Suhani Pittie was handpicked to showcase her collections to an exclusive audience comprising of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Maharaja Gaj Singh Ji and many more royals at the Bal Samand Lake Palace, Jodhpur. A regular at the fashion weeks, her work has always received accolades for the path breaking interpretation of contemporary jewellery. Enlisted by Vogue Italia as a jewellery designer from India to watch out for, she is an inspiration to all. Kunjal Karaniya takes you through this talented and witty designer’s journey. %% “It was absolutely unplanned,” exclaims Suhani Pittie while narrating how she ventured into this profession. “I was teaching gemology in Kolkata before moving to Hyderabad in 2004. One fine day I was toying with some old silver. I heated it up, and made something for my mother-in-law which fetched me orders. Thereafter, I participated in Bridal Asia. My work got picked up by some leading stores and suddenly I found myself a career,” she happily shares. “My first love was gemology. I was never inclined towards design or jewellery. I have always enjoyed the technicalities; I am a sucker for detail and love researching and reading up on topics. I would always be toying with the rocks and pebbles in the garden. When I was 7, I saw Amber in a book and got drawn to the world of gems. Somewhere I always felt I wanted to do something with stones and after class 12, I got the chance to study at the Gemological Institute of America. So design was never planned,” says the effervescent designer. %% Her skill of creating jewellery which can be called as the ideal wearable art, is well-known but her love for silver is something that people are unaware of. She absolutely loves silver the most. “You have to see molten silver flowing to lose your heart to it,” she speaks from her heart. Speaking of heart, the stone that has captured it is the tourmaline. But, is that her personal style preference, too? “I am a very fusion dresser. I hardly wear prints and prefer black, white and blues. I like to mix heritage with new. So I will wear an old skirt with a crop t-shirt and boots and a white long kurta with churidar and a modern waistcoat. Coming to jewellery, I love layering. I mix my grandmothers pieces with my own and wear it interestingly,” she explains. %% The award-winning designer is obsessed with history and India. Hence, she reads a lot of history and culture books. Her hobbies also include dancing, “A LOT of it,” she quips. All genres of music are her passion, too. But, here is another surprise. She is a graduate in Indian classical music and a soccer player. “I recently broke both my ankles while playing so I am banned from it now,” she adds jokingly. She is also a qualified graphologist and gemologist. This graduate from the GIA established her own training institute at the young age of twenty. %% But, the list of her hobbies and qualifications doesn’t end here. “I love researching, so I tend to read a lot on any subject. I also have this weird obsession of toying with electronics.” Breaking down and reassembling like Aamir Khan of 3 Idiots, if you will. “When need be, I can be an electrician, a car mechanic, basically your handyman,” she admits with her sense of humour as great as her jewellery designing ability. %%

With such unique hobbies, it is exciting to know her daily routine. “I am up by 6 am and since I am recuperating from broken ankles, I am not playing morning soccer or do any workout at gym (something which has been my pattern for over four years). So now I just do tepid running for four to five kms a day. Then a quick breakfast and I leave for factory at 9.25 am sharp. I am there mostly all day which gets done around 7.30 pm. Then I go to my store and wind up around 8.45 pm. Then home, dinner followed by a brain numbing game of anagram or some video games and lastly I read till around 1 am every night.” With so many things to do and so many hobbies to pursue with a meagre five-hour sleep is no easy feat but I guess when one is in love with his profession, tiredness or fatigue are rare to come by as with Suhani who is known for being a bundle of postive energy. %% She appears to be a fun-loving and interesting person from her hobbies and likings. But her creations are all an outcome of her emotions, “My jewellery is always an extension of my emotion at that moment, it is never ever random.” Emotions, movements and expressions are all her inspirations. “It begins with the first impression which is initially vivid then intense and then gets slowly ingrained into the unconscious. I like to collect these feelings, memories, connections and observations; raw, colourful, sensuous, ancient custom, merging and blending with new forces that inspire me,” she explains. %% “My designs reflect my love for metal, my mood, and my surroundings. The old city, the Charminar, the 200 year old ancestral haveli, the dancers on the streets, the women with their anklets, the bangle maker, the local kumbhaar (potter), the by-lanes, old photographs, tall buildings, brass, steel, history books, all this and much more. I am enchanted by the past. Each collection brings with