Today on the blog we feature Ananya Vyas of Girl Thinks. Ananya has been making paper jewelry for over 3 year from her studio in Gurgaon. A Fine Arts graduate, with a post-graduation specialisation in Advertising, Ananya designs vibrant earrings and neck-pieces inspired by Indian art and traditional motifs. Her illustration on the jewelry is kitsch, quirky and very Indian. Design wise her paper jewelry is easy to adorn and durable. At our By Hand From The Heart – makers market in Chennai expect to find her latest Maharani collection and her other signature range of paper adornments. Read on to find out more about the paper jewelry designer…
Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Ananya Vyas and I am the founder and designer at Girl Thinks. I was born and raised in Delhi. I am a Fine Arts graduate, with a post-graduation specialisation in Advertising from MICA, Ahmedabad. I have worked as an Associate Art Director in some of the leading advertising agencies in Delhi and Gurgaon, following a stint in production at an Internet based start-up and eventually quitting it all to start my own venture, Girl Thinks around 3 years back.
How did you begin Girl Thinks and how has it evolved over the years?
In between the insane amounts of work load and the constant hustling on the job, it was my mother who casually suggested me to think about the possibility of doing something of my own, at least all the things that would make me clock in the hours of hard work would be for my own good rather than doing it for someone else. That thought was very exciting and soon after the idea for Girl Thinks started to fall in place.
Looking back from where we started, things have definitely evolved. It was very difficult to find our feet in the ever growing creative market some 3 years back and finding the right audience was one of our biggest challenges at one point but here is where timing played its part. Over the period we’ve witnessed a whole new audience opening up to us with people discovering us every day which in turn gives us all the reason to keep creating. Over the span we’ve come out with so many more collections and feel extremely blessed to be able to do so.
What is your personal favourite pick from your brand right now? And why?
I just can’t have enough of the ‘Mor’ earrings from our latest Maharani collection simply because of the level of intricacy involved and how beautifully the gold filigree stands out on a slaty blue base. There is something about the subdued blue and gold that works like magic together. The subtle ornamentation of this pair is what makes it my personal favourite. Besides, I love a pair of big round studs, they totally elevate the whole look and never fail to make a statement!
What are your displaying at the By Hand, From The Heart.
Since this will be our very first visit to Chennai, we are so excited to put all of our collections on display. Right from our best sellers like the Fun Indian and the God collection to our latest pieces from the Maharani range of earrings and everything in between, we’re bringing it all!
Why is making so important to you?
Since the very beginning I have seen my mother make things right from the scratch. Going to the market to get things was always secondary, finding a way to make things at home is what I have grown up watching. She still makes me the most beautiful things right from diaries to the wallets and handbags that I carry and I have no doubt that making in general is something that I have taken from her quite naturally.
For me makers are innovators, besides all the hand work that is seen on the surface there is a lot of mind work involved in the background as well and I know that so much better now that I am hand making things for a living.
Making brings me contentment. To me it is important because it comes from a special place from inside my heart and it makes me so happy to know that with every piece that I make, I am sharing a tiny part of my soul with the world.
Your work space & favourite tools.
I am lucky to have found a place that is spacious to move around and allows me to spread things all over while working and though I start by keeping things organised, it doesn’t end up being like that for long. I work out of a studio apartment with big windows and a lot of natural light that pours in which is the best part of it all.
Good music and some relaxing aroma in the studio are a must to keep the vibes happy and positive.
Since we do not mould, beat or cut metal, the only tools we go to is our bunch of beading pliers and wire cutters that we constantly use on an everyday basis.
What is a typical working day, like?
There is no typical day when you are a small business owner. My hands are literally in everything that is going on, so whether it’s fulfilling orders, stocking up on inventory, travelling to source supplies, working on the upcoming designs or trips to the post office, each and every day is different from the last.
About the people you work with to create your products.
Well, we’re a team of two and the best team that could ever be. It’s me and my mother who have worked together on Girl Thinks right from the start. My mother for most part is like a visiting designer, she makes her limited visits to design and improve, and for the rest of the part it is me doing it all. We also have a sweet and a super smart girl who helps me in making the jewelry until recently when we both decided that she must take a break to complete her studies. She’s gone for now and I can’t wait for her to be back already!
Any design story you would like to share.
The most cherished design story is the one that lays the foundation of Girl Thinks and the kind of jewelry that we design. About a decade ago a relative of ours was having an exhibition of her dresses in Delhi and had asked my mother to keep a bunch of her handmade terracotta and paper earrings alongside her display of clothes. By the end of that one day exhibition my mother was completely sold out on all the paper earrings while a lot of the terracotta ones were still left. We were beyond thrilled, it was a fun day and that was it.
What amazes us is that here we are now, 10 years down the line, making and designing paper jewelry as a full time job. We could never have thought that a one day selling adventure so many years ago would come back to us in a way that would change the course of our lives entirely.
Your inspirations.
We’re seeking inspiration all the time. Pinning ideas on the internet to jotting them down in diaries and mobile apps. Over the time we’ve learned to find inspiration in the little things around us and living in a country like India- you really don’t have to look far to find something interesting and give it your own unique twist. Inspiration is literally everywhere, it’s just what syncs with you at a particular moment that you know you would want to develop into something.
Handmade in India / Make in India – what does this mean to you?
For me ‘Make in India’ is the beginning of a revolution. With start-ups cropping up every day, the time couldn’t be more relevant than now to start making and consuming things out of our own country by supporting the local/regional markets and depend on our home grown brands and small businesses with all our heart.The words ‘Make in India’ fill me with immense pride and more so because no matter how little, I, as a maker am contributing to it.
By Hand From The Heart: MAKERS MARKET – 21st Edition
Date: Friday – Saturday, 8th – 9th September, 2017
Time: 10:00 a.m – 8:00 p.m
Venue: Crowne Plaza Chennai Adyar Park
Address: 132, T.T.K Road, Alwarpet, Chennai – 600018, Tamil Nadu. India
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By Hand from the Heart 