On February 8, Sabyasachi debuted his latest collection of High Jewellery in continued partnership with Bergdorf Goodman, the iconic retailer in the Jewelry Salon at 754 Fifth Avenue in New York City. The exclusive collection includes pieces like The Byzantine Cravate inspired by menswear tailoring for women and Gustav Klimt’s Golden Phase. The Moulin Rouge Suite that brings together jewellery crafts and aesthetics from Medieval, Byzantine, Georgian, Victorian, Italian and Bengal renaissance movements. And The Bagan Necklace that is made in homage to the traditional garden necklace from Bengal, that celebrates the finest of the region’s goldsmithing and craftsmanship to celebrate the plenitude of tropical flora and fauna.
In an exclusive interview, ace designer Sabyasachi talks of his love for jewellery, the effort to preserve Indian jewellery craftsmanship, the return of non-gender-separated aesthetics and a possible pre-Oscars exhibit with a prominent American retailer. Edited excerpts:
You once said, “I prefer traditional clothing through the lens of maximalism or minimalism. The in-between leaves me cold.” Does your jewellery adhere to the same notion of nothing in between?
Yes, absolutely. My consumers are conscious with their choices and want to invest in heirloom products that are wearable and unique. They have moved beyond the in-between to either acquiring statement-making jewellery or everyday pieces that can be worn with ease and repeated often. My aesthetic oscillates between the maximal and minimum, as that’s where I see the ideal balance of design, craft and authenticity.
Most of the outfits from your atelier become heirlooms to be passed down generations. Is your jewellery also purported to last generations?
Jewellery even more than clothing is made to last across generations. This is one of the only categories that doesn’t just last a lifetime but escalates in value even through the consumption process. Be it the precious nature of gemstones and gold, or the value of the rarest of fine craftsmanship - jewellery will always be the original heirloom.
India has been synonymous with superlative jewellery, each region with its own distinct style. Is Sabyasachi High Jewellery a homage to the master goldsmiths of Calcutta, colloquially known as the babus?
I remember spending hours rummaging through my grandmother’s cupboard when I was a young boy. I was obsessed with her bright Benarasi saris and her jewellery box. Her most treasured possession was an old handmade necklace from Calcutta’s most renowned jewellery store Hamilton & Co, which was back in the day considered the Tiffany of India. The absolute thrill of discovering something so special is deeply emotional. It was much later that I understood the value of that piece, that was forged by the finest of jewellery craftspeople from Bengal, with crafts that were fast fading away. It was then that I realised that some of India’s finest jewellery craftspeople and crafts are from Bengal. With Sabyasachi Jewellery it has been my mission to bring this historic legacy of craftsmanship back. Everything I create is a renaissance of the depth of craft and culture of Calcutta. I truly believe that Calcutta was the seat of luxury and luxury will return to Calcutta.
And what has been done to make this legacy thrive again?
I’m very glad to say that over the last seven years of Sabyasachi Jewellery, we’ve seen a wave of reverse migration of Bengal’s jewellery master craftspeople back to Calcutta. Currently, all our jewellery that includes the High, Fine and Heritage collections are conceptualised and made within the brand’s Jewellery Atelier. Apart from a team of highly trained gemologists and technical designers, Sabyasachi’s Jewellery Atelier employs about 50 in-house artisans and master craftspeople including goldsmiths, hand-setters, engravers, Meenakaars (enamellers) and Patwas (hand stringers) specialised in legacy craftsmanship and techniques. Most of whom had moved away from Bengal and are now back. We also work with various artisan communities from West Bengal, Rajasthan and pockets in Southern India as part of the brand’s commitment to reviving endangered heritage jewellery crafts such as Jadai (hand setting), Partaj (engraving), Chitai (embossing), Nakashi (repousse), Meenakari (enamelling), Pohai (stringing) and inlay work.
You have been credited with the return of face-framing naths (nose rings) and maangtikas as an essential for every Indian bride. And the Royal Bengal Mangalsutra made quite a splash. Tell us more about the idea and the dominant motifs in this segment.
For culture to be relevant it needs to be dynamic. As society evolves and changes a lot of the symbols, motifs and designs evolve with it. Modern investment is based in wearability, fine craftsmanship, a unique design proposition and frequency of use. It’s the conscious consumerism of luxury done right. And this comes to fruition beautifully with jewellery. If you take the Royal Bengal Mangalsutra for instance, we wanted to create a statement piece of jewellery that is special and precious but one that can be worn with both traditional and non-traditional clothing. It was crucial to make it dynamic. My motifs are hyper Bengal - the palm tree and the Bengal tiger, one that symbolises regional pride and the other that symbolises empowerment.
In ancient India, men and women were confident in excess. Their jewellery even blurred lines of gender-separated aesthetics. Is there a resurgence in jewellery demand by men? If yes, what are their preferences?
Today’s world is gradually moving away from gender differentiations and binaries. We return to the classic idea of jewellery where we weren’t restricted by gender-separated aesthetics. I am creating heirlooms for today and for the generations to come. I am creating jewellery hopefully for a future society and culture that is not shackled by today’s gender norms.
Indians have always looked at gold as investment. Are they now buying jewellery as collectors buy art?
In the years to come as synthetic stones and lab grown diamonds get more and more common there will be nothing rarer than great craftsmanship. Craftsmanship is what will stand the test of time. And it’s my mission to preserve and rejuvenate the legacy jewellery crafts from India.
I believe my customers are conscious consumers—they want to buy less, but buy better. And I want to offer them the best. Our jewellery is made with the finest of heritage craftsmanship using superlative natural gemstones set in gold, each with a unique design proposition—these pieces are made to stand the test of time but they are also made to be worn and reworn and not locked away in a vault after a single wear. As precious and special as they may be, they’re also versatile and can dress up wardrobes of today. That’s the change I want to bring with my jewellery - it’s not just a good investment, it’s a thing of beauty that you would want to wear and revel in.
Over the past years, you have had several jewellery collaborations, first with the World Gold Council and Tanishq, and the last, a signature line of diamond earrings, with Forevermark (a subsidiary of De Beers). Are there more collaborations in the pipeline?
We have a showcase at Bergdorf Goodman in New York in February, followed by a possible showing of our jewellery in Hollywood for a pre-Oscars exhibit with a prominent American retailer—so my mission to showcase the best of Indian jewellery and craftsmanship across the globe, continues.
Was there a difference in approaching and creating jewellery for a New York-based brand like Bergdorf Goodman and for the Indian buyers?
Never. I create iconic products for connoisseurs of luxury and appreciators of superlative quality and craftsmanship. So be it India or the US, we don’t differentiate in our products.
Everyone loves a fine piece of jewellery, but not everyone can afford it. How important is affordable pricing?
More than affordability what I focus on is value. People have moved on from affordable to value shopping. If you create value, there is a customer at every price point.
You say, the future of the Indian jewellery industry is going to be about professionally run businesses, with founders possessing a unique design edge. Do you see Indian jewellers meeting this norm?
Unfortunately, in India jewellery is still sold as commodity. And what you end up seeing is tired designs, diluted craftsmanship and an insistence on following trends. Jewellers in India must understand that if they want to survive, grow and evolve; they have to move from manufacturing-led design to design-led manufacturing.
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