it a mood, a feeling, an emotion. I do not follow trends. I follow my heart, my thoughts and may be that is why the collections come out so varied! My work is an unexpected combination of contradictory elements, fiercely individual and fiercely honest. I weave all of this with how we think today and hence the mood becomes modern but the DNA is old,” her words flow along with her strong emotions. %% A favourite amongst most Bollywood stars, her jewellery has appeared at Cannes Film Festival, year after year, worn by L'Oreal ambassador Sonam Kapoor. Her flagship store in Hyderabad which has won awards for not only her range of contemporary jewellery but also a large range of handcrafted lifestyle products. Having a gifts range for weddings and corporate occasions to specific festivals, the store has introduced a new language of contemporary gifting. We ought to know what is happening new, “I am toying with some new material. We just worked with German silver for the first time. Now I am trying to play with some others. I think having no education or training in the field has allowed me to have this really open mind to try out whatever catches my creative fancy. Though had I learnt it, the trial and errors would have been fewer,” she confesses. %% Being in the industry since long, she strongly believes that, “There is always someone better than you. So the only challenge you have is to outdo yourself and to come undone from yesterday and be better today.” She perfectly wraps up this amusing conversation with an advice for the aspiring designers, “Do not try to emulate anyone else’s path/ journey. Find what your calling is and stick to that. There is no formula to success. Only one trick: hard work.” %%

Suhani Pittie was handpicked to showcase her collections to an exclusive audience comprising of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Maharaja Gaj Singh Ji and many more royals at the Bal Samand Lake Palace, Jodhpur. A regular at the fashion weeks, her work has always received accolades for the path breaking interpretation of contemporary jewellery. Enlisted by Vogue Italia as a jewellery designer from India to watch out for, she is an inspiration to all. Kunjal Karaniya takes you through this talented and witty designer’s journey. %% “It was absolutely unplanned,” exclaims Suhani Pittie while narrating how she ventured into this profession. “I was teaching gemology in Kolkata before moving to Hyderabad in 2004. One fine day I was toying with some old silver. I heated it up, and made something for my mother-in-law which fetched me orders. Thereafter, I participated in Bridal Asia. My work got picked up by some leading stores and suddenly I found myself a career,” she happily shares. “My first love was gemology. I was never inclined towards design or jewellery. I have always enjoyed the technicalities; I am a sucker for detail and love researching and reading up on topics. I would always be toying with the rocks and pebbles in the garden. When I was 7, I saw Amber in a book and got drawn to the world of gems. Somewhere I always felt I wanted to do something with stones and after class 12, I got the chance to study at the Gemological Institute of America. So design was never planned,” says the effervescent designer. %% Her skill of creating jewellery which can be called as the ideal wearable art, is well-known but her love for silver is something that people are unaware of. She absolutely loves silver the most. “You have to see molten silver flowing to lose your heart to it,” she speaks from her heart. Speaking of heart, the stone that has captured it is the tourmaline. But, is that her personal style preference, too? “I am a very fusion dresser. I hardly wear prints and prefer black, white and blues. I like to mix heritage with new. So I will wear an old skirt with a crop t-shirt and boots and a white long kurta with churidar and a modern waistcoat. Coming to jewellery, I love layering. I mix my grandmothers pieces with my own and wear it interestingly,” she explains. %% The award-winning designer is obsessed with history and India. Hence, she reads a lot of history and culture books. Her hobbies also include dancing, “A LOT of it,” she quips. All genres of music are her passion, too. But, here is another surprise. She is a graduate in Indian classical music and a soccer player. “I recently broke both my ankles while playing so I am banned from it now,” she adds jokingly. She is also a qualified graphologist and gemologist. This graduate from the GIA established her own training institute at the young age of twenty. %% But, the list of her hobbies and qualifications doesn’t end here. “I love researching, so I tend to read a lot on any subject. I also have this weird obsession of toying with electronics.” Breaking down and reassembling like Aamir Khan of 3 Idiots, if you will. “When need be, I can be an electrician, a car mechanic, basically your handyman,” she admits with her sense of humour as great as her jewellery designing ability. %%

