Zoya, the brand of luxury jewellery from the House of Tata launched its new collection themed around “Inner Strength” inspired by verdant motifs of the rainforest at the collection was virtually launched by Gauri Khan.
RetroPop Lifestyle gets Amanpreet Ahluwalia, Business Head, Zoya, to share some insights into the evolution, journey and other ventures of Zoya…
- Tell us about the collection ‘Rooted’. What’s the inspiration?
‘Rooted’ draws on motifs from the world’s rainforests, which have stood tall for 55 million years, their immense strength preserved in the face of climatic upheavals only to emerge stronger. The collection is a celebration of the journey of a woman as she reconnects with her feminine self. It enables the women to break free from the confines of patriarchal expectations and delve deep within to draw strength and sustenance. The woman’s resolve to be resilient, selfless and nurturing finds a parallel in the rainforest that towers till the skies and yet, finds a way to care for the most microscopic beings. As the world is faced with a future of uncertainty, the ‘Rooted’ collection serves as a fitting metaphor for the inner strength and perseverance that the Zoya woman shares with the rainforest — at once, both aesthetic and symbolic.
Light of the Rainforest from the Rooted collection 
Jade Vines from the Rooted Collection
· What is the Mood board?
Inspired by the rainforest, with its fascinating and vibrant flora and fauna and refreshing perspectives like the movement of sun light within each layer of the rainforest, the play of light and shadow and more… We also wanted to showcase how each layer in the rainforest from the emergent to the canopy, the understory to the forest floor, creates a beautiful interdependent ecosystem that nurtures one another and builds resilience.
· What about the design aesthetics?
The line-up juxtaposes the modernity of design with the innate grace and delicacy, embedded in each piece. The motifs range from clusters of flowers, meticulously recreated to mirror the intricacy of the original, to exotic birds — their majestic plumage perched upon pendants and fluttering from earrings. To truly bring alive the bountiful rainforest, it stands to reason that colour plays an indispensable role in the collection. The gemstones traverse the entire spectrum, including emeralds, sapphires, tanzanites, tourmalines, pink opals, rose quartz, peridots, rock crystals, iolites, turquoises and chrysoprase. The myriad cuts display the breadth of Zoya’s artistry, ranging from custom cut carved stones and cabochons to beads and faceted stones. The textural elements and colour gradation employed in specific pieces are guaranteed to inspire dreams of an endless summer.
· Tell us about the journey and evolution of Zoya?
Zoya is an authentic, home-grown luxury brand from the House of Tata. Over the last decade, Zoya has built a reputation for its products with distinguished designs and masterful craftsmanship. With its heart in India and an eye on the world, Zoya is redefining the way fine jewellery is experienced in India. Its collections are inspired by myriad journeys, from the ones that take you across the world to ones that help you discover your own feminine self. Unique inspirations from iconic destinations, history, culture, art, legends along with the internal journey of a woman as she reconnects with her deep feminine, all of these are translated into one of a kind designs by our panel of master craftsmen, forming the genesis of Zoya’s myriad collections. The creative process for each collection can take up to a year, resulting in artistic masterpieces, each with its own story to tell. Every piece of jewellery from Zoya is created exclusively keeping in mind the discerning and aesthetically astute, modern sophisticate.
· Who is Zoya’s Muse?
The Zoya woman is a woman who appreciates fine design, precision craftsmanship and the story telling that accompanies every masterpiece. Zoya’s muse is the aesthetically astute, well-travelled, discerning woman of today. She is an accomplished woman playing multiple roles in her life, including that of a nurturer, a caregiver and an ambitious go-getter but she realizes she’s been forgetting her true self in the pursuit of patriarchal validation.
Scarlet Macaw from the Rooted collection 
Tree Vines from the Rooted Collection
- What are the plans for the coming festive season so, what offers will be rolled out for your customers?
For the upcoming festive season, we have launched Rooted, inspired by the world’s rainforests. It is an exquisite line-up of 45 pieces for the modern sophisticate and is extremely contemporary, versatile and fluid. We will be focusing on promoting our new collection in the digital space through the festive months. The recovery rate in the last two months has been very encouraging for Zoya and we are hoping that it will continue through.
- What about the new strategies and plans post lockdown?
We made a foray into South India in May this year with a flagship boutique in Bangalore’s luxury hub, Vittal Mallya Road. Over the last decade, we have had a thriving presence in Delhi and Mumbai and we are now actively looking to set up a boutique in Hyderabad among other cities. We are looking forward to the response we receive from our new collection, Rooted. Home visits and appointment based selling has always been a way of life, and we have also integrated video calls in our sales which has helped us service customers beyond our local footprint. We will be investing more in the digital space to serve our customers at their convenience and widen our reach.
