Maharani Baug for the Banjara (Nomadic soul) in you!

“Maharani Baug”(translated to mean “garden of pleasure”), is a Pune based jewelry label that has a charming collection of elegantly handpicked tribal jewelry and unique fashion accessories. These pieces are perfect to add that vintage, ethnic, bohemian touch to your festive attire. The creative team at Maharani Baug consists of the sister duo, Abhilasha and Aditi, who besides jewelry are also passionate about fashion, travel, design and all things beautiful. Their newest festive collection, titled “Shakti” has a wonderful mix of elaborate neckpieces, danglers, rings and anklets with a distinct aged patina that only adds to the charm of these pieces. A one-on-one with Aditi of Maharani Baug, got me talking about their journey so far and more about their latest collection Shakti. What’s more, the images shared here are exclusively just for you!

TECD:Hello and welcome to TECD, Aditi! So glad we are finally doing this feature! Let’s start by asking you how did Maharani Baug happen?

Aditi: “Thanks Sruthi, so excited to be featured here on TECD! 

My sister Abhilasha and I are lucky to be third-generation, army children. So, in a way, our family has been nomadic for the last three generations and this has created a yearning for travel, exploration and an eternal gypsy soul within us! We have been fortunate to witness several of India’s craft clusters first hand in our formative growing years and this has left such an indelible mark on us that it led both of us to create Maharani Baug despite our flourishing corporate careers! What started as admiration for our grandmother’s jewelry collection, collected by her over the years from her time in Pakistan and Kashmir, evolved into a great desire to share our love for jewelry and these bold, affordable and handmade pieces with the world.”

TECD: What would you say is the USP of your brand?

Abhilasha: “Firstly, our brand is a contradiction - we mix the old with the modern, the past with the present, the rough with the smooth and royal with the tribal.

Secondly, a lot of our pieces we sell are vintage! At Maharani Baug we love rescuing jewelry that is often being sold to be melted and converted into something flashy and new! We scout for pieces that have been pre-loved and that come with a story! We appreciate the history and heritage that comes with a vintage piece and makes us wonder about all the adventures the piece has had and the magical memories it created with its previous owner/s. As a rule, we never clean our vintage pieces - we love that they have a wonderful patina! Cleaning vintage pieces would actually make them loose some of the charm and character, so as you will notice on close examination, a lot of our jewelry shows a few spots of oxidation and signs of wear tear!"

TECD: Tell us more about your latest collection Shakti? 

Aditi: “This collection manifested from our desire to celebrate the feminine form SHAKTI - the manifestation of divine feminine creative power within us all. We consciously chose to launch this collection during Navratri, 9 Holy nights of celebrating our womanhood and also chose to work with an all-woman artisan base. Maharani Baug prides itself at assisting and empowering the women craftspeople of India and giving them a fair chance to earn a livelihood.”

TECD: What according to you, is the most satisfying aspect about your entrepreneurial venture?

Aditi: “The best part of this journey has been the chance to interact with wonderful women - first our craftswomen - we love and respect their craft, their dedication and their entrepreneurial skills and how wonderfully they balance home and work. Second, all the fabulous women patrons of Maharani Baug.”

TECD: Where does one shop for these pieces?

Aditi: “We currently sell via Instagram and our Facebookpage. Just drop us a line there with your questions about the products and pricing queries and we'll get back to you with the details."

I'm sure you are lusting over these gorgeous pieces, so head straight over to Maharani Baug's Insta page and make your pick before these limited edition beauties are all sold out !

(Image Courtesy: Maharani Baug)

Girl Thinks (Featured Artist/Brand)

Here at TECD, we revel in showcasing artists who push the limits of originality, dream big and venture to turn those dreams into reality! Today’s feature throws spotlight on a new-age jewelry brand that embraces more than just precious metals and thrives on the model of avant-garde. Our featured brand, believes in embracing the ephemeral quality of paper and has judiciously manipulated the so-called fragile material to create light-weight, vibrant, versatile, whimsical accessories with a boho-chic appeal. Introducing, “Girl Thinks” (GT) - a Gurgaon based jewelry brand that churns out fashion accessories with a distinct style! Characterized by combining paper, graphic designs and colorful beads/pom-pops, the term paper jewelry has a whole new meaning. Vivid pop art colors bring alive designs inspired by India – the lotus, pankha (handfan), mehendi inspired art, popular Indian Hindu deities and the traditional Madhubani art are just some of the core design muses that appear on these unique creations. 