With such unique hobbies, it is exciting to know her daily routine. “I am up by 6 am and since I am recuperating from broken ankles, I am not playing morning soccer or do any workout at gym (something which has been my pattern for over four years). So now I just do tepid running for four to five kms a day. Then a quick breakfast and I leave for factory at 9.25 am sharp. I am there mostly all day which gets done around 7.30 pm. Then I go to my store and wind up around 8.45 pm. Then home, dinner followed by a brain numbing game of anagram or some video games and lastly I read till around 1 am every night.” With so many things to do and so many hobbies to pursue with a meagre five-hour sleep is no easy feat but I guess when one is in love with his profession, tiredness or fatigue are rare to come by as with Suhani who is known for being a bundle of postive energy. %% She appears to be a fun-loving and interesting person from her hobbies and likings. But her creations are all an outcome of her emotions, “My jewellery is always an extension of my emotion at that moment, it is never ever random.” Emotions, movements and expressions are all her inspirations. “It begins with the first impression which is initially vivid then intense and then gets slowly ingrained into the unconscious. I like to collect these feelings, memories, connections and observations; raw, colourful, sensuous, ancient custom, merging and blending with new forces that inspire me,” she explains. %% “My designs reflect my love for metal, my mood, and my surroundings. The old city, the Charminar, the 200 year old ancestral haveli, the dancers on the streets, the women with their anklets, the bangle maker, the local kumbhaar (potter), the by-lanes, old photographs, tall buildings, brass, steel, history books, all this and much more. I am enchanted by the past. Each collection brings with it a mood, a feeling, an emotion. I do not follow trends. I follow my heart, my thoughts and may be that is why the collections come out so varied! My work is an unexpected combination of contradictory elements, fiercely individual and fiercely honest. I weave all of this with how we think today and hence the mood becomes modern but the DNA is old,” her words flow along with her strong emotions. %% A favourite amongst most Bollywood stars, her jewellery has appeared at Cannes Film Festival, year after year, worn by L'Oreal ambassador Sonam Kapoor. Her flagship store in Hyderabad which has won awards for not only her range of contemporary jewellery but also a large range of handcrafted lifestyle products. Having a gifts range for weddings and corporate occasions to specific festivals, the store has introduced a new language of contemporary gifting. We ought to know what is happening new, “I am toying with some new material. We just worked with German silver for the first time. Now I am trying to play with some others. I think having no education or training in the field has allowed me to have this really open mind to try out whatever catches my creative fancy. Though had I learnt it, the trial and errors would have been fewer,” she confesses. %% Being in the industry since long, she strongly believes that, “There is always someone better than you. So the only challenge you have is to outdo yourself and to come undone from yesterday and be better today.” She perfectly wraps up this amusing conversation with an advice for the aspiring designers, “Do not try to emulate anyone else’s path/ journey. Find what your calling is and stick to that. There is no formula to success. Only one trick: hard work.” %%

Suhani Pittie was handpicked to showcase her collections to an exclusive audience comprising of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Maharaja Gaj Singh Ji and many more royals at the Bal Samand Lake Palace, Jodhpur. A regular at the fashion weeks, her work has always received accolades for the path breaking interpretation of contemporary jewellery. Enlisted by Vogue Italia as a jewellery designer from India to watch out for, she is an inspiration to all. Kunjal Karaniya takes you through this talented and witty designer’s journey. %% “It was absolutely unplanned,” exclaims Suhani Pittie while narrating how she ventured into this profession. “I was teaching gemology in Kolkata before moving to Hyderabad in 2004. One fine day I was toying with some old silver. I heated it up, and made something for my mother-in-law which fetched me orders. Thereafter, I participated in Bridal Asia. My work got picked up by some leading stores and suddenly I found myself a career,” she happily shares. “My first love was gemology. I was never inclined towards design or jewellery. I have always enjoyed the technicalities; I am a sucker for detail and love researching and reading up on topics. I would always be toying with the rocks and pebbles in the garden. When I was 7, I saw Amber in a book and got drawn to the world of gems. Somewhere I always felt I wanted to do something with stones and after class 12, I got the chance to study at the Gemological Institute of America. So design was never planned,” says the effervescent designer. %% Her skill of creating jewellery which can be called as the ideal wearable art, is well-known but her love for silver is something that people are unaware of. She absolutely