A New Twist

Malvika Vaswani uses unconventional techniques to inspire traditional artisans to create unique jewelry

- Malvika Vaswani

How has formal design education impacted your career?

MV: I majored in industrial design at the Rhode Island School of Design in the US. Having a formal design education has definitely helped me be rigorous, understand process, and make, document, and create products where the form follows function. I learnt that prior to making anything the function of it has to be looked at and this helps me create viable products with their own identity.

What drew you to jewelry design?

MV: I have grown up watching my mother making fine jewelry, and though I always told her I would never do that, it was in my blood! I loved the fact that jewelry could be sculpted and molded and literally take any form and yet be a piece of wearable art. I enjoyed the scale and the fact that it could be mixed media, and thus very organically started designing and making jewelry using traditional crafts, traditions and also alternate and sustainable materials in my practice.

What brought you back to India?

MV: I worked very briefly in the US and was a designer at an entry level there. I very quickly understood that the kind of work I was doing wasn’t something I wanted to do lifelong. Since making anything within the US was so expensive, most of the products were outsourced to China and mass produced, thus removing me as a designer from the actual making aspect. I felt very disconnected from the making process and being a hands-on designer, this was a little problematic. I knew I wanted to work in the craft sector in India so I came back in late 2011. In 2014, I started Malvika Vaswani Design Studio in Mumbai. It is an industrial design studio that is experimental and socially responsible.