Girl Thinks is led by mother and daughter duo, Aparna and Ananya Vyas. Though they come from different professional backgrounds, anything creative has always been their common meeting ground. Aparna hails from a prominent art family in Lucknow and is an artist herself. Combining her passion for art and her need to share her knowledge, she takes great pleasure in teaching visual arts. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Ananya too graduated with a degree in Fine arts and a specialization in Advertising. I had the opportunity to have a one-on-one with Ananya and talk to her about her foray into the world of design and learn more about their company Girl Thinks.

TECD: Welcome to TECD Ananya! Delighted to talk to you about your creative venture Girl Thinks! Let’s start by asking you what does the name “Girl Thinks” actually symbolize?

Ananya: “We always wanted to have a name that was an interesting one. Something that made people stop and wonder what it could possibly mean. Well, we’re a team of two girls doing it all. The best team that could ever be. We’re a mother daughter duo and Girl Thinks is our little company where we love dreaming of all things beautiful and work our best to make them happen.”

TECD: Do share more about your journey into the world of jewelry design? 

Ananya: “A few years back, a relative of ours was having an exhibition of her kurtas and sarees in Delhi and had asked my mother to keep a bunch of her handmade terracotta and paper earrings alongside her display of clothes. By the end of that one day exhibition we were completely sold out on all our paper earrings while we still had a lot of the terracotta ones left. We were beyond thrilled, it was a fun day and that was it. We did not see any reason to pursue it, until a few years later when I was working as an associate producer at an Internet based start-up and the work load was insane. Seeing me hustle so hard, it was my mother who suggested if I could do something of my own and put all that hard work for myself. Glad I took up on that suggestion and after endless sessions of scratching our heads in hope of finding an idea, we finally saw what had always been right in front of our eyes and it was the paper jewelry my mother did years back! That is how the idea fell in place and we couldn’t have had anything more unique to start off with!”

TECD: What according to you is the USP of your brand? 

Ananya: “Girl Thinks is our innovative little take at making pieces of jewelry that are exquisite and fun at the same time, a refreshing break from the kind of jewelry we’re used to see every day. The medium being Paper of course gets people fascinated and makes us get noticed amongst the massive jewelry jungle that’s out there. But besides it all, what we truly believe sets us apart are the designs that people have been showering their love upon. Bold, India inspired pieces with a dash of quirk and lots of color is how we do it. Keeping it all handmade in times of things being mass produced, we are so proud to be making it all, one at a time which adds a special uniqueness to each piece and keeps us different.” 

TECD: How different is it working with paper as a medium? What would you say are the advantages and challenges of working with paper from your experience?

Ananya: “We don’t consider Paper differently. It’s just like any other medium that comes with its own set of flexibility and challenges. What really makes the medium different is the way we’ve put it to use and we’re more than happy to be able to give it an innovative twist by making beautiful, long lasting jewelry and in the way invent a style that’s our very own. Advantages – Amazingly Light weight and hassle free. Jewelry that you can wear all day, every day. Disadvantages – Although we’ve made the jewelry moisture resistant, we still advise to keep it off water.”

TECD: I'm curious about what your creative process entails. Tell us more? 

Ananya: “We don’t settle down to create our jewelry piece by piece, but rather by a vision as to how we want the entire collection to look and create a theme around it. We’re seeking inspiration all the time, pinning ideas on the internet to jotting them down in diaries and mobile apps. Over the time we’ve learned to find inspiration in little things around us and living in a country like India- you really don’t have to look far to find something interesting and give it your own unique twist. Since we are handcrafting every piece, we are sharp on details. Be it a certain color, the size of a bead or the weight of the jewelry, every aspect is well thought of and has hours of brainstorming sessions behind it with layers of detailing underneath. It’s such an incredible and satisfying experience to see an inspiration form into an idea and travel a long way to finally become a product that becomes a part of so many other lives.“

TECD: Who according to you is your ideal GT woman? 

Ananya: “The ideal GT woman is someone who makes her own style rather than be trend follower. She loves color and a touch of culture to her personality. Bold and headstrong, she isn’t afraid to embrace something new and be different. But having said that all, we’d simply want every women to wear our jewelry!”

TECD: If you had to narrow it down to one memorable experience w.r.t. GT, what would that be?

