Though born into a film family (her father is director Sanjay Khan), Farah Khan Ali says, “I was never interested in films. I did try filmmaking; from television to making ad films. I even made a documentary on Hrithik Roshan. I tried interior designing too. But I hadn’t found my calling. When I was in America, I happened to do a course in gemology as I had tagged along with a friend. I ended up doing well and then did a course in jewellery design. One thing led to another.”
Farah, who was in Bengaluru to showcase some of her pieces at UB City, says: “I never planned to be a jewellery designer. I think it was destined.” Farah’s pieces have graced the red carpet at the Oscars, Grammys, and the Golden Globes with celebrities ranging from Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor to Beyonce and Serena Williams wearing them.
To mark 25 years in her design journey, she launched her book, A Bejewelled Life, earlier this year .
“The book isn’t just on my jewellery. It is for designers and people who want to create and inspire. I have taken artworks and photographs that have inspired me and tried to show the process of how inspiration became design. It is also a travelogue where I have covered cities I have travelled to and the inspiration that I draw. I have five worlds of design (showcased in the book): Fluidity, Royal Flair, Nature, Rose and Surreal Vision.”
Stating that she loves working with rubies, emeralds, and diamonds, Farah adds, “I love the colour blue so I work with tanzanite. I like mixing and matching colours.” The jewellery prices start at ₹20,000.
Calling it natural progression, Farah also launched a lifestyle brand, Farah Khan World, which deals with crockery, scarves and so on. “We have also ventured into corporate gifting, cufflinks, wedding hampers and so on. I am working on being a design studio; a one-stop shop for everything, whether it is designing stationery or putting together events,” she says.
Talking about who she would like to wear her pieces, Farah says, “I make jewellery for women who are comfortable in their own skin.”
She adds, “I don’t want jewellery to be kept in the locker. I believe that it looks best when worn.”
