‘I believe in jewellery that aims to make a statement’
Shillpa Purii is a veteran jewellery designer who graduated from Hong Kong, GIA Gemology and Diamond Assortment. Shillpa has many accolades in her basket, one of them being awarded as the entrepreneur of by FICCI (Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry) in 2012.
In conversation with Guardian 20, Purii speaks about how her designs are different from others in the industry and about current jewellery trends. “Shillpa Purii Designer Jewellery believes in jewellery that creates a statement. We work with a wide range of elements like semi precious stones, shell and baroque pearls, crystals, so forth, which make our jewellery desirable and lustrous for women of any age. Not only do our pieces create a statement, they can be repeatedly worn over time. Our jewellery is very versatile and can be easily carried alongwith a LBD or even a kurta or a saree,” says Purii.
About trends, she adds, “2016-17 is all about jewellery for the hair like various headgears, such as maangtikkas, paasas, tiaras, etc. Chokers have also made a big wave in the indo-western and ethnic jewellery markets with bridal options of kundan or jadau chokers paired with long haars.”
Shillpa is designing and manufacturing jewellery since 1992 in Mumbai. Being one of the oldest players in this competitive field, Shillpa is retailing her exquisite jewellery with 35 plus multidesigner stores from across India and a few International stores. She has also participated in high profile exhibitions in India and the overseas.
She shares her journey until now, “24 years in the field of precious and semi-precious jewellery have been satisfying, rewarding and challenging.
When I shifted from precious jewellery to artificial and costume jewellery, there were lots of barriers to be broken. At that time, only real jewellery was considered of value. The concept of artificial jewellery wasn’t for weddings or something that could replace real jewellery.
The story today is however different as artificial jewellery can replace real jewellery in weddings and is something everyone is leaning towards for destination weddings.”
Speaking about the challenges she faced while establishing herself in the industry, Purii says, “To break the monotony and custom of only real jewellery, used/worn mostly for weddings, we tried to quench this thirst by creating something new and working on the adaptability of artificial jewellery in the market. It started becoming an extremely popular choice for brides.”
“Artificial jewellery has also given people a cost effective option,” she adds.
Regarding target audience, she says, “Women mainly between the age group of 30-50 want to be spoilt for choice, are modern and want the sense of being different and standing out. Those are our target audience who wear jewellery to add it to their personality and not merely for occasions and festivities.”
“I felt it was the need of the hour as customers wanted to experiment more with their jewellery. The focus of wearing jewellery only for weddings and occasions is now shifting to wearing it on a daily basis and it is this kind of variety which I want to give to the price-sensitive consumer,” Purii adds.
Talking about her favourite kind of jewellery, Purii says, “Personally, I love to wear chunky pieces. But I most enjoy designing and wearing wooden jewellery, using elements such as gold, semi precious stones and pearls on a wooden surface.” Purii works with different metals and precious stones, which were assembled under her guidance to put together beautiful, elegant and trendy pieces of jewellery for the woman of today. When we asked her about the kinds of materials she prefers working with, Purii says, “We use a lot of silver and brass in our jewellery. Besides this, I love to work with American diamonds and rare stones. Considering brides are our main customers, we make it our ultimate motive to serve them with top quality product and finishing.”
Creativity, flair for designing, risk of using new elements sets Shillpa Purii apart in her jewellery designing skills. Each piece is unique, distinctive and creates a statement. Purii has collaborated with designers of Lakme Fashion Week and Amazon India Fashion Week like Rajdeep Ranawat for their ramp and exclusive photoshoots.
On being asked where she sees herself five years down the line, Purii says, “As a onestop shop owner for semi precious bridal and destination wedding jewellery.”
Purii’s inspiration lies in some of her own past collections which has used materials such as wood and leaf. Known for coming up with new collections every three months, she cites the reason for the same. Purii says, “A lot of factors come into play for a new collection, be it the demand of the market, specifically the bridal market, or jewellery trends or customer preferences.”Her future plans involve having an online store, sometime soon.
“Women mainly between the age group of 30-50 want to be spoilt for choices, are modern and want the sense of being different and standing out.”