Heirloom High

Bengaluru-based Rachana Reddy grew up in a family that valued heirloom pieces. The ripple effect was a passion for jewellery, which prompted her to do a short course in accessory design from the London College of Fashion. Four years ago, she launched her very own accessory label.

Even though she terms her style as ‘easy, breezy chic’, she likes imaginative shapes that push the boundaries of jewellery design. “I like keeping things toned down and elegant, but not boring,” she smiles. On a daily basis, Reddy just wears her wedding ring and earrings. “But I collect all kinds of jewellery— costume, semi-precious and precious. My favourite though is antique South Indian temple jewellery as it is original and quite stunning.” Reddy has an impressive collection of bracelets, head-chains and waistbands but has a weakness for neckpieces. “My jewellery has to be in sync with my professional role. My day earrings and wedding ring happen to be solitaires, but that’s where it ends as I am not really crazy about shiny solitaires,” she tells us. “Many semi-precious stones like amethysts, citrines, moonstones are my constants. I also wear a lot of silver jewellery from Amrapali.” Reddy prefers buying simpler pieces with meaning. Eina Ahluwalia’s Warrior Helmet sterling silver earrings from the Wedding Vows collection with a message to stop domestic violence, are one of her favourites. The arrowheads signify that a woman must just not get baubles for her trousseau, but also strength from her family. “Suhani Pittie is another one of my favourites, but I also like my Tiffany Love Charm necklace, which was a gift from a friend while I was studying in London.” Reddy’s most precious pieces are the ones closest to her heart. An antique wedding set made of gold, rubies, emeralds, pearls and uncut diamonds from Bengaluru’s Navrathan Jewellers finds a place of pride in her jewellery box. “I like Indian accessories like maangtikas and chokers; but on the other end of the spectrum there is also a gorgeous pair of diamond danglers my husband gifted me for my birthday and a pair of gold ones,” she says. Reddy also talks about bangles from her mom-in-law. “They are highly cherished, as her mom-inlaw had gifted this pair to her when she was expecting my husband,” she says beaming with pride. Rachana Reddy’s tastes vary from antique to modern jewellery as she loves her maangtikas as much as the Eina Ahluwalia’s Warrior Helmet earrings.

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Bejewelled 66 August 2014 Dior’s homecoming Grey, Monsieur Dior’s signature hue, has been brought back to the forefront as the inspiration behind the new Dior VIII Montaigne collection. We go behind the scenes and find out how the timepieces, which are the heart and soul of an authentic and elegant Parisian woman, were brought to life. Bejewelled 68 August 2014 0 Avenue Montaigne in Paris is not just an ordinary address. It is where it all started for Christian Dior over 70 years ago. This now legendary address had captured Monsieur Dior's imagination long before he became a couturier. “I will set up here and nowhere else!” he had informed one of his friends. And his dream finally came true on 8 October, 1946, when he opened his first couture house. A year later the couturier presented his legendary ‘New Look’

collection within the store’s walls and sparked a post-war shape revolution that echoed the nuances of 18th century France. As the name VIII Montaigne holds a significant place in Dior’s history, the maison decided to pay homage to its historic address with a new collection—the Dior VIII Montaigne. With this collection, the maison pushes the inspiration even further by returning to the essential colours found in Christian Dior’s palette, calling on steel grey. “Almost anything goes with grey, so it is a good colour for accessories,” Monsieur Dior had written in his 1954 Little Dictionary of Fashion. A watch by day and a piece of jewellery by night, the timepiece embodies an utterly Parisian couture spirit. From version to version, it employs a wardrobe composed of timeless pieces, conceived for all hours. There is the indispensable version to accompany an active woman from morning to night, all in steel with white mother-ofpearl dial, or its two-tone version. Or, the day watch with its black alligator strap. As a new expression of Dior’s watchmaking icon, the Dior VIII Montaigne is an eminently feminine jewelled watch, in a 25mm diameter, in pink gold set with diamonds.

Dior VIII Montaigne translates all the signature styles of Dior couture onto the wrist. A slender silhouette with structured lines, a bracelet with a sensual feel and pyramid-shaped links, come together in a harmonious combination of Dior colours and watchmaking materials—the luminous grey of polished steel, the sparkle of diamonds, the sophistication of pink gold and the sun-kissed effect of the pink or blue dials.

A splendid new take on the maison’s iconic women’s watch, the Dior VIII Montaigne is a resolutely feminine collection.

A watch by day and a piece of jewellery by night, the timepiece embodies an utterly Parisian couture spirit August 2014 69