Solitaire International - Indian G&J Industry Setting Standards

Peakok - AngloGold Ashanti Competition Finalist

For thousands of years, Indian jewellery has remained unchanged with design dictated by regional and religious tradition. Over the last few years, however, it has begun to bubble with change. Economic reform and the impact of television have suddenly opened the doors and the latest global trends have found favour. Fashion is now an important new sales driver and jewellery manufacturers are scrambling to adjust their product design to cater to this segment. A host of variables – the buying occasion, the wearing occasion, the economic strata of the target segment and the effect of regional and religious influences on all of them – are now being juggled to find the winning mix.

A recent study of youth in India, a segment consisting of those under 35 – constituting a colossal 54 per cent of the Indian population – with high disposable income and a propensity to spend, showed that young Indians today, despite being a part of the global fraternity, would gladly choose to stay connected with their cultural roots. This study makes it abundantly clear that connecting tradition with trends is one of the keys to success in the Indian market.

Tanishq

So how does one go about designing jewellery for the new Indian market? Himani Mantri, who teaches the fashion and lifestyle accessory course at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Ahmedabad, starts by asking the basic question – what is design? In her view, design cannot be looked at in isolation. “It integrates many aspects from the tangibles to the intangibles and is evolved out of an environment – from purpose, material, technique, production, user, economics, to aesthetics, values, perception, and time. No matter where and when, a designer cannot proceed without considering all the aspects involved in turning a concept to an actual product on the counter.” According to her, change is an integral part of society and traditions need to be reinterpreted and restated with subtle modifications to suit the changing times. She illustrates the changes by pointing out that payasam, the traditional sweet-dish of the south, is now served at northern weddings while the sangeet or music ceremony, a northern tradition, features in southern weddings.

Shimul Vyas of the National Institute of Design (NID) in Ahmedabad thinks that the jewellery industry hasn’t yet got around to really understanding the consumer. “The concept of design is still new to India,” she says, “and I’m not quite sure if serious, systematic efforts are put in by Indian designers and companies to understand what the Indian jewellery market is about, who the Indian consumer is and what she really wants in a piece of jewellery.” She amplifies this by adding, “The NID holds design workshops for companies and they are often a complete revelation to most of the older generation who attend them. One can understand trends and design, but you cannot simply put the two together. A design is created keeping in mind one’s production base, corporate identity, marketing and packaging efforts, branding and the like.”

Change In Perception
Vyas is of the opinion that in the globalized era, jewellery in India, like many other traditional product segments, is undergoing an astounding change of perception. While it continues to enjoy the position of being an ‘enhancer of beauty’ and ‘means of security’, the new-age consumer perceives jewellery as a personal accessory that manifests the wearer’s attitude, personality and lifestyle. According to her it is imperative for jewellery manufacturers to recognize this shift and adopt new, innovative approaches in the creation of jewellery. This, she feels, is what will enable them to establish an edge over their competitors.

On the other hand, a glaring reality is that the traditional jewellery sector constitutes a significant chunk of the jewellery market. This jewellery, in most instances, is handcrafted and bought from the family jeweller. This segment has a strong socio-cultural bias, as the jewellery is bought for auspicious occasions like weddings, engagements, and rituals. The decision to buy a piece of jewellery is more often a family decision than an individual choice. Jewellery in this segment is also a means of investment and future security – traditionally constituting the wealth that a bride takes with her to her new home.

This traditional segment, according to Vyas, offers the biggest opportunities to designers. “We need to understand that traditional jewellery emphasizes a deep symbology and meaning – socio-cultural, religious and psychological – that places it way beyond its sole function of adornment. There is an unimaginably vast opportunity for us to leverage this by packaging the context of tradition and culture in designs that are universal and contemporary in their aesthetic appeal.” According to her this blending results in a product that stands out in today’s world where globalization has resulted in products being massively homogenized and consequently losing their individual, cultural and regional identity.

Balancing Old And New
“A lot of companies are already experimenting with this blending concept, but it is important that the resulting jewellery, while keeping in mind traditional reverence and meaning, should not look very ethnic. Here branding and packaging play an important role in linking a new-look piece to its traditional inspiration,” says Vyas. She cites the successful Nakshatra brand that was launched by De Beers. “Floral designs have always existed in Indian culture with different communities interpreting them in a myriad different ways. But the traditional jewellery was heavy and worn only at weddings or for religious ceremonies. Most of the time it stayed in safety deposit lockers. Nakshatra successfully re-introduced it by modifying it into light, everyday-wear designs.”

Payal Kurian, Bangalore-based design consultant for Peakok Jewellery, elaborates, “Any sensitive designer today is trying hard to establish a balance between tradition and trend. The interplay of traditional technique and international design trend is apparent in today’s kundan (traditional 24-karat gem-set) jewellery. Some designers have already incorporated the linear earring design, which is a global trend today, into their kundan-studded earrings.”

Rajiv Jain of Sambhav Gems in Jaipur cites a classic example of the mangalsutra, the traditional beaded necklace worn by women to signify their married status – a social symbol that has remained unchanged in design for millennia. “The basic concept of black and gold beads with a pendant in the centre remains the same, but one can now have an interplay of black, white and gold beads. As for the pendant, the beads were first replaced by diamonds but have now made a comeback. The variations in design are actually asked for today by young brides.”

