A lot of people who see my work, ask me about the “Themes of my collections”. They are baffled by the various types, concepts and interpretation of themes I use. So I thought that it will make an interesting post to talk about Creating jewelry collections based on specific themes and how to make a thematic collection.
First, Let me answer the questions that I am asked the most. I am not an expert on design methodology nor a branding genius, so this is not an advice or tips post, but a ‘loud thinking’ sort of a post with honest answers; I am not bragging, I promise!
1) Did I/do I always make thematic collections?
No, in the beginning when I started to make jewelry, I was just learning the ropes. Hence to play it safe, I did not do thematic collections. I merely grouped them into collections based on the colors and beads used as I mostly did beaded jewelry then with hints of wire, leather or resin thrown in
2)My first thematic collection
Chronologically speaking, in 2012 my “Royalty” collection which was based on grandeur and royalty was my first. But my first true collection with an outstanding storyline was Chithiram. Even though as a designer, who was taught in a design school to create original, concept based thematic collections, I found the courage to do that and do it successful commercially only because the creatives at Blue mango films had confidence in me to create a thematic collection for a TV shoot.
3) Where do I look for themes? What is my source of inspiration?
I get easily bored, so I read a lot on a variety of topics to amuse myself. I travel, observe and try to learn the culture, aesthetics and symbiosis of the places and the people I visit. I also talk to people about the things they do, and try to learn about how they do their job or hobby from them. I also spend time everyday reading about, learning or practicing a new technique. I love history, and I am particularly proud of my rich Indian culture, myths and traditions that is so vast and all encompassing. Lastly I spend a lot of time Day dreaming and telling stories to myself. My inspirations come from any or all of the above.
4) How do I know if a particular theme will work when I choose it?
Honestly, I dont know, I just take a risk. I have had epic success and majors fails. I just hope and pray God that it works!
5) So why take the risk, why cant I stick to my one USP; the one theme that has worked out the best for me?
People ask me all the time, why dont I stick to one thing, something proven, safe, not just with reagrd to jewelry but with the way I dress or work or write. I just have one simple answer- I get bored and I hate routines.Taking risks is what keeps my creativity growing, which gives me courage to face the competition.
My USP is that every collection, every piece of mine is unique. so yes, I am sticking to my USP by doing different concepts every year. Plus in fashion, Change is everything and if as a fashion designer I cannot create that change, then I am nothing.
6) Sources: Places to find curated Themes
If one is not a trained designer or an artist, one might find it difficult to develop and idea or an inspiration into a theme. Doubts will arise, like how to make this intangible concept into wearable designs or how to combine ideas to create a fruitful theme. Concept creation is an elaborate process ( I will help you navigate the channels of creation in my following posts on this topic) and requires time and effort. For Newcomers, it might be over whelming in the beginning. But there is not need to fear.
With the abundance of designers, curators and trend researches there is no dearth of curated themes, particularly on the web. These Concept notes or trend reports will give you a comprehensive run down of how a particular can be used to create working designs. Choices of material, color, shapes would all form a part of these reports.As a bonus, these reports are market Savvy, that means that they will showcase “Only those stories that have a potential of being sold or bought in the coming season”. These are called Trend forecast reports.
Best places to find them are forecasting agencies (sites) like WGSN, Promostly, View, Mud Pie, etc. However on the downside, subscription to these agencies are expensive for single individuals but work great if many can get together at one physical location to access them. Alternatively many online websites like Firemountain gems provide seasonal reports which might be less reliable (as they are targeted towards their own inventory) but free to use. You can also look at sites like Fashionista or Style.com for fashion trends for a particular season and get inspired by the designs/look created by established designers.
With that, we come to the end of this post. In the comments, do tell me, if you make thematic jewelry collections. Do you use recurring themes or conjure up unique concepts every time? If you are not, would you be interested in Creating jewelry collections based on themes?
I hope you found it interesting
Cheers
Leave a Reply