Bangalore : Lights! Camera! Bling! With exquisite jewellery designs on display, models exhibiting artistic pieces, esteemed jury panel from the fashion world gracing the event, the semi-finals of the Artisan Jewellery Design Awards 2014 was nothing short of a fashionable event. Designs of Bangalore participants namely Murugesh Manickam, Shenbagaraman Pillai and Soukata Basu Malhotra were shortlisted by jury members who will now stand to win the prestigious award.
Commenting on the occasion, Vipul Shah, Chairman, GJEPC, said, “The Artisan awards honours outstanding work and applauds the most innovative jewellery designs conceptualized by designers. With Bollywood being a big source of inspiration for us as a nation, the awards capture the glory of ‘Indian cinema’ through the ages resulting in gorgeous statement pieces which are also wearable.”
With the underlying theme ‘100 years of Indian cinema,’ the drama of Bollywood was brought alive through artistic jewellery designs comprising of fine diamonds from the Monochromatic era to gold with coloured traditional stones from the Golden Glory period to multi-coloured precious metal & gem stones from the Colourama era. Organized by the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), the event had models showcase 30 exquisitely created jewellery designs that were an ode to Indian Cinema. 12 unique designs were shortlisted by popular names in the fashion and lifestyle industry such as fashion designer – Sabyasachi Mukerjee, Gemologist & jewellery designer – Farah Khan Ali, art historian, Usha R Balkrishnan, editor, Vogue India- Priya Tanna and socialite – Pinky Reddy.
Renowned fashion Designer and jury member, Sabyasachi Mukerjee said, “The pieces showcased today are absolutely stunning. From the exquisite detailing of the jewellery designs, you can tell that the candidates have put their heart and soul into showcasing pieces that are representative of Bollywood films through various eras.”
Celebrity Jewellery Designer, Farah Khan Ali said, “The jewellery pieces showcased today were gorgeous and each of the designers are stars in their own right. I’m totally awestruck by the designs that have demonstrated the various Bollywood eras. The designs put up today are truly an inspiration to me.”
Socialite Pinky Reddy, from the billion-dollar GVK Group said, “Indian Cinema has always been an integral part of our culture and being a self-confessed film buff, I was fascinated to see intricate designs as part of wearable jewellery. Each era consisted of designs and colours that would transform any woman into a goddess. I must say that the Artisan Awards pays tribute to Indian Cinema in all its grandeur.”
Talking about the event, renowned art historian, Usha R Balkrishnan, said, “Being in the industry of design aesthetics and judging creativity based on the past events, I can tell you that the designs showcased truly elevates the designers to their rightful status as ‘artists’. This platform created by GJEPC, is a great initiative to highlight talent and give India international recognition.”
To make the Indian jewellery design dream possible, Artisan Awards has partnered with RBS, Gemfields, Forevermark, Platinum Guild India, Grand Hyatt and Vogue.
Winners of the award would be announced and felicitated during a red carpet glitterati awards function in Mumbai which will see the who’s who of the social and entertainment circuits and jewellery trade in attendance.