loves silver the most. “You have to see molten silver flowing to lose your heart to it,” she speaks from her heart. Speaking of heart, the stone that has captured it is the tourmaline. But, is that her personal style preference, too? “I am a very fusion dresser. I hardly wear prints and prefer black, white and blues. I like to mix heritage with new. So I will wear an old skirt with a crop t-shirt and boots and a white long kurta with churidar and a modern waistcoat. Coming to jewellery, I love layering. I mix my grandmothers pieces with my own and wear it interestingly,” she explains. %% The award-winning designer is obsessed with history and India. Hence, she reads a lot of history and culture books. Her hobbies also include dancing, “A LOT of it,” she quips. All genres of music are her passion, too. But, here is another surprise. She is a graduate in Indian classical music and a soccer player. “I recently broke both my ankles while playing so I am banned from it now,” she adds jokingly. She is also a qualified graphologist and gemologist. This graduate from the GIA established her own training institute at the young age of twenty. %% But, the list of her hobbies and qualifications doesn’t end here. “I love researching, so I tend to read a lot on any subject. I also have this weird obsession of toying with electronics.” Breaking down and reassembling like Aamir Khan of 3 Idiots, if you will. “When need be, I can be an electrician, a car mechanic, basically your handyman,” she admits with her sense of humour as great as her jewellery designing ability. %%

With such unique hobbies, it is exciting to know her daily routine. “I am up by 6 am and since I am recuperating from broken ankles, I am not playing morning soccer or do any workout at gym (something which has been my pattern for over four years). So now I just do tepid running for four to five kms a day. Then a quick breakfast and I leave for factory at 9.25 am sharp. I am there mostly all day which gets done around 7.30 pm. Then I go to my store and wind up around 8.45 pm. Then home, dinner followed by a brain numbing game of anagram or some video games and lastly I read till around 1 am every night.” With so many things to do and so many hobbies to pursue with a meagre five-hour sleep is no easy feat but I guess when one is in love with his profession, tiredness or fatigue are rare to come by as with Suhani who is known for being a bundle of postive energy. %% She appears to be a fun-loving and interesting person from her hobbies and likings. But her creations are all an outcome of her emotions, “My jewellery is always an extension of my emotion at that moment, it is never ever random.” Emotions, movements and expressions are all her inspirations. “It begins with the first impression which is initially vivid then intense and then gets slowly ingrained into the unconscious. I like to collect these feelings, memories, connections and observations; raw, colourful, sensuous, ancient custom, merging and blending with new forces that inspire me,” she explains. %% “My designs reflect my love for metal, my mood, and my surroundings. The old city, the Charminar, the 200 year old ancestral haveli, the dancers on the streets, the women with their anklets, the bangle maker, the local kumbhaar (potter), the by-lanes, old photographs, tall buildings, brass, steel, history books, all this and much more. I am enchanted by the past. Each collection brings with it a mood, a feeling, an emotion. I do not follow trends. I follow my heart, my thoughts and may be that is why the collections come out so varied! My work is an unexpected combination of contradictory elements, fiercely individual and fiercely honest. I weave all of this with how we think today and hence the mood becomes modern but the DNA is old,” her words flow along with her strong emotions. %% A favourite amongst most Bollywood stars, her jewellery has appeared at Cannes Film Festival, year after year, worn by L'Oreal ambassador Sonam Kapoor. Her flagship store in Hyderabad which has won awards for not only her range of contemporary jewellery but also a large range of handcrafted lifestyle products. Having a gifts range for weddings and corporate occasions to specific festivals, the store has introduced a new language of contemporary gifting. We ought to know what is happening new, “I am toying with some new material. We just worked with German silver for the first time. Now I am trying to play with some others. I think having no education or training in the field has allowed me to have this really open mind to try out whatever catches my creative fancy. Though had I learnt it, the trial and errors would have been fewer,” she confesses. %% Being in the industry since long, she strongly believes that, “There is always someone better than you. So the only challenge you have is to outdo yourself and to come undone from yesterday and be better today.” She perfectly wraps up this amusing conversation with an advice for the aspiring designers, “Do not try to emulate anyone else’s path/ journey. Find what your calling is and stick to that. There is no formula to success. Only one trick: hard work.” %%