HAIR AND MAKE-UP: ASHIMA KAPOOR128 VOGUE INDIA JULY 2016 http://www.vogue.in
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idea of India characterised by wisdom,
justice, injustice, fear, courage, com-
passion,violence, transcendence, cor-
ruption, humanity, inhumanity, spir-
it and spirituality.We have all these
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are different yet exact in what they
represent.There is great aesthetic value
but, more importantly, en Inde
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a totem pole of our times. What
does your jewellery signify?
A sign of the times—the zeitgeist and a
hidden quest for individuality. In a
world of fast fashion, en Inde strives
for balance and focus on the value of
handmade luxury. Also imagery—of
our culture, past and present—must
speak of power and strength. Adorn-
ment is essential to project that image.Your jewellery is more in the
realm of artefacts that mimic the
natural world and not there
simply to adorn a body; it couldvery well adorn a space, a home.
Was this intentional?
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spiration. A yearning to connect with
that energy is what drives me to create
pieces that evoke a sense of that eter-
nal sensuality, akin to emotions you
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cent church or are face-to-face with a
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an obsession with all things that show
a high level of craft paired with simple
emotions. As an architect I feel space a
lot. Light, sound, taste, scent, feel and
peace all play an inherent part in my
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that my pieces could adorn spaces too.Why are ancient cultures like
Africa and India such an impor-
tant part of your narrative?
I am from India. I have travelled and
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don, New York, Switzerland and New
Delhi. My travel and studies in art and
architecture made one thing very
clear—all indigenous tribes have a
similar language of rituals, rhythms,
symbols, materials and techniques
that I mimic often. I also enjoy the tal-
ismanic effect of mirrored surfaces
used in many nomadic cultures and
that is why I use stainless steel to
achieve that. I want to create a lan-
guage that can be understood by all
cultures, similar to music.On the one hand en Inde exudes
ancient mysticism and on the
other meticulously proffers
modern architectural thoughts,
perhaps even practices. How do
you marry the two with zero
friction?
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When I was 15, I visited the Jantar
Mantar in Jaipur and was mesmerised
by the combination of mathematics
and art. So when I studied architecture
in Manchester, proportions and geom-
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Louis Kahn and Le Corbusier helped
me create a contemporary narrative. Q
Available at Le Mill in Mumbai and
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rous man is decoration,” said British
archaeologist Archibald Campbell Car-
lyle. Jewellery, now, is not just a curio
from bygone days, or sparkly, excessive
trinkets of pleasure. Like art, it is met-
aphorical, full of symbolism and con-
templation, signifying our need not
only to capture the essence of beauty
but also to throw light on the convic-
tions of our times.
So imagine the gargantuan task of
selling handcrafted jewellery in jute
and steel to a country obsessed with
gold and diamonds. After all, to buy
into the en Inde leitmotif—patwa, an
ancient technique of winding thread in
tribal jewellery in India—one has to be
sophisticated in mind and mindful-
ness, calling on somewhat of a para-
digm shift in the way we choose to
adorn ourselves. Anupama Sukh Lal-
vani, creative director and co-founder,
helps us dig deeper.What, according to you, is the
meaning behind this line?
7KHUH LV QR VHFUHW PHDQLQJ ,W·V P\‘Broken’ leather, jute and steel
necklaces; all en Inde. Cotton-
blend terry wrap bikini top
(worn as blouse), Lisa Marie
Fernandez. Pebble grid
linen sari, AnavilaJute and
black
thread
necklaceOn Leno: ‘Negra’
necklace, en Inde
Pre-draped linen.
sari, Rishta by
Arjun SalujaWorldMags.net