Kochi studios bring jewellery and weaves to town

Two studios from Kochi are showcasing their latest designs in jewellery, sarees and pret wear in an exhibition-cum-sale at RainTree along Sankey Road on Wednesday.

Titled Summer Soiree, it brings together CJ Artisan Boutique, a designer jewellery brand by Raaga Maria Sanjeev and Paul, and Korvai, a handcrafted saree and luxury pret wear label by Celia Palathinkal.

The younger generation is moving beyond traditional jewellery and looking at exquisite pieces, Raaga talks about the inspiration behind putting together this exhibition.

The jewellery studio used to follow trends but is laying emphasis on storytelling now. “Each of our pieces has a story behind them and makes use of natural stones. The exhibition will include items from three series — High Tea in Travancore, Sunlight at Lotus Pond, and Art Deco,” says Raaga.

‘High Tea in Travancore’ is a confluence of British designs with the aesthetics of Indian jewellery, which were worn by queens across the country. Most of them had customised jewellery done by European designers, and these new pieces will have emeralds, diamonds and pearls on them, she informs.

The ‘Sunlight at Lotus Pond’ collection is inspired by the designs of the Mughal era and is fused with modern aesthetics, wherein gold and mostly rubies in a lotus cut have been used. The ‘Art Deco’ has a lot of eclectic pieces with linear design, Raaga says.

Other collections would include traditional pieces like kasu mala (coins strung together) and avalmala (flattened rice pattern).

From Korvai, expect heritage weaves and designer wear.

Exhibition at RainTree, on April 13, 10.30 am to 7.30 pm.