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.)

Spotlight on the Jewelry brand "Mrinmayee" (Featured Brand)

Today, we bring to you the jewelry label Mrinmayee! Based in Dublin, Ireland, the pieces created at Mrinmayee are the lovely collaboration of human ingenuity, elegance of Sterling and Thai Karen Hill Tribe Silver and the iridescent sheen of semi-precious stones. The ethnic-contemporary pieces are centered on the design philosophy of simplicity and effortless style. Hand cut, hammered, polished, and strung together with love, the artist and creator at Mrinmayee is Subhadra Lakshmanan. A Mechanical and Materials Engineer by education, the lady grew up admiring her paternal grandmother's style aesthetics and has since been inspired to curate jewelry "for strong, individualistic, beautiful at heart people like her" shares Subhadra. When she is not in her home studio creating delightful pieces of jewelry, you can find her drumming her fingers to the beat of instrumental music, enjoying a performance of classical dance, catching up on the latest movies or reading her favorite authors, Jhumpa Lahiri and Jeffrey Archer. Subhadra also enjoys dabbling in oil painting. I had a chance to sit down with this lovely lady and talk to her about her foray into the world of jewelry design and her creative journey so far. 

Blue Flash Moonstones, Blue Glass Beads and Thai Karen Hill Tribe Silver come together to create this stunning statement piece from Mrinmayee's latest collection "Boodein"!

TECD: Hello and welcome to TECD Subhadra . Let’s start by asking you what does Mrinmayee mean?

Subhadra : “First of all a huge thanks to Sruthi for making me a part of this super talented group of featured artists on her wonderful blog. It is indeed an honor to be introduced to her lovely readers and have my work showcased on this amazing platform. I’m super delighted and very humbled to say the least. 

Mrinmayee means “made of earth”; it’s another name of Goddess Durga who is formed from the mud of the earth. It is synonymous with the elements of my jewelry – silver and semi-precious stones that are mined from the earth’s core and hence the name Mrinmayee.”

Add a touch of boho-chic to your attire with these elegantly designed beauties! 

TECD: Tell us about your foray into the world of jewelry design? 

Subhadra : “At the expense of sounding very clichéd, I must say it was totally unplanned and by chance. I was once discussing custom jewelry designs with my friend (who used to curate jewelry for her brand at the time) and decided to sketch some for her. When she saw what I had churned out she suggested that I start my own line. At the time I totally brushed aside her idea. But I must say I couldn’t resist the temptation and started my self-learning journey of jewelry making, taking the seed she had planted in my head. Soon after I needed some thank you gifts for my little one’s Montessori teachers. I decided to give it a personal touch and made simple jewelry gifts for them. This progressed on to making jewelry as gifts for my husband’s colleagues and friends. That’s when I realized how much I loved doing it and that’s where my real passion lied. With the persuasion, encouragement and motivation from immediate family and friends I decided to create my very own brand!”

A sneak peek of the Ambika Collection, to be released soon!

TECD: What according to you is the USP of Mrinmayee?

Subhadra: “In principle I do not sell curated jewelry. I think it is an easy way out for a truly creative person. Every piece I have in my store has been put together by me according to my design aesthetics using high quality, genuine handcrafted elements. I also believe that Mrinmayee pieces are very versatile – a necklace I create can be worn as both an everyday item as well as a statement accessory to a dinner date, a concert or any other outing.”

TECD: Please take us through your creative process?

Subhadra: “Earlier I would source elements as and when I saw them and then sit down to derive designs using those elements. That was quite challenging and fun. Since the last collection, I have started enjoying sketching out my designs in detail and then sourcing materials as required. I sketch everything from stones and silver that’ll be used, colors and shapes to the lengths. In either case I always follow the principle of not having more than 10 pieces per collection and I never make more than one piece of a single design except rarely. Each piece is one-of-a-kind. Once that is in place it’s a bit of a waiting period while the materials arrive during which time I plan my photo-shoots. I always like to finish making all the pieces before proceeding to take pictures. I find this part of the whole creative process the most stressful and most time-consuming because this is what the whole world is going to see; so it needs to be every bit perfect. The photo-shoots are followed by lots of sorting and editing and many hours at the computer getting my collection social media and buyer ready. Once I’ve given this a satisfactory green signal, I launch the collection to my lovely audience." 

TECD: I've noticed that each and every collection at Mrinmayee has a symbolic meaning. Share with us about your latest collection Boodein?

Subhadra : “I had a chance to live and work in Seattle for 2 years. I absolutely love that city; always wanted to live there longer and miss it a lot. When we moved to Ireland, I realized how similar it was in its vibe, its warmth, its natural beauty, and above all its rainy season. I loved the rains in Seattle and I love them here in Ireland. The gentle raindrops remind me of tiny jewels waiting to caress the ground and beautify it with their sparkle.

Inspired by the raindrops of nature translated into little teardrop gemstones- BOONDEIN took shape.  These pieces are slightly more festive than my usual style of creation but for those who dig ethnic-contemporary, boho-chic, non-traditional jewelry these pieces are a must-have!”

Some of my favorites from the Boodein collection!

TECD: How would you describe your ideal Mrinmayee woman? 

Subhadra : “She’s the one who believes in personal style and does not conform to societal stereotypes; one who doesn’t shy away from adorning herself for work, a movie outing, a wedding or a simple get-together with friends, with equal enthusiasm. She’s one who considers adornment and accessorizing as part of her being.”

Should you wish to add a slice of tribal touch to your style, these pieces are perfect!

TECD: What has been your most memorable experience in your creative journey?

Subhadra : “I must say it was when I made my first ever sale. It felt like the biggest achievement! A triumph that someone other than me likes, believes in and appreciates my work." 

TECD: What would you say is the success mantra for a small business owner? 

Subhadra : “Ha,Ha! that’s one thing I’m still figuring out and trying to get a grasp on. I’m still very new to the field and each day is an on-going learning journey for me. But I think few things that’ll definitely help anyone excel are individuality, sincerity, genuine appreciation for another’s work/talent and commitment to excellent customer service without sacrificing your self-respect.”

Elegant earrings in an array of colors!

TECD: Future plans for Mrinmayee?

Subhadra : “I have quite a few lined up but those that I definitely want to achieve in the near future are :

~ Would love to incorporate a bracelet and anklet range into my collections. 

~ Become a certified silversmith; nothing is more satisfying than being able to create every element of your creation on your own, 

~ Do exclusive collections celebrating my most favorite tribal artists of the world – The Rabari, The Berber, The Thai Karen and The Bedouin, 

~Transition to my own personal website.”

These versatile pieces style well with traditional Indian and western outfits. Mrinmayee patrons range in the age group of 15 to all the way upto 65, so there is something for everyone. Mrinmayee's "Boondein collection, is exclusively available at Avishya (FYI :Avishya is a Chennai based online platform that ships worldwide and accepts all major forms of payments). Mrinmayee also retails via their shop at Etsy. (For the convenience of the customer, they also have the option to shop via bank transfer.) Incase of Custom orders and product inquiries email Subhadra directly at yoursmrinmayee@gmail.com. (Mrinmayee ships worldwide.) For latest product updates and launch of their Ambika collection stay connected via their FB page and Insta account.

Thank you so much Subhadra for taking the time to chat with us and share your creative journey. We wish you all the very best! 

(Image Credit: Mrinmayee)