Radhika Tandon, a former attorney, quit her day job to pursue her passion for jewellery-designing full time. She was backed in this endeavour by her sister-in-law Gauri Tandon. The duo began “Isharya” in 2004 and within three years, it's considered among the most sought after jewellery brands in America. The turning point for the duo occurred in 2007 when their collection got a full-page feature in a leading fashion magazine.
Their accessories have been adorned by celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Selena Gomez, Drew Barrymoore, Duffy, Eva Longoria Parker, Gossip Girl, Hayden Panettiere, Hilary Duff, Jessica Simpson, Jessica Szohr, Linda Evangelista, Lisa Rinna, Lucy Liu, Melanie Brown and Vanessa Williams.
Their jewellery is predominantly Indian in its style and aestheticism. “Our jewellery is mostly fusion. There are some pieces that are distinctly Indian but we design them in a way that'll make it more wearable for Westerners. It shouldn't be too busy. Our jewellery is for the modern woman who can wear jewellery from day to night.” The duo began Isharya because they “saw a void in the market for quality Indian jewellery”. The creative process, for Radhika, is a fun-filled one. “Coming up with different concepts for us is not a tedious job, but a nice challenge. Every year, Gauri and I decide on four big concepts. Each of our pieces is unique and we get ideas from whatever that catches our eye while we travel or research. We love working with resin and rare stones,” Radhika explains.
Radhika considers Isharya a trend-setter “We are inspired by our creativity. Whatever we create for our clients is something we must also wear.” Though Isharya has made its presence felt in America, it's essentially inspired by traditional Indian jewellery. “We've grown up in India and hence have a fair idea of Indian jewellery. We re-interpret our jewellery in a modern way.”
From a small organisation, Isharya is now available at four to five hundred stores across America, West Asia, Europe, Japan and Russia. “We can now confidently claim that Isharya is a global brand. We decided to launch in India only a year ago because earlier the markets here weren't open to new ideas. Today, Indians are beginning to accept branded fashion wear.”
“Isharya is for the confident and well-travelled woman, who is also aware of trends. The only fact that ought to be borne in mind is that jewellery is an accessory, it completes a look, but it's not to overpower.”
Isharya's spring-summer collection is available at Collage, No 21/1, Wood Street, Ashoknagar. For more details call, 25566818
