Demographic and lifestyle trends, economic and geographical factors are some of the major reasons that contribute to market dynamics. Change is the mandatory law of nature and from time to time, it makes room for newer ideas and categories to take root. What was once a taboo, no longer is. Wearing fashion jewellery on one’s wedding day was once unmentionable. Today, it has gained acceptance and high-end fashion jewellery is considered as one of the best options for destination weddings, a growing trend today. According to a survey by The Wedding Brigade, over 60% millennials opt for destination weddings. Shanoo Bijlani spoke to top fashion jewellery designers and retailers to know more about the sudden popularity of this segment.
High-end fashion jewellery is having its moment. Established brands are riding the popularity wave by offering exclusive bridal designs and statement pieces, some even entertaining customised assignments. Although it is difficult to put a number on it, the Indian market for destination wedding jewellery is quite large and lucrative. Akanksha Arora, CEO of Tribe Amrapali, confirms, “Over the last three to four years, demand in the Indian market for destination wedding jewellery has suddenly increased manifold. Destination weddings have become a trend in today’s day and age. Indian masses are aspirational and are strongly influenced by Bollywood. The fashion wedding jewellery segment is all set to cater to this burgeoning need of people who are partaking in this celebration.”
The recently opened multidesigner jewellery store Azotiique by Varun Raheja, in Mumbai, has a special section devoted only to high-end bridal fashion jewellery. Raheja explains that he realised early on that the requirement for bridal destination wedding jewellery is on the rise. The store offers exclusive and customised options to complement the ensembles of the bride and her family members. “Talk about destination weddings and what comes to mind is the sparkle, the scale, the opulence! We have full potential to tap the market with the best of the designers in this segment, including Ra Abta by Rahul, Purab Paschim, Confluence, TAD accessories and many more,” exclaims Raheja.
Given the change in sociocultural habits, high-end fashion jewellery is a perfect fit for brides. The Indian consumer has come to understand and accept that destination jewellery is here to stay. It’s hassle-free to travel with fashion jewellery as compared to fine jewellery. There is no fear of security, no requirement to declare at airport customs. It is comparatively light on the pocket and above all, it is beautifully designed. The neat finish and high quality of production value makes this high-end fashion jewellery almost comparable with fine jewellery.
Practicality outweighs security concerns and today’s generation is not so concerned about the inherent value of the piece. Instead, the woman of today is fashion conscious and prefers to wear a conversation piece that gains more traction at such important events.
How did the change in the consumer’s attitude towards destination jewellery come about? Gauri Tandon, one of the co-founders of renowned fashion jewellery brand, Isharya, says, “It seems like almost every celebration is a destination these days, be it a wedding, a bachelorette, a silver anniversary or a 40th birthday – everyone is happy to hop on to a flight and celebrate in style. The last thing they then want to do is pick out precious jewels from lockers and be weighed down with the burden of declaring it at the airport customs, storing the jewellery safely, and ferrying it back.”
Arora of Amrapali adds, “The new-age couples do not want to do the usual typical weddings in the common banquets and grounds of their hometown – it’s more experiential, and they want to give their guests a different experience that is unforgettable. Destination weddings help everyone step out of their usual routine and set them up for a few days of complete fun and relaxation. In terms of jewellery for destination weddings, especially at locations abroad, people are hesitant about carrying expensive pieces due to security concerns and customs declarations at airports which are a bit of a hassle in terms of the paperwork involved. Thus, they prefer carrying base metal and silver jewellery that looks like bridal jewellery set with synthetic and semi-precious stones.”
Is this change limited to just the younger population? Gauri Tandon comments: “It’s not just the young and trendy who want to be able to check-in their accessories these days, everyone from the bride to her grandmother is thinking along the same lines. There is a marked shift in mindset. Just because it isn’t real, it doesn’t have to be junk either.”
Design differentiation and one-off dramatic pieces drive purchase decisions. Radhika Tandon, the other co-founder of Isharya, says that today’s consumer is discerning and seeks high-quality products. Her focus is more on how wearable and comfortable the piece is. “If she loves the design, she will want to wear it. It is the ease, comfort and availability of the latest trends that have ensured the growth of the fashion jewellery market – and the way is only up.”
Trends and pricing
In addition to helping get their look perfect, Isharya also customises return gifts for guests. Gauri of Isharya comments, “Customers also prefer our range of gifting ideas for both men and women. Fashion-forward brides choose well-crafted, high quality costume jewellery as giveaways for their guests. For instance, we recently designed special Isharya maang tikas and earring sets as returns gifts for actress Sonam Kapoor’s guests at her mehendi ceremony prior to her wedding.”
Consumers are open to alternative materials for destination jewellery and this gives designers ample room for experimenting with alternative materials such as glass, semiprecious gemstones, cubic zirconia, Swarovski gemstones and more. The only condition is that the jewellery should look royal, real and gorgeous. Swarovski, cubic zirconia and semi-precious gemstones are trending the most in this segment. Such jewels offer multiple options for themed wedding events – whether it’s resort wear or a niche, elite soiree.
Arora of Tribe Amrapali explains, “For destination weddings, the brides and the first family of the couple prefer wearing silver base metal and gold-plated jewellery which looks real and yet is more contemporary, playful and fun than conventional jewellery pieces. I’m not discounting the fact that fine jewellery will completely go out of the picture, but definitely bridal fashion jewellery is getting more takers.
We do use a lot of Swarovski, semi-precious gemstones, cubic zirconia and glass and have not gone on to experiment with other materials as the Indian bride prefers the jewellery to look more traditional. That is also the reason why we use colourful enamels to make the jewellery look rich and ornate. Basically, a humble alternative to the conventional fine jewellery that has similar exquisite designs, but have competitive price points.”
Isharya’s Radhika states that there is a huge demand for traditional silhouettes with a modern interpretation. “That is what we do best at Isharya. Layering and body jewellery are trends we continue to see. An amazing headgear, stylish upper arm cuffs (bazubands), body harnesses, hand and shoulder harnesses, maang tikas, waist chains – being a bride has never been so much fun. These stylish silhouettes are on-trend yet complement traditional attire. Modern brides don’t want to invest their money in getting these made in precious stones and metals as they know that they won’t be using them often after the wedding. Our price points range from R4,000 to R25,000 with a majority of the pieces falling in the R8,000 to R10,000 range.”
Destination jewellery is by no means cheap, but it is still less costlier than the real stuff. At Azotiique, maang tikas and big chand balis, maharani necklaces, pearl jewellery with polkis, and oversized nose rings are in vogue – the jewellery ranges between R5,000 and R75,000. At Tribe Amrapali, this type of jewellery starts from R5,000 upwards and the cost increases depending on the intricacy of the design. Arora believes that a destination wedding becomes the talk of the town with new-generation couples who are digitally savvy and have a large number of followers. Especially with the growing popularity of hosting weddings abroad, sales of base metal and gold- and silver-plated jewellery is high. “No jeweller can afford to neglect this market that is only getting bigger by the day,” she says.
