Multi-talented designer Satyajit Vetoskar shared insights with students of IIGJ, Mumbai, about the art of repurposing old materials into new products, and his recently unveiled jewellery collection combining gold and scrapped aluminium aircraft.
The Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery (IIGJ) Mumbai invited award-winning designer Mr. Satyajit Vetoskar at the campus to interact with senior jewellery design students in a session entitled ‘Afterlife’ that dealt with creating sustainable designs.
An architect and industrial designer, Mr. Vetoskar recently designed a precious jewellery collection made with gold and aluminium retrieved from scrapped aircraft. He shared details about how the collection called Shourai, (Japanese for ‘future that is known’) was realised; how he brought together gold and aluminium pieces; why he placed diamonds on the side on the side of each piece; how was the scrap aluminium polished; why the size of the presentation boxes were the same, and more. This gave the students interesting insights to help them think out of the box. Mr. Vetoskar introduced them to other novel concepts that nudged their perceptions about the use of various metals and gemstones.
Speaking to the students about his designs and raison d’etre, Mr. Satyajit Vetoskar said, “I get excited when I see a junkyard! My mind races to find inspiration for practical objects that I can create from discarded material.” He talked about how sustainable design is the very opposite of the ‘use-and-throw’ concept, with products being made to last and meant to be re-used over and over again. He recounted how his journey with sustainability started with a view from his airplane window of Mumbai chawl rooftops swathed in blue tarps. This helped him create his iconic line of backpacks from tarpaulin with straps from car seatbelts under the brand name Bandit. He showed this backpack to students who were able to get a peek into the workings of an acclaimed designer’s mind.
Mr. Vetoskar’s brand ‘Bandit’ has won 4 awards including the Lexus Design Award 2021 and the Lakme Fashion Week – Circular Design Challenge 2021. He is the founder and principal designer of Rubberband, a design studio based in Goa.
Overall, it was a mind-bending session for the students while engaging with Mr. Vetoskar’s unconventional concepts.