From Sculptor to Designer
It’s easy to be dazzled by the sculptural yet wearable jewellery that’s artfully displayed before us and the only thing that draws the eye away is the award-winning designer herself whose passion for form translates into these gorgeous pieces of art. Fashion insiders have fallen in love with Suhani Parekh’s label Misho, a brand that grew organically from her talent as a sculptor. They have been validated for their appreciation by a list of awards that Suhani has won for her design prowess—Harper’s Bazaar Jewellery Designer of the Year 2019, Forbes 30 Under 30 Fashion Category 2018, Vogue Paris Design Award 15 best earrings of 2017, among many others.
Her journey from sculptor to jewellery designer was a seamless shift. “I’d make these tiny little sculptures that I’d wear and every time I would, people would be like ‘that’s so cool, could you make that for me?’ and that’s how it started.” The name Misho resonates with her design philosophy as it represents a Japanese bonsai technique in which a seed turns into an evergreen bonsai tree, akin to a design idea, which turns into a tangible object.
“An interesting fact about jewellery—if you tell someone ‘I like your bag’, they would say ‘thanks’. But if you tell someone ‘I really like a piece of jewellery like your ring, or your necklace’, the first thing they would do is reach out and touch it. There is a personal aspect to it.” And it’s this personal, wear everyday jewellery that Suhani wants to make, like her iconic Zodiac medallion that hasn’t left her since she made it. May we add that it’s also become a cult piece with every celebrity sporting it in real life. The story behind the medallions is an interesting one and is inspired by Suhani’s travels. “I saw this stunning collection of ancient Greek currency, which was really interesting because every city/state had its own different kind of coins. We referenced the ancient Greek currency and came up with a couple of designs ourselves but still maintained the ethos where you feel that this piece has been crafted back in the day.”
The Creative Process.
As a trained sculptor, Suhani’s approach to jewellery designing is a unique one that starts with her sculpting an abstract piece, which is full of form and texture. The next step is a reductive process in which she strips it down and takes away elements and forms that eventually become jewellery. This time-intensive process that involves working with sterling silver and brass is one of the reasons that the brand only launches a few timeless collections in the year. “I feel in terms of the process and the dissemination, it is like a work of sculpture,” she shares. And like true art, her marketing campaign is low key with a select few stockists around the country and a quiet presence on social media. A little known fact about the brand is that they also craft sterling silver custom sunglasses with every piece, down to the smallest screw, handcrafted.
Taking a leap with the new collection ‘Le Fleur d’ Hiver, The Winter Flower’, which experiments with metal hues and intricate patterns, Suhani confesses they are trying out a new concept where the entire collection will be custom made to order and can be personalised to an extent. “I want you to wear the hoop and feel like it was made just for you, and the only way to do that is to actually make it for you,” she says. Ask her to pick her must-haves from the collection and she instinctively reaches for a pair of mini Frozen in Time hoops. Inspired by the mesmerizing winter landscape in Alberta, the hoops have tiny bubbles of metal individually soldered on making this piece an absolute must-have. Another favourite is the convertible earring that can be worn in six different ways, including as a bracelet, a necklace and a spectacle chain!
Contributors:
Studying Fine Art and Art History at Goldsmiths University, London, opened up the world of design to Suhani Parekh whose medium of choice was sculptures and installations. Her jewellery is an extension of her love for form and is often inspired by her travels and architectural styles of cities.
