“I love design, art and fashion!” exclaims Pallavi Dudeja Foley passionately. “I must confess that I believe that art is one of the most important elements that makes this world a better place. Imagine life without art, fashion and design – it would be a life without expression.”%% For Pallavi, finding her forte happened serendipitously, in a sense. In 1997 she joined the National Institute of Fashion Technology to study accessory design. “Out of the many accessory streams that I studied, I realised that my heart and soul was in jewellery,” says Pallavi enthusiastically. “I fell in love with precious metals, gems and their potential to make a difference. I saw jewellery as wearable art and mini sculptures, and this thinking and belief is what has stayed there with me and is still the underlying design philosophy behind my collections.”%% Though her love for jewellery design started in the design institute, her love for art, and all things artistic was something Pallavi was born with. This was something that her parents understood early on, and nurtured the talent they saw in their daughter. “I remember being allowed to paint the walls of my room from when I was 5!”, she exclaims. “My parents were supportive and helped me to follow my passion. Even when I was in school in Nanital, at Sherwood College, and I decided to take art as a subject in my board exams in class 11 and 12, my parents realised my love for the subject and encouraged me to pursue it. Most parents would have not appreciated their children doing something like that. My parents also encouraged my use of unusual blend of colours and forms in my paintings and art forms.”%% Apart from her Diploma Course in NIFT, Pallavi has also undertaken several other short design courses, including one in Italy.%% After completing her Diploma, Pallavi landed a job at Tanishq; today the foremost jewellery retail company in the country, but which at that time was only beginning its rise in this sector. She worked at Tanishq for almost a decade.%% Looking back on those years, Pallavi says, “I did many interesting and prestigious design projects with them and saw a million people wear my jewellery.”%% Amongst the more esteemed projects was the trophy for the “Apasra Film Producer’s Guild Award’, which she designed. “It was a trophy inspired by the saree,” she explains. “It has motifs from the Ajanta and Ellora carvings as patterns that are etched on it.” %%

This was followed by a collection that was showcased at the Milan Fashion Week, putting her squarely on the international stage. The jewellery for this show was eclectic and sculptural in design and execution, and well received. %% In 2004, Pallavi designed a collection called ‘Aamra’, which won the Business World/NID design excellence award, in the Category of Best Accessory Design (Jewellery). “The collection was a great seller,” recounts Pallavi. “The Jury commented that it was the best combination of industrial design and traditional crafts, that it had a distinct Indian identity and was sophisticated as well.”%% But the one project that was and has remained closest to her heart is the design for the crowns of the Femina Miss India Shows in 2006 and 2007. The fact that the crowns were greatly and widely appreciated across the country made it all the more special. %% “It was a very demanding project,” Pallavi recalls. “Particularly as I chose to discard typical crown shapes and headed into an exploration of unusual and unconventional forms, colours and design. I did extensive research for this including delving into the history of crowns and the ergonomics behind them, before I broke the traditional forms to create new structures.” %% Her research was not limited to the desk either. She went out to meet a few contestants who had won titles. “I wanted to study the experience,” Pallavi explains. So I met a couple of Miss Indias – both from Bangalore – and discussed their “crowning moment” with them. This research made me go back to the drawing table and propose a new direction. For a jewellery designer, it is not enough to design a fantastic product – it also needs to be relevant to the wearer.”%% Though creators are, generally speaking, impartial to their creations, there is one crown that Pallavi is particularly partial to. “After many days of sketching I had finally arrived on a design for a crown that I was unable to get my eyes off,” remembers Pallavi. “It is still my favourite design. The crown weighed 450gms and was encrusted with 2000 stones, its form inspired by the galaxies. The impossibly delicate strands with precious crystals radiated out like shooting comets.”%% For her, the many hours of hard work – sketching, working with the craftsmen, seeing it through its production – was all worth it, when she saw the crown placed on the head of the most beautiful woman and saw just how ecstatic she was.%% The brave new direction that Pallavi took was to be yet another milestone for her as a designer, and set a new bar. %% Pallavi remained with Tanishq till 2009, having started working with them in 2000. Her last assignment there was to lead the design team of the International Business Division. This included preparing for the launch of Tanishq in USA. %%

