Curated Curiosities - Acrylic Earscapes inspired by Moroccan Architecture
An emerging friendship of seven years, fuelled by eclectic tastes in fashion, sushi and gin brought the creators of Curated Curiosities together, to put on promising entrepreneurial hats in the vibrant world of jewellery-making with a cause. Mitanshi’s passion-turned-graduation project of 2019 was met with equal avidity by Prerna two years later, and with the brand’s facelift at a nascent stage—theirs is one to watch. Fashion insiders with a mutual love for summer season, they hope to enable conscious choices through imaginative accessories.
Meet the duo!
On Personal Style
Mitanshi Shah enjoys pieces that speak for themselves. “You'll find me in blacks, whites or neutrals on most days, but I’m not afraid to pull on a bold accessory. For an introvert like me, it can be a great icebreaker.” For Prerna Kishnani, modern with a hint of classic is the winning look, translating into a preference of clean and structured jewellery. “I love dressing up and putting time and effort into the way I look. I would say that I’m a little experimental but won’t jump onto trends that don't compliment my existing wardrobe.”
On Drive
“Thoughts become things”, believes Mitanshi. She doesn’t mind losing sleep over building the brand of her dreams. Prerna describes herself as a goal-driven person, working towards a desired result is what keeps her going- currently, taking Curated Curiosities to the next level.
On Passion
“I am very passionate about art. I like to give things a different viewpoint. I believe that everything around us has a colour, taste, smell or texture that we can perceive and reflect upon.”, says Mitanshi. For Prerna, it’s cooking for friends and family. “I love being able to create something from nothing. Of course, it also requires practice and patience but luckily, I have cultivated those qualities over time through our brand.”
On a Newfound Relationship with Clothes
Quality and longevity is of great importance to both as consumers today. “Do I need it?” Mitanshi confesses to an informed approach factoring in the supply chain, production processes, and product afterlife. Prerna opts for versatility and timelessness, a shift made for good.
On Local Brands They Love
Wandering Silk for belts, accessories and more from upcycled silk sarees.
DeCastro for colourful, breathable outfits, and their commitment to giving back.
PA.NI for inclusive, body-positive and environment friendly swimwear.
Brand Identity
“When you’re curious, you find interesting things to do, see and discover.” They owe their striking visuals to an innate curiosity and interest in fashion, aesthetics and interiors. Describing it as a blended curation of traditional and modern silhouettes, the duo likes to stay true to its design language - subtle but with an edge. The jewellery includes pieces befitting a range of personalities. They aim to create for unabashed women who dare to stand out regardless of age, and those that appreciate fashion, detail and craftsmanship. Although minimal jewellery is an enduring classic, Curated Curiosities is purposefully embracing maximalist statement pieces.
Design Process
“We draw inspiration from our travels. Many of us swoon at original Moroccan interior features - we take these traditional home elements and make them our backdrop for fashion.” Their design process is all in-house with constant experiments with shape, size and colour.
Mitanshi and Prerna, having done their due diligence at formal fashion institutes, traditionally begin by moodboard-ing. Perhaps the most exhilarating stage, when the world is a creator’s oyster, we imagine beautiful photographs of architecture and palettes picked from sunsets around the world. Inspired, they then convert their designs digitally for prototyping. Once the designs are ready, the sampling process starts. Next, they source and procure their material from industrial sites and workshops, which is sent to be laser cut. When the pieces are laser cut, they are assembled by hand! “A lot of attention to detail goes into the making of each piece”, they tell us. After the final stage, a quality check is done to make sure that the accessories are durable and up to the mark, finally to be packaged in customised boxes - ready for shipping.
Faithfully a homegrown brand, every package is made special and is all about the experience. The pair thinks it is just as important as the product that was purchased. The packaging falls under the handmade category, made with recyclable materials like cardboard, wood and newspaper with a side of love and time going into each. “Although it is so lovely, we think you would want to keep it forever!”, they say.
Sustainability
The acrylic used to make the eco-friendly jewellery is from discarded PMMA products at the end of their lifetime or from post industrial use. This acrylic, normally thrown into the trash, is instead upcycled by the wonderful founders and their team to be used in their products. The acrylic in turn avoids its fated end - the landfill, drastically reducing the carbon footprint by upto 97%.
The experimentation with their material of choice took root in Mitanshi’s graduation show, where interior design students discarded a shocking amount of acrylics from their projects. The idea to give waste a new life was then born. “What came with it was the little appreciation it got from friends and family, and the idea of converting it into a full collection.”
The material is soaked in natural cleaning solution overnight to remove harmful traces and ensure hygiene. Post the laser cutting process, it is polished and wiped by hand to give it that extra shine and avoid fingerprints. The best part though, is that the final product can be recycled again, furthering their mission and maintaining a circular economy.
Mitanshi and Prerna’s Personal Favourites
Mitanshi’s is the ‘Pink Summer Earrings’, injected with colour, gloss and sparkle. “It always makes me feel dressed even if I have taken just moments to get ready.”
Prerna’s is the edgy ‘Mosaic’. “My personal style is chic, but with accessories I like to make a statement with a single piece rather than multiple subtle pieces.”
Social Media and Future Plans
“Social media is the new yellow pages.” A great tool that allows a brand a direct means to narrate their story to their target audience - the two have a positive, productive approach towards Instagram. They believe it makes the discovery and connection with like-minded people easier, helping them build a community of their own. Proud parents to their brainchild, they do everything themselves, from planning the aesthetics of their shoots to planning the feed. “Grid planning apps are our best friends; we try multiple ideas till we love one.”
Mitanshi and Prerna hope to continue ensuring waste objects are put to their best use and that their longevity is maximised. “We are two crazy people who think of crazy concepts all the time. There's a lot we have planned for Curated Curiosities this year. All you have to do is wait and watch.”
We’ll take them up on that, but until then, hop onto their catalogue to complete the wardrobe of your summer dreams.
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Feature Credit - Simran Khera
Image Credit - Curated Curiosities
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