Asavari Lagu, director of the retail outlet Lagu Bandhu in Mumbai, reaffirms there is a demand for modified or improvised traditional patterns in the market. She cites traditional armbands, which are also now available in designs that enable them to be worn as necklaces as well. Rhea Nasta, another Mumbai designer who heads Rhea’s Studio, the design centre for the Popley jewellery retail group, says, “The Indian jewellery market is a blend of traditional and modern tastes. There exists a traditional Indian woman within every modern woman and jewellery has to appeal to both.”

Apart from the subtle changes in the traditional jewellery market, most designers observe that more and more people today are interested in horoscopes, chanting mantras, yoga and alternative therapies. According to Jain, today’s consumers have a strong interest in birthstones and the beneficial properties of gems. Consequently, spiritual and auspicious motifs have seen a great comeback in fashion, including the jewellery segment. Thus the rudraksha, Ganesha and religious swastika motifs, the traditional nine-gem or navratna combinations and many other auspicious concepts have become very popular in the Indian jewellery market over the last couple of years. Indian designers incorporate these motifs into current fashion so harmoniously that they are as current as the latest trends.

The Indian USP
Unlike many other fashion markets in the world, which are more homogeneous in character, the Indian market demonstrates a great element of duality, particularly in traditional product segments like jewellery. As Vyas puts it, “Indian consumers operate with two contradictory mindsets when deciding to buy a piece of jewellery. At heart, we remain quite rooted in culture and tradition and continue to revere and value jewellery as a time-honoured possession. On the other hand, the same consumers exhibit contemporary urban traits and see trendy jewellery as an extension of their personality and lifestyles. They opt for brands, thereby emphasising their perceived worth accorded to a piece of jewellery. The jewellery buying pattern in the Indian market is also changing. For instance, the Indian woman today is economically independent and does not seek approval from her father or husband to buy jewellery as was the case earlier.”

Indian fashion does not surrender to the burdens of ‘fall-winter’ or ‘spring-summer’ influences, says Mantri. “One sees a uniform look on the streets of Europe. But here, we stick to our personal tastes and do not kowtow to the imposed opinion. It could also be because most of us cannot afford the routine makeover of our wardrobes!”

Another interesting feature is that the Indian consumer looks for the longevity in a product. Hence the product supersedes the season. “Also, we might see tough competition from other luxury items like high-end mobile phones, travel, and the like,” says Shreedevi Deshpande Puri, a Bangalore-based design consultant for Ganjam Nagappa & Sons, but she adds, “Indians have a rich culture and heritage, which we continue to respect and follow despite changing modern attitudes. Jewellery is far too integrated into our lifestyles to get affected in one generation. This could all change some two generations down. The good part is that we still have the luxury of time to work on it, unlike the west.”

Jain, however, has another take on it. He feels that during a recession, jewellery comes in last and goes out first. “While buying, jewellery is last on the list. Although mobile phones are a luxury item, they have become a necessity.”

Nonetheless, the Indian market is getting stronger by the day, according to Vijay Chordia of Valentine Jewellery, a Jaipur-based firm. He says, “We will see a big change in the tastes of the Indian consumer within three or four years.” And while many point to the growing use of diamonds in Indian jewellery, he feels a complete makeover is still a way off. “Rural India still has a mindset for plain gold jewellery, as it is easily traded as compared to diamonds (meaning investment is still a big jewellery purchase driver). And rural India accounts for a major chunk of jewellery consumption.”

There are several trends running parallel in the Indian market as far as the design life cycle goes. While in the traditional jewellery market, change is gradual, spread over years, in the urban segment, it is quick and ongoing. Moreover, Puri says, “In precious jewellery, the evolution is much slower and most often, jewellery in the high-end segment tends to have a long-term appeal. However in the fashion segment, it is very important to tie it to trends, as the price points for these are much more affordable, and this is where the consumer is able to experiment.”

The product life cycle in India is much longer because of the high value costs involved. Other lifestyle products undergo four fashion cycles a year, but jewellery cannot follow this pattern. Only between one and three per cent can afford to buy so frequently, says Vyas. Trends in jewellery change at much lower rate as compared to the rest of the luxury market due to the high costs involved.

Designing To Follow Fashion
With so much change and so many variables to consider, most jewellery designers agree that it is vital to understand the holistic lifestyle practices of the customer, visit jewellery stores across the country, national and international fairs, ‘fashion weeks’ and travel to observe what people wear in terms of their garments and accessories. All these provide valuable inputs to a designer. Puri says, “It’s important to watch the fashion segment for the colours, styling and detailing on the garments. You need to study the necklines that are in vogue to decide the profiles of the neckwear that you are going to design.” Kurian illustrates this by saying, “A good example of fashion trends affecting jewellery design was the layered look. A few seasons back, all the big design houses were suddenly wrapping up their models in many layers of different materials. This concept took off in the jewellery industry like a rage with designs featuring many different beaded necklaces and bangles at the same time.”

