Presenting Mrinmayee’s, the splash of color collection - “ULLASINI"

Looking for a little shopping therapy this festival season?
I’ve got you covered! It’s been a year since I last featured the Ireland based jewelry brand “Mrinmayee”. In a short span of time, this brand has created a niche for itself and has become a household name with ladies who appreciate handcrafted goodness. What I absolutely love about Mrinmayee is that the designs beautifully balance contemporary style but from an Indian standpoint. In time for the festive season, they have come up with a stunning, kaleidoscopic collection, “Ullasini”! The capsule collection is totally in sync with the colors and spirit of the Indian festive season. The focal point of Ullasini is the "silver-glass pendants". Subhadra has added a small set of semi-precious stones and pure silver beads for happy pops of color so as to coordinate with different attires. Holding it all together is the handcrafted, pure silver chains that keep the look clean and simple.

I must tell you that this particular collaboration with Subhadra was exciting and challenging! Challenging because, I’m usually very happy being behind the camera for all of my collaborations. But with this one, Subhadra wanted me to be her "Ullasini Lady". I was required to put together looks not only for the festive season but also create looks that would transition into everyday style. It did not take much time or effort on her part to convince me, as I was completely blown away by the collection! Each piece was so lovingly and thoughtfully made, I had a hard time choosing just a few pieces to work with.

Having embedded the feeling of euphoria in the design aspect of this collection, it is rightly titled “Ullasini”- one who is Ecstatic. Subhadra further goes on to explain the inspiration behind this wonderful collection, “ I love these lines by Albert Einstein which go like: 

"We dance for laughter, we dance for tears. 

  We dance for madness, we dance for fears. 

  We dance for hopes, we dance for screams, 

  We are the dancers, we create the dreams." 

It so beautifully describes the passion and ecstasy that each of us possess within us and my idea was to reflect this state in wearable pieces of jewelry.

We've seen a lot of jewelry with silver-glass pendants. I didn't want to put together something run down like adding a string of semi-precious stones. I also didn't want to hang pendants off of pre-made chains as it would leave nothing for my creativity nor would it be playfully festive. Thus the idea of 60-40 came to my mind; long silver chains with a dash of semi-precious stones added for vibrancy and finished with the stunning beauties that the silver-glass pendants are. The ghungroos (bells) that are the dangles for each pendant are literally synonymous with the sounds of classical dance or the rhythm of our hearts.”

The limited edition collection consists of 10 pieces in an array of colors. Talking about the technical aspects of the process behind Ullasini, Subhadra tells me, “This was one collection where the design wouldn't have worked had I sketched it. It had to be done on the go. Because the most important aspect of each neck-piece was using the right amount/number of semi-precious stones. They just couldn't be too less or too many. So there were times when I'd put a necklace together and make it in 30 minutes and others where I worked on them for 3 days.” 

Here’s what “I” loved about Ullasini:

~ Go Long or go Home - The neckpieces in this collection shout “go long”. And I absolutely loved that about it. I didn’t have to worry about the neck lines competing with the jewelry!
~ For the love of handmade - The thread of simplicity, elegance, versatility, handcrafted genuineness and love of details is evident in every piece of Ullasini. 

~ Versatility – Though the pieces have a bohemian flair, what’s wonderful about this collection is that it gives one the limitless options to combine with any kind of outfit. You could do a casual or dressy look, effortlessly go from day to night as well as create easy pairings with either western casuals or Indian formals. 

~ Colors a plenty – The collection has pieces in an array of hues from bold fuchsia, chic blues to an opulent yellow in an assortment of designs and sizes. 

~ Last but not the least it feeds the boho-chic side of me and I know that it will do the same for you too.

I decided to create one traditional Indian look for the festive season and a majority of fusion looks that would work beautifully throughout the year. With the eclectic charm of this collection, it was easy to create an impressive look in no time. I paired it with denims, Ikats, Kalamkaris, the latest fit and flair dresses to a Kanchi pattu. Yes, that’s how adaptable these pieces are! A must have accessory for every wardrobe.

I always like knowing a little more about the person behind the brand, their experiences and thoughts that went into creating a piece that I own. Apart from that, I also firmly believe, we all could learn and grow from each other’s experiences. With that in mind, I asked Subhadra, what was the one thing that has changed her as a person, since she started her brand Mrinmayee, “Running a business is definitely life changing in itself; running one that is a one-woman team is a much bigger challenge. Though I'm thankful for some key qualities that were imbibed in me since childhood, one thing that I had to learn on the go was to provide excellent customer service without losing my self-respect. I have been very fortunate to connect with the sweetest of patrons who turned into friends and respected and valued my work in the true sense. Then there were a select few of those (thankfully!)) that viewed me and my business as a service at their convenient disposal. I had to learn the very hard way that I have to be unabashedly proud of my work and not let my humility and kindness be exploited. I totally agree with the meaning behind "Once bitten, twice shy" but bitter experiences are what make us stronger, right?” Couldn't agree with her more!

On a parting, nostalgic note, Subhadra shares, “2017 has been a very fulfilling year so far. So many new connections, new friendships, new patrons, impromptu collections, my teeny tiny first sellout collection and immense heartwarming appreciation from dear patrons across the globe. It is so motivating and encouraging that I'm only raring to go for more. ULLASINI is a collection close to my heart and I really hope all your wonderful readers will give it as much love as you did to my earlier collections.

I’d also like to mention that being featured on TECD is nothing short of a celebrity moment for me. I particularly take pride in being a part of not just any blog that writes about creatives, but one that strives to present unique, exciting and entertaining content to it's readers, not to forget the exceptional quality of them. So understandably being a part of TECD has put Mrinmayee on the map. It has paved way to patrons connecting with me from across the globe and has introduced me to people who truly understand and value my work. I would rather connect with someone who'd love and take pride in adorning my creations rather than buy them for the sake of it. Sruthi, TECD has done exactly what I wanted and I'm ever thankful to you for this!” 

Subhadra, we absolutely love your work and know for sure that you are here to stay! Wishing you loads of love, light and happiness! Thank you for trusting me with Ullasini. I had a blast and would do this again in a heart beat! 

As for my dear readers, if you are as smitten by this impressive collection and would like to order your very own piece of Ullasini, please head to Subhadra's website and purchase directly at Mrinmayee. Alternatively you can write to her with any questions at subhadra@mrinmayeejewellery.com. There is a special offer just for you my dear readers!!! Subhadra would like to offer a 15% discount to TECD readers, valid from 6th September 2017 to end-of-day 10th September 2017. The discount code is LOVETECD15. Shop away, what are you waiting for ???

(FYI: You can also connect with them via Instagram and Facebook for regular updates of their latest collection and sale information.) 

(Image Credit/Copyright: Jewelry images by Mrinmayee, All others by SPG and Pranav for The East Coast Desi. The images may not be used for commercial or non-commercial use without the prior written permission of Mrinmayee and TECD.)