Pallavi Foley’s ‘Enchanted’ Showcasing Couture Diamond Jewellery
A creative mistress, Pallavi Foley’s artistic representation of jewellery with an eye for detail has become quite the rage with celebrities and socialites alike. With redefined and modernised patterns, her unique and flirty designs are the first crush of many women. After all, there is hardly an occasion when we can step down and give up our beloved accessories. Jewellery has in so many ways defined a woman, and Pallavi Foley’s new Collection ‘Enchanted’ is a splendid reason to splurge!
Thanks to a common friend, I had the pleasure of meeting the very talented Pallavi Foley at her trendy new design studio ‘Pallavi Foley Boutique Jewels’ at VR Bengaluru. The afternoon was well spent discussing ‘Enchanted’, while I also had the opportunity to get some insight on fashion, art, travel, life, and her experience designing the prestigious Miss India Universe crowns. With some tea and chocolate to accompany the interesting talk, it turned out to be one of the most lively and insightful conversations yet.
The Journey
A graduate of the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Delhi, Pallavi augmented her knowledge by training in jewellery design in Italy. Her sense of design turned a new curve after her marriage to award-winning product designer, Neil Foley, who helped further enhance her design sensibility. Her astute learning of jewellery design comes from this journey which continues to enfold new avenues for Pallavi.
The Moment
Having worked with Tanishq for almost a decade, Pallavi started her own jewellery line by launching her flagship store at the Leela Palace, Bangalore, and following it up with a designer boutique {designed by her husband, Neil Foley} at VR Bengaluru.
The Difference
Pallavi uses precious and semi-precious materials to conceptualise designs and create captivating jewellery that stands out from the cliché gold and diamond jewellery designs available in most fine jewellery stores nationwide. Her take on art and her extensive experience in the realms of jewellery designing {15 odd years}, and her aesthetic sense coupled with the way she translates an idea into elegantly crafted and wearable art, has helped her take flight to the top-most perch among ornament designers in our country today. The elegance of the jewellery created by Pallavi leaves an awe-inspiring impression on every person who visits her store.
Pallavi brings her ideas into form at her design studio, which is part of her exclusive boutique, situated at VR Bengaluru. This is where she collaborates with her team, letting their creative energies flow and take shape into new design ideas. Together they work on design customisation for her clients and also design jewellery for her retail store. Artistic and sculptural jewellery are the main inspirations for their designs.
It took me no time to try each one of the exquisitely designed ornaments which had me star struck at first sight. Pallavi explains her inspiration as, “Design transcends dimensions of space-time and creates happiness. As a designer and an artist, I can move forward and backward and choose to present a new view to the world. I derive my inspiration from my experiences and life as I see it, so I keep my experiences as rich and fulfilling as possible. Travel is one such source of inspiration for me, and I always take my book with me for doodles. My designs are always created from what touches and inspires me most.”
The ‘3-space necklace’ created by Pallavi won the Saul Bell Design Award in the Beads Category and is testimony to Pallavi’s acumen and her ability to transform jewellery into more than a mere accessory. Pallavi explains her inspiration for the necklace, “You know, my father constructs apartments; so, I have been brought up in an environment where there has always been a focus on three-dimensionality. I think that is where I hail the 3D perspective in my creativity and designs.” The modern look of the necklace with the three-dimensional design gives it a great look unlike the usual flat pieces of jewellery that one usually adorns.
3-space necklace by Pallavi Foley: “The form of the 3-space bead is derived from my imagination; it is a result of endless sketching, to reach a result that I believe is unique, dramatic, bold and surprising.”
Her bold and dramatic designs are praiseworthy and talking about the necklace, she further enlightened me about the design saying, “The beads that make up this necklace play with three-dimensional space. Pyramidal beads of pave-set crystals are centred within a silver pyramid-shaped frame. Each double-pyramid bead is threaded through the middle and spins independently, raising for the viewer interesting questions of space and dimension.”
Pallavi’s remarkable ability to think out of the box and design jewels with a fearless ardour to produce something beautiful and masterful; something that is more than a piece of jewellery ~ has resulted in her designs being perceived as pieces of art and sculpture. She takes pride in her fearlessness and tells me that be it any creative profession, the secret to success lies in being fearless.
