Like the first day of Design Inspirations 2018, Day 2 also had speakers talking on a range of relevant topics.

It began with an eye-opening -- and mind-opening --  presentation by Tanmay Shah of Imaginarium, India’s largest 3-D printing company.  

Shah took the audience through the expertise of his company and gave them an insight into most advanced technology  offered  by them to help designers and manufacturers design and create jewellery using  it. Through customisation widgets and  vast   libraries of materials, finishes, textures etc, etc, he showed how anyone could create the most creative design prototypes  which  could be used for single customers, or then taken offline  for large-scale production.  The potential of the technology and the variety that can be achieved was simply mind-boggling. Not only did this kind of technology free a jeweller from maintaining a large inventory – and with it capital; it also allowed for individual tastes and preferences a client may have. Shah emphasised that greater customisation was an important trend for customer satisfaction in the future.

Aakrosh Sharma of Caratlane focussed on merchandising. He said that the designer actually played a dual role – that of designing as well as merchandising. And the respective characteristics of both had to be kept in mind when creating designs for the marketplace. While designing was all about the creative aspects and style and form; merchandising was about the business aspects.

Sharma also spoke about studying what works and what doesn’t in the marketplace. For  this, he said, the digital platform was a most important tool. Unlike physical stores,  online  sites could have a wider reach and gather the response of significantly more client preferences. And this is something that Caratlane has used very effectively, he said.

Shehzad Zaveri of Minawala Jewellers took the audience through various trends inspired by different segments. He spoke about the impact of social media; the post-digital consumer;  the digital modernist; the retro futurist; and the Millennials. The last named were the biggest segment of bridal jewellery buyers he said. But Zaveri also noted that MoM – Mother of Millennials --  was also a significant segment when it came to purchasing wedding jewellery. For, he said, today’s mother of the bride or groom wants to be as well turned out as anyone else. He also emphasised the impact of Bollywood and royalty on jewellery trends.

In the second part of her presentation, Paola De Luca went on to examine the macro trends in the jewellery arena. Beginning with some interaction with those present, she went on to enunciate the Product Directions for 2018-19. She outlined six main directions with the subtext and subcategories for all. These are:

1. Industrial Vibe – characterised by clean lines and delicate open silhouettes;  and which are light weight.
2. Bold Combinations – where colour becomes important, whether through the use of    of gemstones, or enamel. It is also oversized jewellery and reminiscent of the deco  look.
3.  New Clacissism – inspired by the worldwide attraction towards history,  recent or far past.   
4.  Nomadic Sensation – characterised by gold or oxidised jewellery, alternative materials used in jewellery; with an earthy flavour and the use of textures.
5. Chroma Light – opalesque designs; the use of moonstone, mother of pearl, opal; anything    which changes with light; and the use of contrasting cuts – eg cabochon with faceted gems.
6. The Bohemian Collection – this would include men’s jewellery, for which Paola said there was a gap in the market; also incorporating  contemporary patterns and symbols. 

Paola noted that pearls were coming back in a big way and were used in almost all of the directions outline in one form or the other.

Dipendra Baoni of Lemon Designs, a strategic branding and design studio,  took the audiences through a case study of a brand which they had developed.  The challenge was to create a 360 degree brand experience  for a  tea  company, a family of master blenders, who had been reduced to being merely B2B traders.

Baoni provided an in-depth insight into the entire process – from the name and logo to the pacakaging. What came through was the meticulous emphasis on detail, the  intricate planning of every aspect  to the ultimate offering  to the consumer by putting it on the shelves; and its creative communications.  Baoni underlined the need for going into every detail in an in-depth manner.

Siddharth Sanghvi of Cascadestar introduced to the audience comprising mainly jewellery designers and entrepreneurs his company’s offering of Matrix 9.0. which is a CAD software developed by Cascadestar and already widely used. Sanghvi   gave a live demonstration of its use.

Well-known jewellery designer and icon in her own right, Farah Khan of FK Fine Jewellery made an extensively researched and meticulous presentation on branding. She not only introduced the concept, the how and why of branding but through the use of visuals gave a glimpse of how the greatest brands -- jewellery and otherwise – develop and use signatures across their products, thus securing immediate recall. She said that good designs were not enough, branding – with all it implied – was  essential to be able to stand out in the crowd. And, she warned, that the competition for jewellers was not merely from other jewellers down the road, but from other luxury products as well from all over the globe – so easy had it become to learn about what was available through the digital media.

Milan Chokshi, Convener of the Promotions, Marketing & Business Development   Sub-Committee of The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council thanked each and every speaker individually for participating in the seminar and providing   meaningful insights and directions for those attending.

Pic Cap: Farah Khan  speaking on Day 2 of Design Inspirations 2018