A brand guide for all aspiring jewellers

The latest book on the block ‘A Bejewelled Life’ launched by Farah Khan Ali, celebrating her 25 years in the industry, has garnered a lot of international fame about the look and feel of the book to the beautiful curation done by everyone’s beloved Paola De Luca (an acclaimed jewellery trend forecaster).

Having missed the Mumbai launch due to my personal travels, upon my return, I was very excited to receive a signed copy by mail. The book was completely different from what I had imagined. My thought process was fueled by other brand books that I have seen in the past where the designer/ jeweller celebrates the collections and its inspirations in pages full of well photographed jewels. But Farah’s book is so much more in addition to beautifully curated imagery. In my opinion, this bright orange book is a brand guide that literally explains everything from her brand language, logo, colour schemes, inspirations, travels to her personal life and family and how they all are interconnected and the result is this flamboyant jewellery brand known as ‘Farah Khan Fine Jewellery’.

Through her words, quotes and images Farah has translated shapes, textures, colours and gemstones clubbed with mixed media and presented us a visual language that is worth studying. One has seen unlimited number of her pieces on social media, as she is one of the rare ones who shares almost every piece with her fans, but this books takes you beyond the jeweller… it takes you inside the mind of the designer!

The book starts with talking about the origin & meaning of her recently launched monogram AAYAT and its diverse usage along with the four pillars that the brand in based on- Nature, Love, Architecture and Ethics. The book also gives important insights into the brand’s characteristics and colour schemes i.e a unique mix of orange, turquoise and gold.

The book further delves into her jewellery design process through five inspiration directions: Fluidity, Royal Flair, Naturalia, The Rose and Surreal Vision that depicts her interactions with nature’s elements, heritage, art, photography, films and architecture. Farah shares space in the book with artists, photographers and poets who inspire her, embody the five creative themes and influence her vision. These were also beautifully illustrated at the Mumbai book launch, where each of the five themes were articulated through a multi-media installation that combines art, jewellery and provocative storytelling.

Like most designers, Farah’s design process is also depicting through her doodles and sketches but it also showcases the importance of travel in her life and how that has found a voice in her creations. One can also see snippets of her recently launched lifestyle collections and bejewelled scarves.

The last chapter is very personal to Farah as it takes the readers into her inner world. Putting past, present and future of her personal life in front of the reader like an open book. Her role as a daughter, wife, sister, mother… and a designer.

In my opinion, if you are a brand in the making or are struggling to identify your brand’s core language, then this book is a must read as it shows how Farah has put into practice everything that most marketing, design and inspiration books teach… all in one person and her brand. Truly inspiring!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: Coffee Table Book, Design Book, diamond jewellery, Farah Khan, Farah Khan Ali, Farah Khan Fine Jewellery, Gemstone Jewellery, Jewellery Design, Jewellery Industry, Monogram, Paola De Luca