The almost decade of experience with a leading organised retailer like Tanishq and the wide-ranging experience garnered there, working on everything from personal jewellery to crowns to trophies et al, helped hone the designer in her to the finest detail. Soon Pallavi was ready and set for the next big leap in her life. %% “I had designed many successful jewellery collections and award winning pieces of jewellery,” she explains. “Then came the time to fulfil my dream – that of starting my own boutique and design studio. My idea was that it should be a place where customers could be involved in the dynamic design process and with evolving forms and concepts.”%% Pallavi describes the year 2011, as it was for her, in one word – awesome. “I started my boutique at the Leela Palace in Bangalore,” she says. “I enjoy designing there and challenging the very concepts of modern jewellery – which is what my collection Organzo Curves is all about.” %% This collection was first showcased at the India International Jewellery Week (IIJW) in Mumbai in August 2011. “Actor Perizaad Zorabian was my muse,” says Pallavi. “And I am happy that she sashayed down the ramp in my designs.” According to Pallavi, the collection spreads the message: Be beautiful, bold, edgy and most importantly, be yourself.%% If 2011 was the year that launched Pallavi Foley Boutique Jewels, 2010 was like a bit of a curtain raiser in terms of achievement. %% “The year 2010 was special,” says Pallavi. “I won the Second Prize in the Saul Bell Design Award Competition in the beads category, which is now on display at my boutique at the Leela Palace, Bangalore. The beads that make up this necklace play with three-dimensional space. Pyramidal beads of pave-set crystals are centered within a silver pyramid-shaped frame. Each double-pyramid bead is threaded through the middle and spins independently, raising interesting questions of space and dimension for the viewer.”%% Intriguing as the concept is, what adds to it is that by simply changing the colour of the cord, the beads can look different. %% “The idea was to redefine the concept of a bead,” Pallavi explains. “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.” Innovation stands very high on the list of Pallavi’s accomplishments – something that most creative persons desire or wish to achieve, but only the chosen few manage to attain.%%

“I had this deep desire to make every piece of jewellery very experimental, unique and high on the design quotient,” elaborates Pallavi about her approach to design. “And in that way I wanted to democratise design, so that every piece of jewellery, whether it costs Rs.1000 or Rs. 1 million, the level of design intervention, detailing and finishing would be the same – and why not? To achieve this, I started my boutique and design studio.”%% Also, for a designer like Pallavi, innovation does not mean, or stop, with one collection or one piece. “I believe that as a designer it is my job to continuously present something new to the customer,” she says, defining a notion of an ever-spinning wheel of creativity. And beyond that there is the message of relevance too. “My jewellery is meaningful and stimulating, and hopes to touch a person in many more ways than in just appealing to his or her aesthetic sense,” she elaborates. “It is inspired from relevant themes that are enriching, enchanting and rejuvenating. Each piece has a story to tell and connects with a person at many levels.”%% Pallavi also believes in connecting with other fields of design. “I keep participating in the fashion weeks and in design competitions too, to push the envelop of creativity and design, and also to benchmark myself with the best in the industry,” she avers. %% In pursuit of this, she recently participated in the Wills India Fashion Week 2012 in New Delhi. “I have been a member of the FDCI (Fashion Design Council of India) since the past few years, as an accessories designer,” she says. “This year, I decided to participate in the WIFW 2012, as I had my label and my collection ready. It was a great experience, full of creative energy! Loved it, and felt like I was back at NIFT New Delhi!” %% At the show, Pallavi unveiled her collection, Pristino, inspired by modern conceptual architecture. “It is a simplification of form and creation of ornaments from the structure and theme of the urban buildings,” she says. “The collection has a completely new take on the way fine jewellery is designed and perceived – modern and revolutionary.” As the name suggests, Pristino is all about lines, which move along the jewellery pieces. The collection is made in 18 k gold, with diamonds at different levels and sometimes even underneath, which only makes the viewer appreciate the contours a lot more. Pristino also has a silver line of the same collection.%% If the 12 years since she passed out of NIFT have been one marked by ever growing achievement where her work is concerned, they have also been extremely fulfilling on the personal front. “When I was offered a job with Tanishq, little did I know that I would make Bangalore my home and find the other love of my life, my husband Neil, there,” Pallavi exclaims. And added to that is her little bundle of joy, her five-year-old daughter. %%