Pallavi has a deep understanding of the manufacturing process and realises that some of her designs may be limited because of it. However, she is not encumbered by tradition and pushes these limitations so that her designs are flawlessly transformed into pieces that are today avant-garde and tomorrow timeless. Pallavi tells me, “Conceptualising a design is just the beginning; it’s the detailing that actually helps complete the process as the splendour of jewellery lies not only in its art but in the science of it too.” This ability has also encouraged traditional craftsmen to enhance and explore their skills with her design sensibilities.
Pallavi has been acclaimed nationally and internationally and has many awards to her name, including the prestigious NID Business World Design Award. Alia Bhatt, Perizad Zorabain, and Isha Sharvani are some of the notable names whom Pallavi has groomed to perfection. Pallavi’s dedication helped her create a new niche in the jewellery designing industry when she was approached to design crowns for the Miss India pageant in 2006 and 2007. Reminiscing Pallavi says, “It was my prerogative to design a crown that was truly unique to India and would exaggerate the beauty of an already precious moment.” Her addition of the ‘tika’ to the ornately designed crowns gave them a distinctive Indian flavour.
Miss India Earth Crown
Created using 18K Gold, Diamonds & Crystals, the Crown is a stylised representation of the fabulous colours & movement of the Peacock & its feathers.
History and tradition are her sources of inspiration but travel continues to be her muse. Her designs are a perfect intermingling of modernism and tradition, where she lends a modern view to traditional pieces making them wearable yet artistic. In my view, Pallai’s creations define the contemporary women who want to stay abreast with a modern attitude of the world, yet embrace the traditional beauty of our culture. Pallavi wants her designs to resonate with the inner souls of the wearer, and she says, “My designs allow people to be themselves and to express their inner selves.”
The 9 Stone Collection ~ Navratan by Pallavi Foley
An unusual blend of jewellery making techniques, I got to see how she sketches those designs before she actually gives them to the craftsmen. “Sketching is my meditation!” Pallavi tells me. And yes, her sketch after its translation into a piece of jewellery will be gifted to her client as a beautiful keepsake.
The World Gold Council sees the next “Else Peretti” in Pallavi who has left us astounded with her latest jewellery line ~ ‘Enchanted’. The collection is an expression of life through the art of jewellery that “transports you to a magical land”, and finds inspiration in the themes of Wild Mushrooms, Peapods, and Magical Flowers. The collection breathes a refreshing design into traditional craftsmanship, where the jewellery pieces are three dimensional with a sculptural look, created using Polki diamonds along with precious gemstones which are set in 18k and 22k gold. Each piece certainly has a story to tell.
Wild Mushrooms by Pallavi Foley
“Inspired by wild mushrooms, I designed this collection with turquoise set in 22k yellow gold with deep textures, reflecting against high polish surfaces.”
Speaking about her new collection, Pallavi tells me, “My experiences have taught me that design is both a source of inspiration and a reflection of what truly moves you. So to me, design is a source and a result. ‘Enchanted’ is a collection inspired by the woman of today who is comfortable in her own skin, loves what she does, and accepts herself just the way she is. Creating a new design collection for her is like taking a plunge; a plunge into a new world that can be experienced, that’s created right out of the designer’s vision. So, every experience in my life influences my design inspirations. I love to travel and experience new cultures, see art, read history, study nature, and keep my life enriched to create pieces that are enriching, enchanting and rejuvenating.”
Mushroom ring by Pallavi Foley
Pea-pods as she sees them
Pallavi’s designs are certainly captivating; with significance behind each piece she creates.
Designer Pallavi Foley at her new design studio ‘Pallavi Foley Boutique Jewels’ at VR Bengaluru
Tanya Fontes with Designer Pallavi Foley
Pallavi’s designs will be exhibited at her product showcase ‘Rendezvous Luxe’ that is already creating ripples in our city. The showcase is on until the 21st of this month at her new design studio ‘Pallavi Foley Boutique Jewels’ at VR Bengaluru.