Making a statement with statement jewellery

Comprising 200 pieces, Shehla Chatoor’s jewellery is a limited edition collection.

KARACHI:

Shehla Chatoor, who has been designing clothes for the past 19 years, made an entrance in the yet untapped jewellery designing business, Friday evening. This was a big step for her and she was nervous, she wondered if her latest venture will be taken positively by her clientele.

“This kind of jewellery is something which nobody is doing in the market, so I was testing the waters for the first time,” adds the 40-year-old designer.

The collection mainly consists of gold-plated, semi-precious stones, with some accents of the Buddha’s image. It also has other interesting statement pieces, including necklaces done up in fresh water pearls, earrings in agate and gold-plated hand-cuffs as well. However, statement rings were nowhere to be seen in her collection, despite them being fashion must-haves this season. “I was testing the market and ring sizes can be a little tricky. But next time, hopefully, we will have rings at the exhibition,” says Shehla.



After 19 years of sticking to apparel, what made the designer venture into this market? Shehla reveals two reasons why she delved into this new business, “Firstly, I can never find jewellery which would go with my outfits. Secondly, the increasing trend of destination weddings taking place all over the world is where this idea stems from. For destination weddings, people usually don’t want to take gold items with them, it’s a little risky. Therefore, my offerings serve the purpose, without one having to worry about losing gold.”



Her work comprises semi-precious stones like corals, agate, mother of pearl, turquoise, Druze and exclusive work like meena and polki.

The jewellery was first seen in her ‘Samsara’ collection that she showcased at PSFW in Lahore. “As I get older, I find more inspiration coming from my home, my country; a place that most people take for granted. So definitely, the Orient culture and the sub-continent are the real inspiration behind these pieces,” says Shehla.

The exhibition showcased about 200 pieces and was a limited edition collection. My statement pieces stand out and leave a mark. There is certainly a huge market for them!” she concluded.

The high-end contemporary nature of the jewellery is one that may excite a bride who is not opting for traditional gold jewellery on her big day.

Shehla’s target audience remains all age-groups, with her main focus on the socialites of the city. Her clientele will surely be looking forward to whatever she has to offer from her box of gold-plated items. 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2014.

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