JOIN USBudding jewellery designer Trishala Ashok says that the notion of ‘inspirational design’ is at the heart of her design philosophy, for she is influenced by anything under the sun — be it nature, architecture or even furniture. The 24-year-old, who specialises in fine diamond jewellery under her label ‘Wansh’, says that she always keeps her sketch book handy to jot down designs.
“Once, I was watching ‘Modern Family’ and a flower vase on the show really fascinated me. I saw it as a piece of jewellery and designed a cocktail ring inspired by it. People loved the idea and it turned out to be a hot seller!”
Trishala’s portfolio includes bridal neckpieces, statement earrings and cocktail rings, which, she says, are crafted pairing unusual combinations of stones with diamonds. “With each piece, I like to explore many possibilities. I generally use custom cut semi-precious stones that are usually not available in the market. For instance, there’s aqua chalcedony, which is opaque and complements diamonds really well. Then there’s the purple amethyst, which adds a pop of colour to any piece. And my favourite are pearls; you can never go wrong with them and they go with any outfit!” she elaborates, adding, “My jewellery is modern in style. I like to take the trending fashion concepts — midrings, ear cuffs, ear charms — and add my personal touch to them. That’s what attracts people.”
Her clients belong to all age groups, for she caters to college girls who love their fashion jewellery as well as middle-aged women who require it for any occasion.
Though each piece has its own story to tell, there are a few that she cherishes fondly. “I once designed these ear cuffs inspired by the winged eyeliner. College-goers loved it and it was sold in boutiques too. Then, there’s this classy cocktail ring, where the tentacles of a jellyfish appear to be holding the stone. Another creation was a neckpiece for a client in the US; it looked beautiful with four solitaires and the idea was taken from the architecture of the ‘Pink City’ Jaipur.”
The creative professional that she is now, Trishala puts it candidly that she was never great at academics but had always been good at art, craft and athletics. “My parents always supported me. They knew I would get into something innovative related to art and jewellery. After my Bachelors, I went on to pursue a six-month course in jewellery design and technology at the Gemological Institute of America, California. Since I always wanted to carve out a niche for myself, post graduation, I started ‘Wansh’ in November 2013.”
And how has the label shaped up? “Initially it was slow but gradually it picked up as my designs spoke for me. People noticed my work and they liked the finish and quality of the jewellery,” she says. Trishala has participated in four international competitions and won awards in all. “One of them was hosted by Gem Prive, a UK-based store that holds online competitions for jewellery designers across the world. I had to design a pair of earrings inspired by the theme ‘Aphrodite’ (the Greek goddess of love). Another one was a disk charm contest by Mejuri.com, a Canada-based store, where my disk charm ear studs drew inspiration from an antique button on my shirt and the award-winning piece was worn by Canadian TV star Jessi Cruickshank,” she shares.
There’s a great feeling of achievement, says the young girl, who is now gearing up to host a bridal trunk show in the City in October with a team of lifestyle designers from Mumbai.