“My work is my passion and my heart is my home,” says Pallavi. “I spend my time equally divided at home and at work. I love to spend time with little daughter Nia. I also love to travel and feel that travelling is a great way to learn. And then, I am also fond of reading, writing and photography.” Quite a list that, and an exacting schedule too to go with it, no doubt. Pallavi has often been considered as a futuristic designer. “My style is avant-garde,” she says. “Avant-garde is sometimes considered as being over the top, but let’s not forget that it is the gateway to newness and the unexplored world in design.” Indeed her freshness lies in that her work is so markedly different from the traditional. In fact, many designers claiming to be original and innovative, still ultimately fall into the same set framework of traditional design. %% “People are looking for unique pieces of jewellery for all occasions including weddings and festivals,” says Pallavi of the current Indian market and consumer. “They are becoming more and more aware of design. My customer is a person of today, who is conscious of design and detail. I think it has nothing to do with age or what a person does, it’s a mindset.” %% Speaking about the direction designers need to take, Pallavi says, “I think it is important to think ahead and create work which is ahead of what is currently happening and is a pathway to creative new ideas. I believe that if your creation is different and distinctively unique, it will be noticed and remembered.” %% According to her, the two most important tools for a designer are sketching and imagination. “I must confess that I discover new shapes and forms each time I sit down to design and start to sketch. So for me the best way to ideate is to get to the sketching table,” says Pallavi. %% The accomplished designer, a winner of over 25 national and international awards, is now set on establishing her brand Pallavi Foley Boutique Jewels in India and abroad in the years to come. %% She has certainly got off to a flying start and with her approach of the sky is the limit, Pallavi will no doubt reach out and touch the stars. And in the meanwhile, as she says as a parting shot, “The creating goes on……..”%%

“I love design, art and fashion!” exclaims Pallavi Dudeja Foley passionately. “I must confess that I believe that art is one of the most important elements that makes this world a better place. Imagine life without art, fashion and design – it would be a life without expression.”%% For Pallavi, finding her forte happened serendipitously, in a sense. In 1997 she joined the National Institute of Fashion Technology to study accessory design. “Out of the many accessory streams that I studied, I realised that my heart and soul was in jewellery,” says Pallavi enthusiastically. “I fell in love with precious metals, gems and their potential to make a difference. I saw jewellery as wearable art and mini sculptures, and this thinking and belief is what has stayed there with me and is still the underlying design philosophy behind my collections.”%% Though her love for jewellery design started in the design institute, her love for art, and all things artistic was something Pallavi was born with. This was something that her parents understood early on, and nurtured the talent they saw in their daughter. “I remember being allowed to paint the walls of my room from when I was 5!”, she exclaims. “My parents were supportive and helped me to follow my passion. Even when I was in school in Nanital, at Sherwood College, and I decided to take art as a subject in my board exams in class 11 and 12, my parents realised my love for the subject and encouraged me to pursue it. Most parents would have not appreciated their children doing something like that. My parents also encouraged my use of unusual blend of colours and forms in my paintings and art forms.”%% Apart from her Diploma Course in NIFT, Pallavi has also undertaken several other short design courses, including one in Italy.%% After completing her Diploma, Pallavi landed a job at Tanishq; today the foremost jewellery retail company in the country, but which at that time was only beginning its rise in this sector. She worked at Tanishq for almost a decade.%% Looking back on those years, Pallavi says, “I did many interesting and prestigious design projects with them and saw a million people wear my jewellery.”%% Amongst the more esteemed projects was the trophy for the “Apasra Film Producer’s Guild Award’, which she designed. “It was a trophy inspired by the saree,” she explains. “It has motifs from the Ajanta and Ellora carvings as patterns that are etched on it.” %%

