16 November,2010 11:09 AM IST | | Amrita Bose
US-based jewellery designer Shuchi Pandya's label, Blue Banyan, believes in making baubles with a social conscience. She empowers rural artisans to showcase traditional Indian designs across her range of earrings, bracelets and neckpieces
Jewellery designer Shuchi Pandya's stint with education NGO Pratham was a turning point. It
introduced her to a world where one could fuse the traditional with the contemporary, a belief she followed to the T while setting up her jewellery line.
"I came across a group of women who used lac or tree sap to make bangles. Soon, I realised that like them, millions of artisans around the country are unable to capitalise on their skills because they lack a link to consumer markets. I took this as an opportunity to create a viable social enterprise, and to empower these artisans through market access," says Shuchi.
Best of both worlds
Armed with this thought, the 27-year-old launched her jewellery brand, Blue Banyan, two years ago. The idea is simple: she directly sources products made by rural artisans and blends traditional techniques used by the artisan to make jewellery, adopting modern technology and craftsmanship.
The label combines typically Indian genres of art, including Madhubani from Bihar, Lac work from the Lakhare community, Bidri work from Andhra Pradesh and Meenakari work from Rajasthan. Shuchi adopts these designs to make cuffs, bracelets, neckpieces, cocktail rings and earrings. Raw materials, including wood, glass, lac areu00a0 combined with semi-precious stones and are used to create the final product.u00a0
The tree of life
"The Banyan tree is symbolic of eternal life, because when the original trunk grows old, the younger, inner trunk protects it, making it an age-old tree," says Shuchi on why she chose the name, Blue Banyan. For her, the extensive branches of the Banyan also symbolise the width of traditions and crafts from all over India. The colour blue stands for boldness and confidence, which resonates through Shuchi's design aesthetics as well as the characteristics of the young urban woman who she wants to target.
Big is in
Shuchi's penchant for wearing bold jewellery translates onto her designs. Whether it is an eye-catching chunky bangle or a dramatic pendant, Blue Banyan provides a hint of the traditional in these contemporary pieces. From Jaipuri Meenakari work and silver on wooden bangles and rings, to lac and silver filigreed bangles and geometric Turkish earrings, Blue Banyan has something for every neck, wrist or ear.
From local to global
Shuchi's family owns a diamond and export business, which helped kickstart her label in its initial stages. After being part of her family business, Shuchi, armed with a degree in Marketing and International Business from New York University's Stern Undergraduate College, decided to focus on traditional jewellery crafts. The label began
initially with minimum infrastructure, using local silversmiths and sending unfinished bangles to self-help
groups in Pal, Rajasthan, who would mould the lac.
As orders increased, Shuchi decided to train in-house silversmiths and went on to identify and train 20 women from Mumbai's slums for three months. "We worked hard to enhance the women's skills and product quality. Since its inception, Blue Banyan has worked with over 55 rural artisans," adds Shuchi.
Fair deal?
Though the artisans working with Blue Banyan do not get a share of the sales, their margins, according to Shuchi, are significantly higher than those given by local vendors. The artisans also buy their own raw material so they can set their own margins. There has been a 50% increase in their income since they started out with Blue Banyan, claims Shuchi.
Currently based out of the United States, where she is pursuing her MBA from the Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia, Shuchi is open to accepting jewellery orders over email. She eventually plans to expand outside India.
email shuchi@bluebanyan.in to place orders
log on to www.bluebanyan.in
price range Rs 500 to Rs 5,000
