Colour Coded

Its a sultry Saturday afternoon and a bunch of people have gathered at Zaza,a colourful four level establishment in Zamrudpur...

Written by RICHA BHATIA
August 11, 2009 11:55 PM IST

3 min read

Its a sultry Saturday afternoon and a bunch of people have gathered at Zaza,a colourful four level establishment in Zamrudpur (near GKs N block market) for a quick bite of bagel sandwiches and conversations over waffles. A Monsoon Souk,a two day extravaganza over the weekend offered guests a peek into designer outfits,home furnishings,jewellery and a delicious spread at the food court. Its a sort of an afternoon when one can just drop by,shop,catch a quick bite and generally relax, smiles Christine Rai,the British owner of Zaza.

Adding a dash of glamour to the event was friend and British jewellery designer Emma Chapman,laced up in a simple black dress,with her trademark colourful earrings and pendant as complements. Chapman has just showcased her collection on the runways of London and Paris Fashion Weeks to positive reviews from the media. People are somewhat afraid to do colours in the West, she says. The self taught designer who moved base to India in March is however quick to add that her move to India was not spurred by the slowdown. Its quite dull in Europe and London and everyone is talking about economy and recession. But I also believe that as designers,we undergo a burn-out, she shrugs.

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Her association with India,she says,dates back much earlier. Her move to jewellery designing five years back,was in fact,her India moment. With a background in theatre and film productionChapman has worked with Merchant Ivory in marketing and production she became aware of the intricacies of designing when she saw the work of a Bangalore-based friend. She went back to London for designing workshops,signed up for a course in gemology in Sri Lanka and is now back to the country of her inspiration,where she came looking for the vivid colours that had first intrigued her. She chanced upon Jaipur and has since worked with the craftsmen there. The colours are very inspiring,specially when you see a lone woman walking down the desert in a red and yellow sari, says Chapman,as she shows a Lakshmi pendant made of crystals and 22 karat gold with a sun and moon in the centre set alongside some funky knotted hoop and chandelier earrings in green. Though,her jewellery lacks the funky twists of Scandinavian counterparts,the multi-coloured stones,exotic aqua marine chandelier earrings and the spectacular Mogul Empress Raj Pearl necklace are perfect for swish socialite evenings.

Currently,the 30-something designer is based in Assagaon,north Goas celebrity neigbourhood where designer Savio Jon also stays. (She stays in a friends Portuguese style home). Neighbour Wendell Rodericks will soon be showcasing her collection in his stores. Her jewellery is stocked in Ogaan in Delhi,Bombay Electric and Zoya in Mumbai,Grasshopper in Banglore among other places. Up next is another showing at the London Fashion week in September and later the Paris Fashion Week. Chapmans collection in India is competitively priced and begins at Rs 800.