This was followed by a collection that was showcased at the Milan Fashion Week, putting her squarely on the international stage. The jewellery for this show was eclectic and sculptural in design and execution, and well received. %% In 2004, Pallavi designed a collection called ‘Aamra’, which won the Business World/NID design excellence award, in the Category of Best Accessory Design (Jewellery). “The collection was a great seller,” recounts Pallavi. “The Jury commented that it was the best combination of industrial design and traditional crafts, that it had a distinct Indian identity and was sophisticated as well.”%% But the one project that was and has remained closest to her heart is the design for the crowns of the Femina Miss India Shows in 2006 and 2007. The fact that the crowns were greatly and widely appreciated across the country made it all the more special. %% “It was a very demanding project,” Pallavi recalls. “Particularly as I chose to discard typical crown shapes and headed into an exploration of unusual and unconventional forms, colours and design. I did extensive research for this including delving into the history of crowns and the ergonomics behind them, before I broke the traditional forms to create new structures.” %% Her research was not limited to the desk either. She went out to meet a few contestants who had won titles. “I wanted to study the experience,” Pallavi explains. So I met a couple of Miss Indias – both from Bangalore – and discussed their “crowning moment” with them. This research made me go back to the drawing table and propose a new direction. For a jewellery designer, it is not enough to design a fantastic product – it also needs to be relevant to the wearer.”%% Though creators are, generally speaking, impartial to their creations, there is one crown that Pallavi is particularly partial to. “After many days of sketching I had finally arrived on a design for a crown that I was unable to get my eyes off,” remembers Pallavi. “It is still my favourite design. The crown weighed 450gms and was encrusted with 2000 stones, its form inspired by the galaxies. The impossibly delicate strands with precious crystals radiated out like shooting comets.”%% For her, the many hours of hard work – sketching, working with the craftsmen, seeing it through its production – was all worth it, when she saw the crown placed on the head of the most beautiful woman and saw just how ecstatic she was.%% The brave new direction that Pallavi took was to be yet another milestone for her as a designer, and set a new bar. %% Pallavi remained with Tanishq till 2009, having started working with them in 2000. Her last assignment there was to lead the design team of the International Business Division. This included preparing for the launch of Tanishq in USA. %%

The almost decade of experience with a leading organised retailer like Tanishq and the wide-ranging experience garnered there, working on everything from personal jewellery to crowns to trophies et al, helped hone the designer in her to the finest detail. Soon Pallavi was ready and set for the next big leap in her life. %% “I had designed many successful jewellery collections and award winning pieces of jewellery,” she explains. “Then came the time to fulfil my dream – that of starting my own boutique and design studio. My idea was that it should be a place where customers could be involved in the dynamic design process and with evolving forms and concepts.”%% Pallavi describes the year 2011, as it was for her, in one word – awesome. “I started my boutique at the Leela Palace in Bangalore,” she says. “I enjoy designing there and challenging the very concepts of modern jewellery – which is what my collection Organzo Curves is all about.” %% This collection was first showcased at the India International Jewellery Week (IIJW) in Mumbai in August 2011. “Actor Perizaad Zorabian was my muse,” says Pallavi. “And I am happy that she sashayed down the ramp in my designs.” According to Pallavi, the collection spreads the message: Be beautiful, bold, edgy and most importantly, be yourself.%% If 2011 was the year that launched Pallavi Foley Boutique Jewels, 2010 was like a bit of a curtain raiser in terms of achievement. %% “The year 2010 was special,” says Pallavi. “I won the Second Prize in the Saul Bell Design Award Competition in the beads category, which is now on display at my boutique at the Leela Palace, Bangalore. The beads that make up this necklace play with three-dimensional space. Pyramidal beads of pave-set crystals are centered within a silver pyramid-shaped frame. Each double-pyramid bead is threaded through the middle and spins independently, raising interesting questions of space and dimension for the viewer.”%% Intriguing as the concept is, what adds to it is that by simply changing the colour of the cord, the beads can look different. %% “The idea was to redefine the concept of a bead,” Pallavi explains. “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.” Innovation stands very high on the list of Pallavi’s accomplishments – something that most creative persons desire or wish to achieve, but only the chosen few manage to attain.%%

