Circumventing the busy roadways of the capital on a sultry afternoon a few weeks ago, I am headed towards upscale GK. After turning into one of its quieter by-lanes, my vehicle halts before the gated building that sports the address which is my appointed destination for the meeting. The durwan guides me to an upper-storey and I walk up the steps to the home of the royal in residence, Archana Kumari Singh. Ringing the doorbell, I hear the loud barking of two dogs who hurtle towards the entrance as soon as I step in.
I find myself in a comfortable space that is replete with a plethora of large and small artefacts. My eye is drawn to the huge swing that stands invitingly on one side. At another spot is a piano, silent for the moment — and the erstwhile princess, who is also president of Frazer and Haws, walks in, clad in a soft chiffon sari, her pallu draped elegantly across her shoulders. Delicate pearls glisten around her neck.
Earlier a writer and the editor of a magazine, Archana joined Frazer and Haws when she reinvented her professional life. Her role as president appealed to her inner sensibilities. She emphasises, “Frazer and Haws is the workshop of Hennell, opened by John Frazer and Edward Haws in 1869. Frazer and Haws and Hennell of Bond Street have been designing the most exquisite silver collectables and precious jewellery for over 250 years. I realised that the ideologies I grew up with matched beautifully with the vintage ethos of the company. Also, members of different royal families in Europe bought from them. The concept of corporate social responsibility existed right from the very beginning at Frazer and Haws. I decided that if I had to be the face of any company in India, it would have to be this. My background was similar to what the company embodied; the connection and sync in mindset were automatic.”
Denne historien er fra August 2015-utgaven av Verve.
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Denne historien er fra August 2015-utgaven av Verve.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Making Amends
This generation’s penchant for thoughtless consumption gets Madhu Jain roiled up, and she wonders if nature is getting its own back for our missteps…
Diamonds With Provenance
In keeping with the company’s commitment to environmental and social responsibility, Anisa Kamadoli Costa, chief sustainability officer at Tiffany & Co. and chairman and president at The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, enlightens Shirin Mehta on the efforts that make the jewellery giant an industry leader in transparency
SARTORIAL ECONOMICS
Sisters Tashi and Tara Mitra demonstrate to Akanksha Pandey how deviating from the mainstream can bend the way we think, live and dress
NOTES TO SELF
An anthropomorphized tiger’s perspective, a viscerally worded futuristic interpretation of loss, a critique of performative activism, a meta reflection on the earth’s crises. Told through different lenses, Janaki Lenin, Indrapramit Das, Keshava Guha and Roshan Ali’s stories — written exclusively for Verve — attempt to make sense of the fraught reality that we exist in today
The Eternal Optimist
As Generation X and xennials grapple with fully transitioning to conscious living, young millennials and Generation Z are leading the charge to reverse human-caused environmental damage. Sahar Mansoor, founder and CEO of the Bengaluru-based zero-waste social enterprise Bare Necessities, has a simple overarching philosophy: consume less and stay positive. Verve gets deeper into the mindset of the action-oriented earth advocate
Redemption SONGS
Indian music festivals have been demonstrating a refreshing sense of responsibility in terms of their ecological impact. Interacting with stakeholders who strive to make these large-scale events greener, Akhil Sood investigates the reasons behind the improved attitudes of audiences and the increase in corporate support.
earth hour
Crafted using nature’s elements, these dials draw inspiration from the many heterogeneous materials and hues around us.Verve turns its lens onto a mesmerising few
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Children are holding adults accountable for both the grim future they are facing and the toll this is taking on their mental health. Madhumita Bhattacharyya initiates conversations with families of young climate activists and observes the extent to which parenting has changed in the face of catastrophe
NATURAL JUSTICE
Most of us are only just waking up to the urgency of climatic action. When the stakes are so high, what can individual action solve? Mridula Mary Paul, an environmental policy expert, is proof of the tenacity needed to effect systemic change. It’s not glamorous, and the rewards are few and far between, but that doesn’t stop her from aiming big, finds Anandita Bhalerao
Along For The Ride
Navigating Indian streets as a woman is hard enough. But what is it like while riding a bicycle? Bengaluru-based Shreya Dasgupta, a regular cyclist, speaks to five urban women about the pros and cons of this increasingly popular means of transport.
