The rise of gota jewellery
A young entrepreneur from Karachi has recreated the typical mehndi look for a bride
DESIGN BY EESHA AZAM
When we imagine a bride at her mehndi ceremony, few things things come to mind, other than loud bangles, paranday, marigold flowers and a whole lot of yellow. The flowers, in particular, are a staple feature.
They might be heaped around the bride’s neck in the form of garlands or hanging from her ears as makeshift earrings. And while this traditional look is and will always be a mehndi favourite, a young entrepreneur from Karachi has been working to tweak it up a notch with jewellery made from gota.
At 22 years of age, B-Com student Neha Talib has revolutionised regular mehndi wear by creating jewellery using the super-shiny gold and silver ribbons you would never expect to see apart from on a wedding outfit. And what’s more is that, Neha’s creations look great!
While bangle art is generally quite common throughout Pakistan, Neha wanted to expand the field to offer brides an easier option for their jewellery. “I came up with the idea to boost the market for bangles using gota, dhanak and ribbons,” she says. “I had gone to Lahore to attend my cousin’s wedding and noticed that she (the bride) wasn’t wearing the usual flower hoops most brides wear. She was wearing earrings made of gota instead.” Right then, Neha knew this was an idea to bank on and began learning the craft upon her return to Karachi.
“The shine and durability of the gota (as opposed to flowers) comes out great in pictures too,” she says. “The colourful flowers are made from ribbons matching the customer’s dress. These kind of flowers are available in local markets for Rs40 per packet containing 50 flowers each made neatly.” Instead, Neha purchases rolls of ribbons for Rs15 each and manages to create almost a 100 flowers from each roll.
Neha’s product portfolio now includes not just gota earrings and bangles but full jewellery sets that can be worn by brides as well as her close guests. A complete bridal set costs Rs7,000 and includes a pair of khussay, one ring, a teekah with an attached matha patti and jhumkay. A set without the khussay is sold for Rs4,000. Each item comes in three types depending on the tastes of the customer. “I provide simple gota lace work, white stone studded jewellery and seed pearls,” explains Neha. To give the desired height and weight to the bangles, Neha uses foam piping as it is light and adds beauty to the colourful flowers. “The bangle sets are available in almost all sizes,” she adds.
Usually, one set of six pieces is ready for delivery in about a week, unless the customer has any special demands for extra stones or specific colours. Payment can be made via Easy Paisa or upon delivery. Online social networking platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp are Neha’s main mediums for marketing so if you wish to check out some of her work or palce an order, visit Neha’s Facebook page Bangle Mania.
Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, March 1st, 2015.
They might be heaped around the bride’s neck in the form of garlands or hanging from her ears as makeshift earrings. And while this traditional look is and will always be a mehndi favourite, a young entrepreneur from Karachi has been working to tweak it up a notch with jewellery made from gota.
At 22 years of age, B-Com student Neha Talib has revolutionised regular mehndi wear by creating jewellery using the super-shiny gold and silver ribbons you would never expect to see apart from on a wedding outfit. And what’s more is that, Neha’s creations look great!
While bangle art is generally quite common throughout Pakistan, Neha wanted to expand the field to offer brides an easier option for their jewellery. “I came up with the idea to boost the market for bangles using gota, dhanak and ribbons,” she says. “I had gone to Lahore to attend my cousin’s wedding and noticed that she (the bride) wasn’t wearing the usual flower hoops most brides wear. She was wearing earrings made of gota instead.” Right then, Neha knew this was an idea to bank on and began learning the craft upon her return to Karachi.
“The shine and durability of the gota (as opposed to flowers) comes out great in pictures too,” she says. “The colourful flowers are made from ribbons matching the customer’s dress. These kind of flowers are available in local markets for Rs40 per packet containing 50 flowers each made neatly.” Instead, Neha purchases rolls of ribbons for Rs15 each and manages to create almost a 100 flowers from each roll.
Neha’s product portfolio now includes not just gota earrings and bangles but full jewellery sets that can be worn by brides as well as her close guests. A complete bridal set costs Rs7,000 and includes a pair of khussay, one ring, a teekah with an attached matha patti and jhumkay. A set without the khussay is sold for Rs4,000. Each item comes in three types depending on the tastes of the customer. “I provide simple gota lace work, white stone studded jewellery and seed pearls,” explains Neha. To give the desired height and weight to the bangles, Neha uses foam piping as it is light and adds beauty to the colourful flowers. “The bangle sets are available in almost all sizes,” she adds.
Usually, one set of six pieces is ready for delivery in about a week, unless the customer has any special demands for extra stones or specific colours. Payment can be made via Easy Paisa or upon delivery. Online social networking platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp are Neha’s main mediums for marketing so if you wish to check out some of her work or palce an order, visit Neha’s Facebook page Bangle Mania.
Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, March 1st, 2015.