ELLE: What made flora and fauna a natural choice for this collection?
Rohit Bal: Swarovski is always seen as modern-age bling. Its designs are young and sharp; I wanted to steer away from that. I wanted to give it a new twist. And when it came to finding inspiration, I knew it had to be flora and fauna. They have been a part of my collections for many years, and justify the vintage look I want to achieve. The idea was to create something that you will find in your grandmother’s closet.
ELLE: How did you get the muted look?
RB: We chose crystals in the opaque category and dark tones. We also used stone settings that were seen in olden times—for example, the snow setting, which involves taking differently shaped stones and setting them on a surface in a way that you can barely see the base. I used this technique for the flower petals and bird bodies. We even used other techniques like ‘patina’, which entails oxidising the metal to get a vintage look.
ELLE: How was your experience of creating these pieces?
RB: I loved every minute of it. I think it is wonderful that Swarovski goes the extra mile to satisfy the designer and help their vision become a reality. We spent almost a year creating these capsule pieces, and I hope to do more in the future.
ELLE: This range is titled Husn-e-Taa’iraat, just like your couture collection last year. Is there a connection between the two?
RB: The title means ‘birds of paradise’, and this is a theme I have been toying with for as long as I can remember. It is something that always inspires me and will keep inspiring me.
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Photographs: Aditya Mohan
