Next-gen of the illustrious families of Hindi film industry have always held a special place in all hearts. It’s their genes, innate charm and talent that has us hooked to them, still. While some star kids have made an irreplaceable place for themselves in Bollywood, some have branched out, doing their own thing and one such celeb kid who’s generated a lot of buzz with her creativity is none other than Neetu and late Rishi Kapoor’s beautiful and talented daughter, mailto:r@riddhimakapoorsahni.comRiddhima Kapoor Sahni . The hazel-eyed stunner is a popular jewellery designer, having designed some of the most trendy pieces of jewellery and now, she’s all set to showcase her collection at the upcoming London Fashion Week as part of Helen Anthony’s fashion showcase. We spoke to this beautiful Kapoor lady and asked her about her international ramp debut, her designs and more.
How did this collaboration with Helen Anthony happen?
Riddhima: So, it was just one of the days when I was, just going through my emails, and then I came across an email from Helen Anthony's team, basically offering us to collab with them at the London Fashion Week. And when I read that, I literally jumped at the opportunity. And we (Riddhima’s team) got together and started our numerous calls with Anthony and his team, my team and my partner brand Punjab Jewellers. We started working on the collection the very next moment we received the email, and now we are just a few days away from the showcase.
Tell us something about the collection.
Riddhima: It's going to be a mix of contemporary and uncut designs. The whole theme of the show is ‘East Meets West’ and the fun part is that I'd be walking around, and will be opening the show for Anthony (Naeem Anthony). I am quite thrilled about that, also the fact that there will be two cultures coming together and collaborating makes it even more exciting.
You and London share a history. Tell us something about it.
Riddhima: Yes, I did my marketing from London many moons ago and so it's like life coming full circle. I’ll be back there to literally present my first international show.
A lot of your designs have been trendsetting, especially those evil eye jewellery pieces. What are your thoughts about the same?
Riddhima: That line did very well. And till date, a lot of people come up to me and tell me that your jewellery piece was lucky for me. I often tell them, well that’s great, but it’s just a piece of jewellery and we don’t associate or endorse any sort of superstition with it. All our pieces are fashion pieces only - like the evil eye, even the Fatima hand (Hamsa). My jewellery pieces are meant to be worn and enjoyed.A lot of people have copied your designs, how do you react to people seeking inspiration from your collections?
Riddhima: It’s nice and exciting. I feel the more the better. I mean, I'm extremely flattered. And why not, if somebody wants to do the same thing, or, if they want to do something similar, it's okay. It really doesn't bother me, and we continue doing our best and take it like a piece of flattery, I’d rather not get too much into it. We just do our work, and we try to do better and come out with something better than what we've already come up with.
(Riddhima with mom, Neetu Kapoor)
What kind of jewellery designs do you prefer?
Riddhima: Every design comes up with a thread, a clientele we cater to - like someone would prefer a heavier pair of earrings while some would prefer fine delicate pieces. The youngsters today love minimal jewellery and that’s exactly what I like. I wear evil eye bracelets all the time. We have also created some unisex bracelets and jewellery threads for men, some charm bracelets - these are the designs that are really trending.
I like statement pieces also, so nothing too overdone. I'm not a very set set type of a person like I'll either wear a neck piece that sort of makes a statement or I'll wear a ring that makes a statement again so basic statement pieces. I love coloured stones and pearls and diamonds together - the combination just creates some magic. My mother also loves the combination and she’s my inspiration. She's the one who's always told me that there’s something about pearls and diamonds that just makes the whole look very, very soft. It looks beautiful. I owe my love for the two, to my mother.
You started your journey with Punjab Jewellers some years ago and there was no looking back. How did it all happen?
Riddhima: It's a very funny story. I was never a jewellery person. To be very honest with you, I never liked jewellery, when I was younger. And then, a long time ago, my mother and I endorsed a jewellery brand. And then, after seeing all those beautiful pieces, I totally fell in love with the jewellery. I used to ask my friend Anuj Kapoor of Punjab Jewellers to make custom pieces for me, then I used to wear them and get a lot of compliments for the designs. I thought to myself- if I'm getting compliments and people are appreciating and liking my designs and I'm getting such a good response, I might as well create and sell them in the market. That's how I partnered with Punjab Jewellers and we started our journey in 2017.
We (Riddhima and Anuj) are both on the same page. We quarrel all the time, but at the end of the day, we are a good team. And I think that's what's most important. He understands where I'm coming from and I understand what he wants.
(Designer Naeem Anthony in London)
How was it designing for London Fashion Week?
Riddhima: It was great working with Anthony (Naeem) because we were all on the same page. I've never met him. I've only spoken to him on Zoom calls and WhatsApp and all of that. But he is so talented and creative that he knows his mind. He knew exactly what he wanted, the look he wanted, the style he wanted, what he wanted the models to wear for the show, so it was very easy to work with him. Working with easy people just makes your life a lot easier, otherwise you have like conflicting ideas, you may not know what a certain designer wants, so obviously that gets a little conflicting but in our case, I think it just worked out very well because we all understood each other really well and we all saw that we were on the same page.
What defines your style in general?
Riddhima: I don't really copy anyone, I wear things that I enjoy wearing, and it's mostly what suits me. If I see something on someone looking great, I will appreciate it, but it the same thing may not suit me. My style is understated, elegant, I can go a little blingy sometimes, but then I'll just wear that one particular piece that’s blingy, not from head to toe. I like jewellery pieces that make a statement. So it could be a neck piece, or it could be just a ring, or just earrings. I will never wear everything together.
