Kiran Majumdar Shaw, Malini Ramani and Sundari Khan love this new accessory, and if that isn't enough, French designer Daniel Jouvance paid royalty to the designer for a specially made one. A creation of well-known jewellery designer Amrita Hans, jewelled scarf-necklaces have captured the imagination of fashionistas.
Made out of a combination of silk, semi-precious stones, wood and even leather, the scarves come in simple designs for everyday wear and dazzling designs for festive occasions. “I use many elements to design my scarves: semi-precious stones, fabric, wood, shells, etc,” says Amrita.
It was when she was alone in office trying to conceive of an interesting design that Amrita created these scarves, “I was working on a scarf wondering what elements I could add to it to make it more appealing. One thing led to another, and I finally made 10 samples of jewelled-scarf necklaces. I wore one of the samples and a lady liked it so much that she pulled it off my neck and wore it. That's when I decided to design more such jewelled scarves.”
Amrita learned the technique of stringing necklaces on the job, from the craftsmen who work for her, not from any fancy jewellery designing courses. She doesn't use conventional stringing techniques for her jewellery. Amrita's passion for design developed from an early age. She wanted to pursue a course in designing from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). But an early marriage put paid to that dream. The designer in her could not be suppressed for long. “I used to design for friends and family. After some years, my first exhibition was held in Paris. My husband supported me in this endeavour,” says Amrita. She went on to host several consulate exhibitions in Delhi, and soon branched out on her own.
Her next milestone was the Delhi Fashion Week, “I am glad accessories were given more importance than garments in DFW,” she says with a smile. But it was Amrita's first exhibition held at the Indian Merchant Chambers in Mumbai that remains one of her most cherished moments, “It was an inspiring experience. There was such a mad rush in my stall, it led to a stampede!” she gushes.
Amrita is a spontaneous designer who loves to jazz up accessories. “I just pick up a piece, creatively add some elements to it, and then the whole story comes together. And I always manage to design a particular look,” Amrita says. Do ideas come easily to her? Amrita quips, “It can be a blank for days while on some days I have bursts of creativity during which, once I start designing an accessory, I just can't stop.”
Bangalore has a special place in Amrita's heart, “I love this city because I grew up here.”
She has a studio at Lajpat Nagar in Delhi. Her jewellery is available at the Ffolio store on Vittal Mallya Road and at Kahawa at Cunningham Road. Call 9844012304
For further details, email: elements@amritahans.com
