Where traditional meets chic

Alpana Gujral is a designer well known for her intricate embellishments and impeccable approach. She now brings her signature collection titled ‘Masquerade’ to Bangalore for the first time. ‘Masquerade — The Signature collection’ celebrates the gleam of pure gold, the mystique of midnight blacks and the satiny sheen of pristine pearls.

Embodying the dramatic impact of a Venetian masquerade, each intricately crafted piece conjures up an aura of medieval mystery. Deeply inspired by the legacy left by traditional Indian artisans, each piece combines the contemporary with the classic; creating a timeless heirloom.

Alpana Gujral’s chic new collection includes earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings. The designs weave together the traditional craft of Minakari in gold and ruby and sapphire. In this signature collection you will see cocktail rings and cuffs, earrings and necklaces created in gold, black and white, offset by monochromatic precious stones. Her collection heralds a remarkable characteristic; each piece of jewellery is carved with her signature and displays her fetish for semi-precious stones. One can see a lavish use of tourmaline, citrine, aquamarine, and other colourful stones in her work.

Playing with pearls

Informing us about the latest trends she says, “Pearls are back in a very big way along with yellow gold. There are lots of pearls in my collection as well, as they look quite classy. I don’t think that anything can go out of fashion. The most important thing is that one should be comfortable wearing what one is wearing,” she stresses. Talking about Bangalore Alpana says, “I have never been to this city and thought that this time around I must add it to my repertoire as I have heard only good things about the place and the people. I believe that Bangalore has people who are open to experimentation with new styles and my set of collection will definitely appeal to anyone who is looking for a distinct new style.”

Alpana Gujral is based in Delhi and is the daughter of versatile artist Satish Gujral. She has been perfecting her craft for over 25 years. She has studied fine art at The Delhi School of Art. She has worked closely with master craftsmen from Rajasthan to develop her signature style of jewellery — a marriage of traditional styles with contemporary forms. Minakari, or enamelling, a unique combination of gems, enamel pigments and precious metals are the main characteristics of this traditional style. Alpana has successfully morphed this traditional art to suit the contemporary woman. Essentially, the materials have remained the same over the centuries; however, the new pieces are less complicated and bulky. The older style used mainly three key stones — the ruby, emerald and sapphire — whereas the new forms include many new varieties of coloured stones to match the wide spectrum of contemporary fashion.

Each piece in her collection requires between four and six months for creation, is a limited edition and is individually handcrafted.

Gobal stint, desi soul

Her collection has been exhibited and sold in various cities across the globe such as New York, San Francisco, Washington, Houston, London, Hong Kong and Dubai. In addition, the Asia Museum store in New York and a designer outlet in Dubai, RSH, also showcase her collection. However, she is still Indian at heart and India is her mainstay. Here, she operates a boutique jewellery design house and sells to high-end markets in all major cities.

You can catch the 100 piece collection of beautiful designs at Evoluzione in Bangalore on August 22 and 23.