Of Backpacks and Baubles

Looking beyond ‘my grandmother’s choker’ or conventionally sleek nine-to-five bling Eina Ahluwalia, the rare species of the ‘conceptual’ jeweller, has treasures on offer. “Our jewellery is not pure ornamentation but another non-verbal mode of communication,” she says of her label Breathing Space. The Kolkata-based creator with an MBA in marketing is a travel junkie. Her many impromptu trips have introduced her to exquisite examples of world ornaments, so she is “not restricted by tradition in terms of method or mindset.” Combining seemingly disparate elements to create harmonious design energy, Eina constantly fuels inspiration with experimentation. While her work experience is impressive, with stellar names like Aigner, Lanvin and Nina Ricci, the lady has also had a taste of Bollywood – try spotting her Byzantine earrings in the Dard-e-Disco video of Om Shanti Om. Currently Eina is busy with another film entitled Antaheen and forming a design platform called The Creative Commune.