JOIN US'India is going through a jewellery transition'
As a brand consultant for over seven years in the industry, Pooja Roy Yadav wanted to try her hand in the creative field. So, in 2012, on the suggestion of her husband, she decided to “re-live her college life” and be a part of a jewellery design workshop. Though she didn’t launch her label, she went ahead to launch a multi-artiste concept jewellery brand — NIMAI in October 2013 at south Delhi’s Shahpur Jat.
“After I spent three months attending jewellery designing, jewellery making and metalsmithing workshops at the Central Saint Martins London College of Fashion, I was aspiring to launch my own jewellery label. That is when I came across a lot of exceptional designers who didn’t really have a platform to showcase their creativity and skills. So, instead of having my own label, I decided to create a platform that would showcase their talent to the world, the journey to which was intriguing and challenging at the same time,” recalls Yadav.
Bringing together her love for jewellery designing and her experience in brand management, she started the platform which initially began with seven designers.
Now, the store showcases works of over 55 jewellery artistes who experiment with acrylic, semi precious stones, clay, shark teeth, glass, discarded watch parts, nuts, bolts, fuse, industrial parts, stones, crystals, quartz, copper, brass and paper to create jewellery as pieces of wearable art. “We promote handcrafted jewels and celebrate ‘Made in India’ while trying to educate audiences on jewellery that is conceptual, artistic, artisanal, original and not machine-made,” says the 33-year-old.
On the quirky name of the store, she points out, “Nimai is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, an incarnation of Lord Krishna. His spiritual and conscious teachings flow through our brand and make our ideology.”
The store has an eclectic range of neckwear, body harnesses, earrings, rings, brooches, headgears, cufflinks, label pins and other forms of body jewellery for women and men. “It’s our constant endeavour to showcase the evolving face of
Indian contemporary jewellery by designers who are breaking away from a stereotypical approach to jewellery design in India. I feel, India is going through a jewellery transition and now people are also not shying away from experimenting,” Yadav tells Metrolife.
Seeking international presence, NIMAI recently launched its online portal, www.shopnimai.com. “The aim is to connect our homegrown artistes with an international audience and also make the brand accessible, both locally and globally. While we are currently in India, we will be selling in US next month and United Kingdom, in the next six months. So, we are taking baby steps for now,” mentions Yadav.