Kolkata-based accessory designer Vasundhara Mantri unravels the power of costume jewellery which is slowly becoming a tour de force on the style landscape.

By Asmita Aggarwal

There are very few people who are focused and  work towards a definite goal in mind, so when you meet the Kolkata-based firecracker Vasundhara Mantri you will get just that vibe. Not only is she intelligent, but also works with a philosophy that is based on the logic that small is beautiful. The business administration graduate who started her own store at the age of 22, 12 years ago is now handling a robust business.

A first-time accessory designer at the AIFW Aut-winter 2016, Vasundhara understood that the only way to create something classic was to work with the hugely talented Bengali craftsmen. “When I started people would ask me why a piece which had absolutely no resale value, costs Rs 3,000. But an apparel designer would never be faced with this question, that’s the irony of working in a market like India,” she says. Buyers would also ask her if the silver that has been used can be melted or how much of it has precious stones, but today all that is slowly changing.

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Interestingly, after a short course from GIA (Gemological Institute of America), she preferred to work with artisans in the workshop and gain practical knowledge. “I started making jewellery myself and with small exhibitions which I participated in, I got a fabulous response. But what made me grow by leaps and bounds was working with the powerhouse Anamika Khanna. Frankly she has been my mentor and her very strong design aesthetics made me what I am today,” she smiles. Though Vasundhara has also designed for the Madhur Bhandarkar movie Fashion and that kind of motivated her to take this up even more seriously.

Not calling her pieces costume-y or fashion-y she terms them “creative” as it is a work of art that she curates with the assistance of the beauty of asymmetrical, natural stones, which come in disorganised shapes and multiple textures. “I like the rough edges, raw stones which are not forming ‘a’ particular shape. Agate, mother of pearl, lapis lazuli, rose quartz and tourmaline are encrusted in a mix of base metals, which can range from brass, copper to German silver. We then give them a fabulous finish, could be rhodium plating, enamelling or lacquered,” she explains.

For AIFW Vasundhara is inspired by nature and its myriad colours, so twigs, weeds, plants, and butterflies get a fitting tribute. “The beauty of being a jewellery designer is that every day you are motivated to do something new. But for me it has been a battle to change mindsets and finally elevate the standard of jewellery which most people think is the same as you get at Janpath, with a few alterations. I am not a girl in a hurry, I did fashion week after being in business for more than a decade, because I wanted my pieces to be perfect. My aim is to be patient and keep doing meaningful work and maybe explore international markets,” she concludes.

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 Click here to watch #VasundharaMantri at #AIFWAW16 #AccessoryShow