In a market saturated with young and trendly clothing designers, Nitya, aged just 21 in 2008, decided to take the niche jewellery market by its horns and carve out a special space for herself. And her brand features drool-worthy pieces, statement and oversized pieces that completely turn around any outfit. India’s answer to the likes of Mawi, Nitya is the rebel whose loud, outspoken pieces take on traditional jewellery trends head on.
The designer, who is exhibiting her collections at the DIVAlicious fashion exhibition next weekend (January 23-24), spoke exclusively to wknd. about what drives her designs, and perfecting the art of statement jewellery.
On beginning the brand
I started Valliyan in 2008, when I had just graduated from college and knew I wanted to be a young and successful designer. Every other girl you met those days was starting her own clothing line, and I didn’t want to be one of them. The fashion jewellery segment was pretty much non-existent then, but I knew it was all set to a big rage in India in the future.
With no formal training in jewellery design, I did get an Applied Sciences degree from Parsons The New School for Design from 2009-11, after I founded Valliyan.
On her signature designs
My best selling pieces are the statement necklaces and earrings. The Princess Leia ear cuffs, which we showed in 2011, became a rage and we are still selling them. Those are classics, and the other popular trends are middie rings, maang tikkas (hair and forehead piece), ear cuffs, and haath phools (that extend from the fingers to wrists).
On inspiration and materials
We use everything from brass, copper to glass, acrylic, wood, resin, silk thread, leather and semi- precious stones. The latest collection, for instance, is inspired by Rococo architecture with an Indian twist.
I also started combining Indian jewellery heritage with a Western influence, like small kundan polki (uncut diamonds) designed in a modern way. But everybody does that now, so what we work with a lot now is typical Indian temple jewellery encrusted with crystal and acrylic to give it a modern face.
On jewellery trends
Every market is different. Indians love big jewellery, so statement pieces do well here. But we have everything from small to big pieces. Most medium-sized pieces are a good balance between statement, yet regularly wearable. I wear a lot of small jewellery all the time, but carry at least two statement pieces in my bag in case I need to dress up a little,
Statement jewellery also runs the risk of looking dated after a few years, but not Valliyan. We design classics that are current. I still see people wearing pieces they bought from my first collection in 2008, because they’re still relevant and always will be. In terms of recycling, you just need to style it differently each time you wear it — sometimes with a solid and sometimes with prints or textures, with Indian silhouettes or with Western clothes at other times.
On the changing market trends
Ten years ago, there was no market for my kind of jewellery. It started developing around seven years ago. Back then, Indians didn’t really understand the concept for costume jewellery, because jewellery was always considered a status symbol or had a religious meaning to it, or was part of traditional occasions like weddings. Jewellery worn in such cases was always precious. Gold, silver, platinum, diamond, ruby, emeralds and sapphires were the main stars.
I feel like I changed one woman at a time. By explaining to my clients what fashion jewellery was all about, how to wear or style it — the purpose being primarily for adornment and fashion — how to look after it, what it was made of etc. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it because when one woman wears Valliyan, I know ten others are going to come asking for it. The product sells itself.
It’s a domino effect and with more brands coming into the market, you know that demand has increased as well. Bollywood celebrities have also started accessorising a lot, which helps influence the masses. With international magazines in India, women certainly have gained more knowledge about fashion jewellery. All this is shaping tastes and buying behaviour. But we have a long way to go still.
On competing and showcasing
I started Valliyan when I was 21, in 2008, and I’m 27 now, so I believe I was ahead of my times then, and now as well. I set the trend and competition follows. I’m always trying to be a step ahead. Starting young with all the experiences and mistakes to learn from, the process still continues as I grow. I’ve garnered great relationships in the industry and won the Grazia and Elle magazine awards.
Today, I am well established but have a long way to go and so much to do. Things change very fast in this industry and if you are not constantly on your toes reinventing yourself, you can fall back easily. One can’t get complacent, that’s the great thing about competition. It keeps things exciting… I’m always learning.
Valliyan started showcasing in Dubai in 2011, and we’ve done many other shows since then, but this is my second time with DIVAlicious, and I’m really looking forward to it.
On celebrities wearing Valliyan
Freida Pinto, Sonam Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, Aishwarya Rai… the list goes on.
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