Making all things glitter
HYDERABAD: Some of the best in Bollywood, Tollywood and even ‘tellywood’ have worn her designs and her jewellery sets are a dream for those with a keen eye for the latest trends in the twinkling market. We’re talking about popular jewellery designer from the city Sridevi. She who is popular by just her first name, has been in the news again for her unique and intricate designs that had everybody talking about at the Lakme Fashion Week.
Her love and interest towards all that glitters can be traced back to her childhood. “I spent most of my time at my grandparents’ place where karighars would come to our house and design jewellery for my grandmother as per her instructions. I thoroughly enjoyed watching them create beautiful designs from scratch. My grandma had always encouraged us to invest in jewellery for the value, tradition and stories they hold,” says the founder of Shriyeras Jewels.
But little did Sridevi know this is what she would end up doing for life. “I always wanted to be independent and not sit idle at home. After my friends and family took my advice for their jewellery shopping they suggested I consider designing jewellery myself and I thought why not — and that’s the story of how I created my brand in 2012,” she tells CE.
The designer wasn’t as fortunate on her path to success. “Apart from my grandmother, I had nobody’s support. Hyderabad as a market has a huge list of competitors in the industry who have been in this field for generations now. I did feel unwelcome by wholesalers and suppliers at the start, but patience and hard work helped me mark my way out,” says the designer.
Taking us through the process of their work, Sridevi says, “We create designs from zero - art, colours, stones everything. I personally sit with the karighars to get attain that level of perfection. It’s no easy or short route people get to only see our final product but never all the effort that goes behind it, but the satisfaction of creating and producing each design is unmatched.”
Of the many stars Sridevi has worked with, she says, “Actor Kangana Ranaut rightly matched a set I designed with a light blue lehenga she was pleased with my work. Actor-producer Niharika Konidela too has loved and bought our pieces. We got the most number of enquiries after the favourite of many households, anchor Suma Kanakala adorned our work. Same with Faria Abdullah.”
Sridevi, whose designs are fresh out of the popular Wedding Asia event, will soon be showcasing her designs in an upcoming exhibit at Park Hyatt and hopes to put one up in Andhra Pradesh too.