Colour, and lots of it. That is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of fashion designer Manish Arora. He has been an international favourite, his designs being adorned by the likes of Katy Perry, Rihanna and Lady Gaga. Amrapali, the traditional Indian jewellery brand has also gained an international popularity over the years and has an impressive clientele of royalty and celebrities alike. Celebrities like Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Rihanna, Shakira, Halle Berry, J.Lo, Beyonce, Frieda Pinto, Lucy Liu, Jennifer Hawkins, Padma Lakshmi, Bipasha Basu, Priyanka Chopra, Twinkle Khanna, Rekha, Konkana Sen Sharma have all donned their designs. And Amrapali’s list of honoured customers includes Mr. Shimon Peres Ex-Prime Minister of Israel, Her Majesty Ashi Wongchuk Queen of Bhutan, Maharani Padmini Devi and Princess Diya of the Jaipur Royal Family. Now the two dependable brands have come together to create the Manish Arora – Amrapali jewellery collection.
For his spring-summer 2013 collection too, (that was recently unveiled) Arora went back to Indian roots rediscovering Indian styles, and innovating them the Manish Arora way – heavy baroque embellishments, brocades, jacquard, flighty prints. This is probably why it did not come as a surprise when soon the Manish Arora – Amrapali collection came to light. The collection was first unveiled at the Paris Fashion Week in September 2012, and is now being launched in the country. Its inspiration lies in the decadence of Indian Royalty. One can spot a vibrant colour palette used in the collection, comprising of necklaces, earrings, bracelets/bangles/cuffs, rings and hair accessories, all of which will be retailed at the Amrapali stores in India, internationally in London, Paris, USA, Lagos, major department stores as well as online retail websites. The designs are crafted on the lines of antique jewelry from the Amrapali archives using 18k gold plating, stone and crystal setting and the traditional Indian art of Meenakari. Faceted structures are incorporated into ornate Indian jewels with meticulous craftsmanship. The collection is a revitalization of tradition; brings to life techniques and motifs of the animals, lotus, and leaves. The pieces in the collection are priced between Rs 3,400 (for the Candy Bijou earrings) – Rs 46,400 (for the Candy Enamel Bangles)