The Gray Café Deluxe is a perfect example of Hong Kong’s multicultural sophistication. On the 49th floor of the Upper House hotel, wood grain, neutral shades, marble and crisp lines create a modern club-like atmosphere. Large windows around the room provide a magnificent view of the Kowloon skyline.
It is a setting in which Mayuri Vara is perfectly at home as she settles in her seat wearing a crisp white dress shirt, designer jeans and her hair in a bun. As day turns to night and the tall buildings on Kowloon begin their light shows we look over her collection of jewelry, her first creations under the Vara of London brand.
I occasionally feature new people in the industry that show promise and Mayuri Vara fits the bill nicely.
The articulate and soft-spoken founder of the brand explains that the collections reflect her diverse heritage, experiences and personal influences. She is of Indian descent, raised in London and is a pharmacist on course to follow her father and brother's footsteps in a career in medicine before she veered off into more creative ambitions, eventually becoming a self-taught jewelry designer.
“I have always been fascinated by art and design, and designing jewelry has been a passion of mine,” she says, “having always made handmade jewelry as far back as I can remember.”
She has lived in Hong Kong for the past 11 years with her husband who is a lawyer. Her outside influences are equally diverse and include Elizabeth Taylor, Anna May Wong, the first Chinese-American movie star and a fashion icon, and Maharani Gayatri Devi, the last queen of Jaipur.
“I draw inspiration from the Chinese culture, artworks and architecture,” she adds.
For someone with such a diverse background her first offerings are focused and for the most part classic and elegant. It’s a well thought out mix of products where individual pieces match but in a variety of ways so it doesn’t look like a formal suite. Most of the pieces are large and bold enough so they can be worn alone. They are also designed to be worn daily.
Nearly all of the pieces are made of 925 sterling silver plated with either gold, black rhodium, or white rhodium. She says her next line will be in 18k gold. She is particularly proud that the quality of craftsmanship, done in China, can be seen on both sides of the pieces. “I’m fortunate to find the right people who understand my flow,” she says.
The black rhodium finishes add an edge to the classic styles. She also provides contrasts by using classic Lotus flower and paisley shapes with pieces that feature serpents. She is fond of colored gems, with smoky quartz, amethyst, citrines, peridot and tourmaline among her favorites. A few pieces have a sprinkling of diamonds.
The strength of the collections is in the diversity of influences and the thematic clarity that make for a solid introduction for the designer.
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