With her latest campaign marking her first-ever association with ‘the magnificent Roman high jeweller’, Bvlgari, Jayanti Reddy elevates the ethos of the eclectic, unapologetic and free-spirited wearer, while embracing pastels and recasting ornate silver work in a summer-friendly avatar.
In a first-of-its-kind association, global high-jewellery design house Bvlgari and Indian couturier Jayanti Reddy came together. To mark the collaboration, the Hyderabad-based designer’s artfully and painstakingly handcrafted ensembles were perfectly paired with the Italian luxury house’s aspirational creations.
Armed with a business degree from Case Western Reserve University, Reddy was always keen to pursue fashion. In 2012, she launched her eponymous design label. The label-rooted in Indian handicrafts-has since then espoused a principle of preservation. She is well-known for thoughtfully tweaking Nizami and Banarasi weaving traditions, infusing them with a modern sensibility soaked in understated opulence.
Indeed, understated opulence has been the mainstay of the design house working with painstakingly executed hand embroideries and eco-conscious naturally-dyed textiles. Reddy celebrated the milestone of clocking in a decade in the Indian fashion industry last year.
With the launch of her latest campaign, ‘Palazzo’, Reddy’s label is at an inflection point taking the story of creating couture ensembles for the evolved and eclectic dresser of today a notch higher. The designer takes a departure from her signature aubergines, reds and maroons in favour of pastel hues like beige, aqua and pink.
Shot in soft, natural light, the campaign juxtaposes Jayanti Reddy’s signature breezy organza silhouettes drenched in ornate silver work embellishment with Bvlgari’s riveting high-jewellery creations. The result is a harmonious blend of sophistication and seduction as Bvlgari’s iconic pieces lend luminosity to Reddy’s innovative ensembles and amplify their deeply rooted symbolic appeal. The campaign is a synergistic collaboration between Reddy’s intrinsic Indian-culture fangirling sentiments and Bvlgari’s design language of sophistication and seduction. Each telling a story of their own; each conveying a deep symbolism that heralds the age of the new-age lover of luxury.
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FL: Could you tell us about your latest campaign and does it break any new ground?
JR: Palazzo takes our artistic narrative ahead and reflects our attempts to relentlessly innovate crafts. From lending a contemporary touch to our atelier’s zardozi techniques to crafting new silhouettes and adding some unexpected separates to the ensembles-Palazzo celebrates the values that epitomise the Jayanti Reddy woman, who’s a fearless and eclectic dresser.
The new campaign was shot in Thailand. And it’s special owing to the association with Bvlgari wherein both the design houses come together in a shared savoir faire. While the exotic backdrop of Thailand lends a vibrant canvas to the timeless Jayanti Reddy silhouettes, the artfully styled Bvlgari’s iconic pieces lend our ensembles a quality of immense gravitas.
FL: Could you take us through the synergy of naturally-dyed, handwoven textiles and intricate embroideries that you work with to produce couture ensembles?
JR: At Jayanti Reddy, we’ve always mindfully sourced our indigenous textiles and made them relevant and modern. Our atelier’s core metier is rooted in the fine craft of zardozi, while each ensemble narrates a unique tale of heritage craftsmanship and painstakingly done hand embroidery.
FL: How is Hyderabad woven into the roots of your design vocabulary?
JR: Hyderabad’s culture, heritage, history, art forms, indigenous crafts, cuisine, and music, have inhabited our mood board season after season. We’re proud of our culture, which is rooted in this citadel of chic and has been our guidin force for over a decade now.
FL: You are known to incorporate craftsmanship from the Deccan region with that of Banaras. How has it lent heft and character to your couture creations?
JR: The magic of Banaras is timeless and brocade is one of India’s significant weaves, which has refined and redefined our creations. Moreover, the historic Deccan region steeped in symbolism is the beating heart of label Jayanti Reddy. Both the ghats of Banaras and the Deccan heartlands sublimate our creativity.
FL: How would you describe a decade in the Indian fashion industry and what have been the key learnings?
JR: It’s been a decade of a lot of learning. We understood our customers more, and also made forays into newer markets. A new audience discovered us and we discovered them as well. All in all, we learnt to cherish the values we uphold, stand by our creative process and fine-tune our signature crafts.
FL: How would you describe the evolution of couture in the Indian fashion landscape?
JR: Couture has become more edited, pared-down and lightweight. Today, more and more couturiers are crafting day-time ensembles, pieces with scaled-back embroidery and separates, which could be mixed and matched for various outings.
FL: What are your thoughts on the Indian luxury couture consumer today?
JR: The Indian luxury consumer is very aware, well-travelled and focused on inculcating her closet with pieces which
“This summer is all about pastels paired with jewel tones … Our signature Jayanti Reddy purple is timeless and seasonless, and I see it taking on vibrant summer silhouettes this season too. Deep purples, midnight blues and dark reds work great for evenings.”
JAYANTI REDDY
reflect her inherent personality. She’s also eco-conscious and has embraced mindfulness when it comes to her shopping practices.
FL: Could you tell us about your foray into menswear and what are the key offerings?
JR: We always felt that there is a huge demand in this segment. We’ve learnt that tailoring is key when it comes to menswear and it’s great to see Indian men finally ready to experiment in terms of colours and cuts.
FL: What is your take on key summer occasion wear palettes, silhouettes and looks vis-a-vis womenswear?
JR: This summer is all about pastels paired with jewel tones. The juxtaposition of washed-out, pale shades with saturated, intense ones create a sensual aesthetic blending in the vibes of both a breezy and fiery spirit. The idea is to slip into a sprightly summer look. Our signature Jayanti Reddy purple is timeless and seasonless, and I see it taking on vibrant summer silhouettes this season too. Deep purples, midnight blues and dark reds work great for evenings.
FL: Who is the Jayanti Reddy muse and why?
JR: She’s someone who has a mind of her own. She’s a woman of substance and refuses to be a wallflower. She is a rebel in her own right, who has no desire to fit in. She likes to chart her own course. She would rather write poetry than be a mute muse; she is an active and rising force rather than a passive goddess; she is a seeker of wanderlust, an agent of change, a shaper of history. We, as a brand, resonate with the multitude of her diverse moods and personalities.
FL: What’s next for the brand and for you as a designer?
JR: We plan on opening more stores in the future and diversify into other product categories. We aim to expand internationally as well.
FL: Any style hack that you personally swear by or that can elevate any look effortlessly?
JR: Keep the jewellery minimal and makeup fresh or dewy! Let the ensemble do all the talking. In essence, keep your look effortlessly stylish and do not worry about perfection.
She’s (the Jayanti Reddy muse) someone who has a mind of her own. She’s a woman of substance and refuses to be a wallflower.
JAYANTI REDDY