In my career as a designer, I have observed different kinds of merchandising. While seasonal and thematic collections are the most popular, there are those who are successful at create OOAK pieces throughout the year. They offer weekly or monthly edits, seasonal or otherwise to cater to the constantly evolving fashion trends. I too, have tried this in the early years of Sayuri. However, along the way, I moved on to creating thematic collections.
Each collection is heavily researched, thought about and them implemented. It is a time consuming process as everything from ideation to packaging is done by me. I am sure that is the case with many artists who run home business. As a consequence, I find that there is big time gap between collections. In order to big the gap, I have done collection within collections in the past. Kolam I within Patinam is an example. For Banjaran Dreams, I am trying something I have not done before. Instead of sub collections, I am planning to do Monthly edits. They would be a small collection of 5-10 pieces designed for that month. Take a look at the Fabric necklaces in the November edit of Banjaran dreams which fall under Sustainable Jewellery.
Sustainable Jewellery
I have been reading Sustainable Jewellery by Julia Manheim and I am super influenced by it. If I have to recommend one jewellery book to an art or contemporary jewellery maker, it would be this book. It looks at sustainability in design and not just material. Still, it taught me to think and rethink about why and how I make jewellery. Both my recent collections – Riti and Banjaran dreams are about Reuse, recycle and upcycle. However, they have not been very profitable. It goes to show the stigma that words like Reuse and recycle carry when it comes to festive purchases. But the fashion world is changing and upcycling is the buzzword. Furthermore, I am confident that Sustainable Jewellery is the present and the future. They have a place in the Banjaran dreams as well as seen in all the previous posts regarding this collection.
Fabric necklaces in the November edit
In this post, I would like to show five fabric necklaces from the November edit. They are made of scrappy bits of fabric ordered for other projects including a dress that I got stitched for myself. Some use trims I have collected over the years. The base is made of cardboard or wood that I have recycled. The beads are bought locally and everything is handmade. While the edit is not 100% sustainable (which is a myth) it is step in that direction. I wrote about the Multi colored Check necklace – The Emerald Hymn on my post on Checkered fabric necklaces for sale. Do check it out.
Teal bloom
This is a jewellery set of necklace and earrings in a lovely teal. This particular teal is one that will suit those who are both light, medium and dark skinned. There are a very few colours that work that way and Teal is my favourite of the lot. This set is super light weight and comfortable to wear. There is a keen geometry in the set – from the base to the motif and the findings used. For this pair, I have used Chettinad cotton fabric border along with a knotted cotton dori. Both the earrings and necklace are available for sale.
Sapphire Spear
I love arrowhead charms and I have used them extensively in this collection. The primitive charm of a spearhead or an arrowhead screams strength and power to me. In this Sapphire Spear necklace, I have used dark blue cotton fabric with machine Kantha work and accentuated it with a green and gold border. The pendant is approx 3″ wide. The gold of the arrow heads and the dolki beads complete the link. The necklace is available for sale.
Indigo Twilight
Imagine the most sunset you have seen. The sky is orange with streaks of silver and gold, as the round sun sets and the twilight hour descends before everything is enveloped in indigo blue. Now picture that in a necklace. That is exactly what I did while making the Indigo Twilight necklace. The Pendant is made of Indigo colour cotton fabric and necklace has lampwork beads, thread beads, solid glass beads and coated crystals. It is yours for grabs if you want it – available for sale. Beaded earrings made on request.
Ruby Steel
Ruby and gold combination is a match made in heaven. However, ruby and steel is another story. Determined to make a piece that goes with the name, I pulled out a ruby coloured ribbon with silver zari on it. I added the dull gold tassel to make the piece look bohemian. Unlike most other pieces in this collection, ruby steel has a thin wooden base with the typical felt backing. I kept adding beads in ruby (agate teardrop), gold, and silver (hollow dolki beads) and blue to make a necklace fit for a bohemian goddess. What do you think of it? This necklace is available for sale as well.
You must have noticed the fancy names of the necklaces in this post. Ms. Erin, in November’s Earrings Everyday challenge post suggested the use of a Random Fantasy name generator to increase creativity. That is exactly what I have done. It really sparked my creativity. I hope to continue this practice to create pieces for the challenge as well. Until then, tell me how you like this edit and how I can add more to it.
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