She is all of 24, but Ananya Malhotra knows her mind. When we meet her at Evoluzione, a multi-brand retail store, the jewellery designer speaks about her newly-launched jewellery line ‘Naya’ with poise and confidence. As the name suggests, ‘Naya’ is a re-interpretation of traditional jewellery. “I have reinterpreted them in a contemporary way,” Ananya explains. “The first collection is Celestial Lotus and the other is Synergies.” The jewellery has fluid forms and synergies. “I have used rubies, pearls and pink sapphires. Each stone benefits different chakras. Pink sapphire, for example, releases the heart chakra.” Keeping in mind that people are superstitious when it comes to stones and gems, Ananya says: “That’s why I haven’t used blue sapphires.”
Ananya, daughter of Atul and Tina Malhotra, owners of Evoluzione, chose jewellery design over fashion illustration when she discovered the former was her passion as a student at Central Saint Martins, London. “I grew up in a world exposed to fashion. But I realised my forte was in jewellery. I studied gemmology at GIA in London.”
Creating jewellery is a many-layered process for Ananya. “I read up. I go for art shows. I put my ideas together and then sketch them out.”
Ananya says she is inspired by British jewellery designer Solange Azagury Partridge. “She was the first to break the boundaries between fashion and fine jewellery, and has a good mix of the two.”
Ananya believes jewellery is a personal style. “I don’t influence it. Women should connect with the piece of jewellery.” She did her thesis on the history of Indian jewellery. “I love the craftsmanship of Indian jewellery.”