“I had this deep desire to make every piece of jewellery very experimental, unique and high on the design quotient,” elaborates Pallavi about her approach to design. “And in that way I wanted to democratise design, so that every piece of jewellery, whether it costs Rs.1000 or Rs. 1 million, the level of design intervention, detailing and finishing would be the same – and why not? To achieve this, I started my boutique and design studio.”%% Also, for a designer like Pallavi, innovation does not mean, or stop, with one collection or one piece. “I believe that as a designer it is my job to continuously present something new to the customer,” she says, defining a notion of an ever-spinning wheel of creativity. And beyond that there is the message of relevance too. “My jewellery is meaningful and stimulating, and hopes to touch a person in many more ways than in just appealing to his or her aesthetic sense,” she elaborates. “It is inspired from relevant themes that are enriching, enchanting and rejuvenating. Each piece has a story to tell and connects with a person at many levels.”%% Pallavi also believes in connecting with other fields of design. “I keep participating in the fashion weeks and in design competitions too, to push the envelop of creativity and design, and also to benchmark myself with the best in the industry,” she avers. %% In pursuit of this, she recently participated in the Wills India Fashion Week 2012 in New Delhi. “I have been a member of the FDCI (Fashion Design Council of India) since the past few years, as an accessories designer,” she says. “This year, I decided to participate in the WIFW 2012, as I had my label and my collection ready. It was a great experience, full of creative energy! Loved it, and felt like I was back at NIFT New Delhi!” %% At the show, Pallavi unveiled her collection, Pristino, inspired by modern conceptual architecture. “It is a simplification of form and creation of ornaments from the structure and theme of the urban buildings,” she says. “The collection has a completely new take on the way fine jewellery is designed and perceived – modern and revolutionary.” As the name suggests, Pristino is all about lines, which move along the jewellery pieces. The collection is made in 18 k gold, with diamonds at different levels and sometimes even underneath, which only makes the viewer appreciate the contours a lot more. Pristino also has a silver line of the same collection.%% If the 12 years since she passed out of NIFT have been one marked by ever growing achievement where her work is concerned, they have also been extremely fulfilling on the personal front. “When I was offered a job with Tanishq, little did I know that I would make Bangalore my home and find the other love of my life, my husband Neil, there,” Pallavi exclaims. And added to that is her little bundle of joy, her five-year-old daughter. %%

“My work is my passion and my heart is my home,” says Pallavi. “I spend my time equally divided at home and at work. I love to spend time with little daughter Nia. I also love to travel and feel that travelling is a great way to learn. And then, I am also fond of reading, writing and photography.” Quite a list that, and an exacting schedule too to go with it, no doubt. Pallavi has often been considered as a futuristic designer. “My style is avant-garde,” she says. “Avant-garde is sometimes considered as being over the top, but let’s not forget that it is the gateway to newness and the unexplored world in design.” Indeed her freshness lies in that her work is so markedly different from the traditional. In fact, many designers claiming to be original and innovative, still ultimately fall into the same set framework of traditional design. %% “People are looking for unique pieces of jewellery for all occasions including weddings and festivals,” says Pallavi of the current Indian market and consumer. “They are becoming more and more aware of design. My customer is a person of today, who is conscious of design and detail. I think it has nothing to do with age or what a person does, it’s a mindset.” %% Speaking about the direction designers need to take, Pallavi says, “I think it is important to think ahead and create work which is ahead of what is currently happening and is a pathway to creative new ideas. I believe that if your creation is different and distinctively unique, it will be noticed and remembered.” %% According to her, the two most important tools for a designer are sketching and imagination. “I must confess that I discover new shapes and forms each time I sit down to design and start to sketch. So for me the best way to ideate is to get to the sketching table,” says Pallavi. %% The accomplished designer, a winner of over 25 national and international awards, is now set on establishing her brand Pallavi Foley Boutique Jewels in India and abroad in the years to come. %% She has certainly got off to a flying start and with her approach of the sky is the limit, Pallavi will no doubt reach out and touch the stars. And in the meanwhile, as she says as a parting shot, “The creating goes on……..”%%

“I love design, art and fashion!” exclaims Pallavi Dudeja Foley passionately. “I must confess that I believe that art is one of the most important elements that makes this world a better place. Imagine life without art, fashion and design – it would be a life without expression.”%% For Pallavi, finding her forte happened serendipitously, in a sense. In 1997 she joined the National Institute of Fashion Technology to study accessory design. “Out of the many accessory streams that I studied, I realised that my heart and soul was in jewellery,” says Pallavi enthusiastically. “I fell in love with precious metals, gems and their potential to make a difference. I saw jewellery as wearable art and mini sculptures, and this thinking and belief is what has stayed there with me and is still the underlying design philosophy behind my collections.”%% Though her love for jewellery design started in the design institute, her love for art, and all things artistic was something Pallavi was born with. This was something that her parents understood early on, and nurtured the talent they saw in their daughter. “I remember being allowed to paint the walls of my room from when I was 5!”, she exclaims. “My parents were supportive and helped me to follow my passion. Even when I was in school in Nanital, at Sherwood College, and I decided to take art as a subject in my board exams in class 11 and 12, my parents realised my love for the subject and encouraged me to pursue it. Most parents would have not appreciated their children doing something like that. My parents also encouraged my use of unusual blend of colours and forms in my paintings and art forms.”%% Apart from her Diploma Course in NIFT, Pallavi has also undertaken several other short design courses, including one in Italy.%% After completing her Diploma, Pallavi landed a job at Tanishq; today the foremost jewellery retail company in the country, but which at that time was only beginning its rise in this sector. She worked at Tanishq for almost a decade.%% Looking back on those years, Pallavi says, “I did many interesting and prestigious design projects with them and saw a million people wear my jewellery.”%% Amongst the more esteemed projects was the trophy for the “Apasra Film Producer’s Guild Award’, which she designed. “It was a trophy inspired by the saree,” she explains. “It has motifs from the Ajanta and Ellora carvings as patterns that are etched on it.” %%