Ananya: “When we look back to how we begun to how things are today, all we have in between are so many wonderful experiences. But the most precious one being of a day when I was travelling by the metro and a girl walked in wearing a pair of our Kathputli earrings! What a thrill that was, spotting someone flaunting our jewelry, it was just too much happiness to contain!”

TECD: What are your future plans for GT?

Ananya: "With our designs being the soul and strength of our company we are excited to be expanding into a range of other beautiful products, within this year, besides the jewelry, that will always remain an integral part.”

TECD: What is your success mantra as a small business owner? 

Ananya :"It’s not that we’re a pro at this, but here are a few things that we’ve learned along the way:

· Always remember why you started and let your business be an unapologetic reflection of your dreams.

· Failure is inevitable, so learn to take the blows and embrace them because they happen for a reason. 

· Make your products speak for yourself. Good products and a sweet word go a long way and have people come back to you for more. 

· Success doesn’t happen overnight, so learn to be patient. 

· Count your blessings and don’t even think of giving up!”

Thank you Ananya for taking the time to share your wonderful brand and your inspirational journey with my readers. We wish this very talented duo nothing but the very best! 

With summer here, team pieces from the GT collection with an ethnic sleeveless kurta, saree or a regular white tee and jeans. These pieces will effortlessly fit into your style and get all the lovely attention your way! To place your order, write to Ananya at girlxthinks@gmail.com. To see their entire collection and stay abreast of latest updates on their upcoming collections, connect with them via Instagram and their FB page. 

As for you my folks, I hope you enjoyed this feature and have yourself a great week ahead!

(Image Courtesy: Girl Thinks) 

Put your best foot forward with "Pastels & Pop"! (Featured Shop)

New Style Alert People! The Bengaluru based, "Pastels and Pop"(P&P) is the new rage in designer handcrafted juttis. The Chhabra sisters have successfully given the old-style Punjabi juttis, a new modern avatar. The modern juttis not only complement traditional Indian attire, but also western outfits. In an array of stunning designs and colors, the footware has options for every occasion - be it the everyday casual look or the occasional dress up. We sat down with Akanksha Chhabra (one of the two co-founders of P&P) to discuss about their brand and inspirational entrepreneurial journey so far. 

TECD: Hello and welcome to TECD Akanksha! Delighted to have the opportunity to connect with you. Let’s start by asking you, the thought behind the name “Pastels and Pop”?

Akanksha : “Thank you Sruthi for showcasing Pastels and Pop on TECD. 

Our products speak the language of color. While we make Juttis in POP colors like a bright pink or a lush red, we also play around with earthy/pastel colors like lemon yellow, pista green and soft peaches. Pastels represent the essence of traditional handcrafted Juttis, and, by having added a pop factor to them, we are redesigning Juttis for the modern woman. So the name is an attempt to express these amalgams.”

TECD :Tell us more about the duo that is the heart and soul of Pastels and Pop? 

Akanksha: “We are two sisters, Akanksha Chhabra and Aarti Chhabra, who are the co founders of Pastels & Pop. I, Akanksha, am an ex-software professional with a Bachelors’ Degree in Engineering. But my lifelong passion of designing lured me into this industry. I have always had this dream of starting my own enterprise, and now my dream has come true.

My younger sister Aarti, pursuing Bachelors in Business Management, is in her final year. Creativity runs through her blood and finds its way into her hands, which is why she’s amazing at sketching and art. Our mutual interest in clothing and accessories led us on the path to Pastels & Pop.”

TECD: Let's rewind to the time that Pastels and Pop came into being? 

Akanksha : “My sister and I have a never ending love affair with the Indian Jutti. Our initial years were spent in the heart of Punjab, and we always adored the Juttis our mother used to buy.

In December 2014, my sister Neha, was about to get married. It was the first wedding in our family, so we were naturally very excited about the preparations. As everyone knows, the Big Indian Wedding is all about grandeur with the clothes being a huge part of that. Naturally inclined towards designing and dressmaking right from childhood, the three of us then created and designed all our outfits from scratch, and brought our sister’s dream wedding outfit to life.

When we received innumerable compliments throughout the wedding for our clothes and shoes, that’s when it hit us! First, we absolutely loved the designing process, and, second, there’s a huge, vacant market in Bangalore and other South Indian cities for quality designer ethnic wear which is also affordable. We went about doing our research and in July 2015, Pastels & Pop debuted with its first ever Jutti collection!”