Nasta stresses that a designer has to also keep in mind the wearability of the piece while being conscious of trends. She notes that Indians have traditionally preferred emeralds and rubies for the colour in their jewellery but that of late, a variety of colours and types are in vogue. Today Indians want topaz, tourmaline and even synthetics if they give them the look they want.

But even after factoring all the variables, most designers will tell you that there is no such thing as a single, homogenous Indian jewellery market. Geographic location and ethnic differences break it up into distinctly different markets with differing tastes. Mantri says that when one designs for the Indian market, one has to definitely keep these aspects in mind. But, says Vyas, “The contemporary jewellery segment responds closely to the changes in the global market and the consumer base is not wholly segmented by geographic location or ethnic groupings. Internationally, companies and marketers are segmenting consumers in the context of their attitudes and values, tastes and preferences, lifestyles and living patterns.”

However, Pallavi Dudeja Foley, who has designed many collections for the leading jewellery brand Tanishq, thinks there is a specific, identifiable customer base in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore, that is more willing to experiment with new designs and concepts.

Puri adds that Delhi definitely is very quick to catch on to trends which are bold and visible. Bombay is more style oriented where people are more aware of what works for them individually and whether it suits their personalities. The south tends to stay with a more classic approach. In Chennai, gems are a ‘no-no’ adds, Rajiv Jain.

Kurian, however, feels that though jewellery is forever evolving, the underlying essence of a particular region is always visible in it. “Look at a bride from any particular region of India. Even the most modern north Indian bride will shun international brands on her big day and opt for culturally and traditionally rich embellishments like kundan jewellery, while a south Indian bride would go for temple jewellery.”

Mantri feels that Indians attach a considerable amount of emotional value to jewellery though this does not affect the design concepts of fashion jewellery. According to Foley, there is a very small segment emerging of highly fashion-conscious individuals who are ready to experiment with tradition. There’s also another segment of people who are artistically inclined, and prefer handcrafted or artistically appealing jewellery. And then there are collectors who go for customized pieces that are unique in design, material, craftsmanship or technique. Fashion designers empathize with this drift and thus are exploring more and more possibilities in terms of integrating regional tastes with the fashion dictates of today.

Hot, Evolving Market
“India is hot today,” says Foley, “and tastes are moving from local to global. The market for designed goods is fast evolving. From the ‘fashion weeks’ becoming popular in India, to Indian design stores and Indian designer labels becoming fashion icons globally, we are on the path to becoming a design centre for the world.”

“Five or ten years ago, one could clearly distinguish between a western and an Indian design,” says Jain. “But today, the distinction is blurring. Plus, the idea of fusion has brought the two worlds together. Indian designs are readily accepted in the west and vice versa.”

“Designers and consumers both are more open to experimentation and there are a lot of new exciting materials being used today,” adds Vyas. “Italian rubber, amalgamation of precious and non-precious, leather, wood, suede, fabric, plastics and other unusual combinations are commonly seen.”

“The characteristics of costume jewellery have penetrated the mainstream precious jewellery market and in the large cities, the jeweller does not now hesitate to display these as his unique sales proposition,” says Mantri. “Also, value addition is achieved with new stone settings and cuts, surface finishes and textures on metals and cross cultural forms. In about five to ten years, the Indian market will have an identity of its own – especially because of globalization.”

“The last two years have shown a shift from a preference for diamonds to coloured stones, while white gold is being accepted by middle and higher-end consumers,” says Chordia.

Electronic Influences
A major influence on design and style in India today is television, which brings alien ideas, attitudes and styles right into all of India’s homes. TV has been a major driver of change. “Television fashion trends get replicated particularly in middleclass or small town homes,” says Vyas, adding however, “while TV as a medium may cut across consumer groups, the internationally-travelled, well-exposed, elite class is less likely to be driven by its impact, as this class is in-sync with international fashion trends and global designer brands.” According to Foley, there has been a noticeable increase in demand for diamond mangalsutra pendants after the leading ladies of some of the most popular serials started wearing them.

Jain, however, thinks that magazines dictate fashion trends more than television. “Look at magazine like Cosmopolitan, Femina, Woman’s Era, and you’ll find jewellery designs, advertisements and even articles about them. About 10 years back, no fashion magazine featured jewellery, but that is not the case today.”

The internet too has contributed to the changes in Indian jewellery tastes. “Information is just few clicks away and one wants to emulate the styles seen on the ramps of Paris,” says Mantri, adding, “Minds – and pockets – have opened up and the consumer wants ‘global’ and ‘local’ to go hand-in-hand. So far we were intrigued by the advent of ‘westernization’ in the east. Now it’s the turn of ‘easternization’ in the west!”

To sum it all up, today’s jewellery designer for the Indian market needs to be aware of factors like the shift in the mindset from investment to style statement, the longing for a balance between tradition and trend, the need to understand the emotional connection, the need to exude confidence and to stand apart, the balance between economic criteria and aesthetics as well as a constant hunger for innovation.

The Indian jewellery market has metamorphosed in the last decade. Consumer perception is evolving with so many brands and jewellers to choose from. It is an exciting period of transition for everybody in an industry that was somnolent for millennia.