then decided that I wanted to work with metal and took a course in metal smitheryand jewellery making.”
Talking about her designs, Lakshmi, who works mostly with brass, copper and silver, says, “I wanted to revive old traditional designs that were originally created in gold by the karigars of yore and give it a modern twist. Also, since I am working with semi-precious metals and not gold, they become more affordable,” she says.
Besides her own collection, she also sources old antique jewellery, attempting to modernise and bring them back to life. Calling it her revival collection, she says, “It is as good as new by the time I finish with it. We come from such a rich culture withvibrant traditions. I want to preserve that.”
She draws inspiration, she says, from almost anything she sees and experiences, “From goddesses, festivals, antiques, and various cultures,” she says, adding that she uses a variety of techniques and only works with natural materials such as textile, wood, coral, and semi-precious stones in her jewellery.
“Every piece of mine has been painstakingly handcrafted and requires a lot of time and effort. But it is worth it — after all, jewellery has to talk,” she says.
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