TECD: What according to you is the USP of Pastels and Pop? 

Akanksha: “Our major USP is that our collection is, and always will be, versatile! We cater to the palettes of ladies of a wide age group; some of our Juttis provoke elegance, while some can get downright funky, so that you can have a pair of P&P Juttis for any occasion!

Apart from that, we also like to believe that we are one of those companies who actually believe that customer is king. We take customer reviews very seriously, and ensure to always maintain a high level of customer satisfaction.”

TECD: How would you describe your ideal Pastels and Pop woman ?

Akanksha: “The ideal Pastels & Pop woman is any woman. We like to believe that each and every woman is born beautiful. Every lady is a Cinderella, looking for her pair of glass slippers. There doesn't always have to be a Prince Charming for you to feel special; we at P&P would love to make your fairytale come true!”

TECD: Tell us more about your creative process in bringing a pair of juttis into existence?

Akanksha: “At Pastels & Pop, special care is taken to make sure that the finest detail of each Jutti is perfect.

The designs that we introduce are not accidental or arbitrary. A lot of thought goes into the type of prints and elements that we choose, embroidery techniques we employ, and the base colors that we use, so that they intersect with the taste of the modern woman.”

TECD: Your most memorable experience w.r.t. Pastels and Pop?

Akanksha : “Our first order, a Bride ordered our juttis for her wedding functions and after the wedding she left us a beautiful email in which she told us about how much she loved wearing our juttis and how comfortable they were! Not to mention the number of compliments she got! It always feels amazing when clients take time to click pictures in our juttis and send them to us with lots of love and appreciation. And the biggest compliment for us is, when they order with us again :)”

TECD: What has been your success mantra as small business owner? 

Akanksha: “Just believe in yourself and your idea. Pay attention to detail. Customer service is the biggest aspect for any company, so make sure you keep your customer's happy by providing them with the best product and best support.”

TECD: What’s next on the cards for Pastels and Pop?

Akanksha: “We have received love and appreciation from not only our India based clientele but also international clients. While we have handled individual international orders offline until now, we plan to go international very soon, by expanding our reach into the world market, ensuring that all our customers around the world have a hassle free buying experience.”

When it comes to footware haven, Pastels & Pop it is as you don't have to choose between style or comfort! The floral and printed ones pair well with jeans, shorts and dresses. While the embellished ones go beautifully with salwars, chudidars, sarees and lehengas. To stay abreast of their latest summer collection SS16 that launches this June, connect with P&P via their FB page and Instagram. This collection is going to showcase juttis that are perfect for a bright summer. Be it a day at the office, a day out with friends, or even a wedding! The summer collection has pairs that range from monochrome, floral to embellished beauties in an array of colors. To get yours today, click here. They are also available online at Ikkivi, Pernia's Pop up Shop and The Wedding Brigade.

Thank you Akansha for taking the time to connect with us! We wish you and Aarti all the very best in your entrepreneurial journey!

Namaste NYC (Featured Shop)

Fashion designer and color analyst, Ritu Jadwani brings her expertise in fashion and apparel design with her innate ability to combine color and effortless style to the fashion brand, Namaste NYC! Based in India, the fashion line churns out hand crafted products that pairs traditional Indian textiles, hand embroideries, metal work, punch work with contemporary flair, to cater to a global design palate. Their latest spring collection boasts of a boho vibe and cheerful hues. The collection aims to revisit the popular Indian traditional textiles such as the ajrakh, block print and hand tie-dye!

A socially responsible brand, Namaste NYC advocates fair trade practices, women empowerment and makes a conscious effort to endorse and revive the traditional textile making techniques of India,“We work with the globally renowned non-profit organizations in Gujrat (India), which focus towards women empowerment and sustainable rural development through crafts and embroideries. All our products are made in sweat free women operated ethical workshops. 50% of our profits go back directly to the artisans.”

Whether you’re on the look out for the quintessential indigo scarf to keep you warm on nippy spring evenings, clothes with an edge for your Sunday brunch with girlfriends, the ultimate journal to pen down your inner thoughts and ideas or the perfect pair of teal sandals......Nasmaste NYC has something for everyone. Here are a few more of my favorites from the Namaste NYC cache:

To see more of their wonderful products, click here. They also have an online presence at Etsy and can be contacted via their FB page for purchase queries and other requests.

Image Credit/Copyright : Namaste NYC