Art, Artist, Architecture, Avant-Garde In A Tête-à-Tête With Pallavi Foley!

(L-R) A Culmination Of Dramatic Flair And Lustrous Feminity, Is A Ring Inspired From An Inverted Mushroom And Jaali Work From The Taj Mahal Are Gold Rings By Pallavi Foley

“Thats a beautiful headgear you are wearing”, she complimented me as I walked into a room full of jewellery enthusiasts! Gracious and a bit shy, I accepted her compliment 🙂 Her jewellery and personality strike a perfect balance which I always look up! I got the opportunity to meet her at the India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) at a seminar where she was one of the panelist. I was excited to share with her the inspiration of the pearl skull cap that I had specially designed with Velvetcase.com for IIJS. A quick chat with her and within no time we decided that we would shoot a campaign together for her jewellery.

Her list of achievements is very long but I am going to try my best to encapsulate her most noteworthy accomplishments. Touted as ‘hottest young talent’ by Rio Tinto, she was part of India Today’s top 35 young achievers who make a difference. She stood second at the International Saul Bell Award Competition in 2010. In 2006 and 2007 (while she was working at Tanishq), she helped design the Femina Miss India Universe Crown. She is none other than the Bangalore based “Jewellery Artist” as I say, Pallavi Foley!

Inspired From Mushroom And Flowers Is A Bold Gold Textured Dramatic Necklace With Turquoise By Pallavi Foley

While learning photography from Dheeraj Thakur, a renowned architectural photographer and a dear friend, I always wanted to shoot a jewellery campaign with him that had black and white images with colored jewellery in it. The moment I shared this idea with Pallavi and Dheeraj, they agreed and we soon planned the shoot in Mumbai.

The Eternal Art Lover…Her Journey!

According to Pallavi, as a child her bedroom wall looked nothing less than a Graffiti display. She loved scribbling and was given a free hand by her parents to explore her talents on the walls. Her friends were always impressed by the detailing in her art. After graduating in accessory designing from National Institute Of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and a 10 year stint with Tanishq she further pursued courses at Gemological Institute Of America (GIA) and Domus Academy, Milan. After successfully designing jewellery for Tanishq and leading the design studio for the international businesses, Pallavi decided to fulfil her dream of setting up a design studio and creating avant-garde jewels under her own label.

Here are the excerpts from a telecom, email and whats app interview with Pallavi Foley 🙂

Feeling Shy, Feminine Yet Bold I Loved These Dramatic Gold Earrings With Button Pearls

StylePrer (SP): A signature Pallavi Foley design would be…?
Pallavi Foley (PF):  “It might sound like an oxymoron, but a signature Pallavi Foley piece is luxurious and understated in an unexpected way. To bring in drama by breaking norms of conventional jewels and taking the craft of jewellery making to a further new level of sculptural and artistic three dimensional forms. I believe in designing beautifully crafted Avant-garde jewels that come straight from my imagination and tell stories.”

SP: Your jewellery is generally bold and unusual. Where do you draw your inspiration from?
PF: I draw inspiration from all things and emotions that are a part of my life. I believe in letting my imagination loose, and be receptive to whatever catches my fancy. My imagination is my biggest design resource and I am fearless when I design. I find my inspiration everywhere, in my lover, in my vivid visualization of what I read, in movies, in paintings, in my daughter’s constant chatter.

Travel in particular, whets her creativity, adding a new dimension to her own persona as well.

I Could Look At You All Day! Inspired From An Inverted Mushrooms And Floral Textures Is Three Dimensional Gold And Diamond Ring By Pallavi Foley

Talking about the unique 3D aspect of Pallavi’s jewellery, Pallavi hails from a family of professionals and has spent a lot of time at her father’s construction site in her childhood. She would witness the blocks that would build the structure. “Three dimension – 3D is almost a part of my DNA” she quotes.
One of her latest collection is inspired by the jaalis of the Taj Mahal. She believes 3D adds sculptural tone to the jewellery and prefers visualising even the most traditional Indian motifs in 3D.

SP: Who is a Pallavi Foley bride?
PF: She is a bold woman, with a strong sense of identity and style. “A bride should always look at pieces that exuberates her personal style and enhance her aura.” Though she should be who she is even during her wedding, though at this time I would urge her to get out of her comfort zone a bit and walk that extra mile with us. The power a piece of jewellery holds in it is tremendous and it can transform the look drastically. It is not about wearing a large piece, but a piece that’s truly you from the core. The jewels are dramatic yet intensely wearable and comfortable. A lot of the pieces are even modular, so they can be worn in singular layers and parts even later. I believe, that there is nothing more sexy, than feeling special, beautiful and yet very comfortable, with your clothes and jewels on your wedding day.

And He Knows When To Capture That Smile! Inspired From The Jaalis And Architecture Of The Taj Mahal Are A Pair Of Gold Earrings With Ruby Buds And Pearl Hangings

SP: What according to you will be the jewellery trends?
PF: Modular jewellery that can be worn on multiple occasions.
To layer pieces of jewels of one’s choice, experimenting and having fun trying different styles.
Long station necklaces, statement necklaces are in vogue.
Baroque pearls, rather than round pearls.
Personalized bespoke couple bands (weddings bands for men and women) that tell your personal story of love and the passion that a couple share.
Hair accessories. Reinvent the traditional maangtikas that go right to the back of the head, thereby very creatively bringing tradition to the forefront.
A combination of various crafts, with traditional motifs, used in a sculptural and artistic tone. A refreshing and avant-garde view to jewellery crafts is most sought after as a trend.
Mismatch your earrings or just wear one.
Cuffs that come over the long sleeved outfit.
Not to forget, a large nath!
A refreshing and avant-garde view to jewellery crafts is most sought after as a trend; a combination of various crafts, with traditional motifs, used in a sculptural and artistic tone.
Chandelier earrings and shoulder dusters and lastly, cuffs that come over the long sleeved outfit.

SP: Having an online presence for designers and jewellers? You take on it!
PF: Having an online presence is a part of my plan. Customers visit my store not only from Banglore but across the country and internationally. We are looking at going international with a store in London shortly.

SP: How important is social media as a platform to promote jewellery?
PF: It’s the need of the hour. One has to constantly elevate themselves and keep upto the changing times. Social media plays a vital role in creating a brand presence and promoting ones jewellery.

Prernaa Makhariaa In Conversation With Pallavi Foley At IIJS 2017. Prernaa’s Pearl Cap Designed By Velvetcase.Com

I will be difficult for me to express in words about how elated I was to shoot Pallavi’s creations. In my opinion Black & White photography with coloured jewellery looks stunning. As glamourous as they look, click the video below to know the hard work behind putting up these great images. Kudos to my photographer friend Dheeraj Thakur and school friend Mithil Vaidya who edited the images.

‘Everything you can imagine is real’ Pablo Picasso

Story, Concept, Model : Style Prer, Prernaa Makhariaa