This was followed by a collection that was showcased at the Milan Fashion Week, putting her squarely on the international stage. The jewellery for this show was eclectic and sculptural in design and execution, and well received. %% In 2004, Pallavi designed a collection called ‘Aamra’, which won the Business World/NID design excellence award, in the Category of Best Accessory Design (Jewellery). “The collection was a great seller,” recounts Pallavi. “The Jury commented that it was the best combination of industrial design and traditional crafts, that it had a distinct Indian identity and was sophisticated as well.”%% But the one project that was and has remained closest to her heart is the design for the crowns of the Femina Miss India Shows in 2006 and 2007. The fact that the crowns were greatly and widely appreciated across the country made it all the more special. %% “It was a very demanding project,” Pallavi recalls. “Particularly as I chose to discard typical crown shapes and headed into an exploration of unusual and unconventional forms, colours and design. I did extensive research for this including delving into the history of crowns and the ergonomics behind them, before I broke the traditional forms to create new structures.” %% Her research was not limited to the desk either. She went out to meet a few contestants who had won titles. “I wanted to study the experience,” Pallavi explains. So I met a couple of Miss Indias – both from Bangalore – and discussed their “crowning moment” with them. This research made me go back to the drawing table and propose a new direction. For a jewellery designer, it is not enough to design a fantastic product – it also needs to be relevant to the wearer.”%% Though creators are, generally speaking, impartial to their creations, there is one crown that Pallavi is particularly partial to. “After many days of sketching I had finally arrived on a design for a crown that I was unable to get my eyes off,” remembers Pallavi. “It is still my favourite design. The crown weighed 450gms and was encrusted with 2000 stones, its form inspired by the galaxies. The impossibly delicate strands with precious crystals radiated out like shooting comets.”%% For her, the many hours of hard work – sketching, working with the craftsmen, seeing it through its production – was all worth it, when she saw the crown placed on the head of the most beautiful woman and saw just how ecstatic she was.%% The brave new direction that Pallavi took was to be yet another milestone for her as a designer, and set a new bar. %% Pallavi remained with Tanishq till 2009, having started working with them in 2000. Her last assignment there was to lead the design team of the International Business Division. This included preparing for the launch of Tanishq in USA. %%

The almost decade of experience with a leading organised retailer like Tanishq and the wide-ranging experience garnered there, working on everything from personal jewellery to crowns to trophies et al, helped hone the designer in her to the finest detail. Soon Pallavi was ready and set for the next big leap in her life. %% “I had designed many successful jewellery collections and award winning pieces of jewellery,” she explains. “Then came the time to fulfil my dream – that of starting my own boutique and design studio. My idea was that it should be a place where customers could be involved in the dynamic design process and with evolving forms and concepts.”%% Pallavi describes the year 2011, as it was for her, in one word – awesome. “I started my boutique at the Leela Palace in Bangalore,” she says. “I enjoy designing there and challenging the very concepts of modern jewellery – which is what my collection Organzo Curves is all about.” %% This collection was first showcased at the India International Jewellery Week (IIJW) in Mumbai in August 2011. “Actor Perizaad Zorabian was my muse,” says Pallavi. “And I am happy that she sashayed down the ramp in my designs.” According to Pallavi, the collection spreads the message: Be beautiful, bold, edgy and most importantly, be yourself.%% If 2011 was the year that launched Pallavi Foley Boutique Jewels, 2010 was like a bit of a curtain raiser in terms of achievement. %% “The year 2010 was special,” says Pallavi. “I won the Second Prize in the Saul Bell Design Award Competition in the beads category, which is now on display at my boutique at the Leela Palace, Bangalore. The beads that make up this necklace play with three-dimensional space. Pyramidal beads of pave-set crystals are centered within a silver pyramid-shaped frame. Each double-pyramid bead is threaded through the middle and spins independently, raising interesting questions of space and dimension for the viewer.”%% Intriguing as the concept is, what adds to it is that by simply changing the colour of the cord, the beads can look different. %% “The idea was to redefine the concept of a bead,” Pallavi explains. “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.” Innovation stands very high on the list of Pallavi’s accomplishments – something that most creative persons desire or wish to achieve, but only the chosen few manage to attain.%%

“I had this deep desire to make every piece of jewellery very experimental, unique and high on the design quotient,” elaborates Pallavi about her approach to design. “And in that way I wanted to democratise design, so that every piece of jewellery, whether it costs Rs.1000 or Rs. 1 million, the level of design intervention, detailing and finishing would be the same – and why not? To achieve this, I started my boutique and design studio.”%% Also, for a designer like Pallavi, innovation does not mean, or stop, with one collection or one piece. “I believe that as a designer it is my job to continuously present something new to the customer,” she says, defining a notion of an ever-spinning wheel of creativity. And beyond that there is the message of relevance too. “My jewellery is meaningful and stimulating, and hopes to touch a person in many more ways than in just appealing to his or her aesthetic sense,” she elaborates. “It is inspired from relevant themes that are enriching, enchanting and rejuvenating. Each piece has a story to tell and connects with a person at many levels.”%% Pallavi also believes in connecting with other fields of design. “I keep participating in the fashion weeks and in design competitions too, to push the envelop of creativity and design, and also to benchmark myself with the best in the industry,” she avers. %% In pursuit of this, she recently participated in the Wills India Fashion Week 2012 in New Delhi. “I have been a member of the FDCI (Fashion Design Council of India) since the past few years, as an accessories designer,” she says. “This year, I decided to participate in the WIFW 2012, as I had my label and my collection ready. It was a great experience, full of creative energy! Loved it, and felt like I was back at NIFT New Delhi!” %% At the show, Pallavi unveiled her collection, Pristino, inspired by modern conceptual architecture. “It is a simplification of form and creation of ornaments from the structure and theme of the urban buildings,” she says. “The collection has a completely new take on the way fine jewellery is designed and perceived – modern and revolutionary.” As the name suggests, Pristino is all about lines, which move along the jewellery pieces. The collection is made in 18 k gold, with diamonds at different levels and sometimes even underneath, which only makes the viewer appreciate the contours a lot more. Pristino also has a silver line of the same collection.%% If the 12 years since she passed out of NIFT have been one marked by ever growing achievement where her work is concerned, they have also been extremely fulfilling on the personal front. “When I was offered a job with Tanishq, little did I know that I would make Bangalore my home and find the other love of my life, my husband Neil, there,” Pallavi exclaims. And added to that is her little bundle of joy, her five-year-old daughter. %%

“My work is my passion and my heart is my home,” says Pallavi. “I spend my time equally divided at home and at work. I love to spend time with little daughter Nia. I also love to travel and feel that travelling is a great way to learn. And then, I am also fond of reading, writing and photography.” Quite a list that, and an exacting schedule too to go with it, no doubt. Pallavi has often been considered as a futuristic designer. “My style is avant-garde,” she says. “Avant-garde is sometimes considered as being over the top, but let’s not forget that it is the gateway to newness and the unexplored world in design.” Indeed her freshness lies in that her work is so markedly different from the traditional. In fact, many designers claiming to be original and innovative, still ultimately fall into the same set framework of traditional design. %% “People are looking for unique pieces of jewellery for all occasions including weddings and festivals,” says Pallavi of the current Indian market and consumer. “They are becoming more and more aware of design. My customer is a person of today, who is conscious of design and detail. I think it has nothing to do with age or what a person does, it’s a mindset.” %% Speaking about the direction designers need to take, Pallavi says, “I think it is important to think ahead and create work which is ahead of what is currently happening and is a pathway to creative new ideas. I believe that if your creation is different and distinctively unique, it will be noticed and remembered.” %% According to her, the two most important tools for a designer are sketching and imagination. “I must confess that I discover new shapes and forms each time I sit down to design and start to sketch. So for me the best way to ideate is to get to the sketching table,” says Pallavi. %% The accomplished designer, a winner of over 25 national and international awards, is now set on establishing her brand Pallavi Foley Boutique Jewels in India and abroad in the years to come. %% She has certainly got off to a flying start and with her approach of the sky is the limit, Pallavi will no doubt reach out and touch the stars. And in the meanwhile, as she says as a parting shot, “The creating goes on……..”%%