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Diamonds in the Sky Gala

The much awaited benefit “Diamonds in the Sky” soirée took place on October 5th at the elegant home of philanthropist, Elisabeth Thieriot. TV personality, of the Bay Area Back Roads fame, Doug McConnell was on hand to kick off the gala evening. I had acquired and designed the jewelry especially for this evening.  A small group of powerful woman from the Board of the Redwoods organized this event, Barbara Young, Jill Greenman, Joanne Spotswood along with the Executive Director , Barbara Soloman and Jeannie Elrod. Gary Morgret did the flowers and display and Joy Spicer (with Gary’ s help) was the official photographer for the evening. The 11 lovely ladies sold the jewelry with as much passion as I had in creating them, each donned in a silk sari! Craig Potter and Jim Prigoff were the cashiers.

Diamonds and gold jewelry was showcased from my collection in all its splendor. Over 80 guests came to celebrate and indulge knowing that their purchases would help renovate and refurbish the main auditorium at The Redwoods making a major difference in the lives of the community of seniors. The evening was a resounding success and could not have been possible without the support of Elisabeth Thieriot, who mingled with the crowd all evening and put her stamp of approval on the event. I am happy to say that Ed and I were able to not only donate all the profits from the sale, but also made a matching grant.

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2010 year in review…

One of my signatures for my collections is that most of the collections are hand created with care by masters or artisans known in their field for excellence. Each consumer gets something that is special and unique even when produced in quantity!

What I have learned over the years is that in design, rules should be broken. Colors can be matched in new ways, what was considered crinkled and non-ironed is an advantage the next year as crinkled and easy for travel, (see the skirts i have done in the National Geographic catalog), “stretch” fabric which is redundant for the young, all of a sudden is in vogue for the mature woman. Likewise with increased demand for certain types of goods, individually hand crafted items become a social statement and a way to be unique (like the lac mirrors and votive in my featured items in national catalogs). Trendy items of the last decade become the classics of this one – colored pearls, silk printed scarves, so reminiscent of the staid customer is back in vogue again. Flats are in (could it be because the doctors’ bills for back problems are up J?) as are skinny jeans and leggings , a version of the “chudidar pajama” from India, both of which have become a staple in wardrobes.

Trend setters in the fashion world comment:

“Generations merge and age is no longer important” says Trend Union’s Li Edelkoort

Rachel Botsman, author of “What’s Mine is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption” is all about sharing. Among things she says personal stories, and reputation capital – as in your on line image – being as important as your credit history.

I interpret this to mean that collaboration is meaningful not only in consumption but extends to the people who work for you and manage the business as though it was their’ s, the suppliers who are your backbone, the customer who is your reason for being and for the charities you honor.

Gas and gold prices continue to rise. Although sales were better this holiday, stores have a higher number to hit against comps for 2011. Does this mean a better economy or a faster filling of the pipelines? Let’s hope it is the former.

Happy New Year!

 

2010 year in review… Read More »

National Geographic Fall 2010

Designs by Sudha has had the great honor of featuring our designs in The National Geographic Catalog. Many of you know National Geographic through their magazine, but their Mission aligns with one of our basic Missions, cultural preservation.
National Geographic has just released their Fall 2010 catalog and their amazing richness and taste is reflected here. In case you have missed it, you can view their catalog here.
Master printers in Jaipur created this skirt using an age old printing technique of “Khadi” in gold. “Ghagra” a staple in Indian women’s wardrobes was the inspiration for the skirt I did exclusively for National Geographic. Made with printed cotton in the tradition of homespun
fabric. Lightweight and flattering, the crinkle finish adds to the richness of the look.

Another National Geographic Exclusive, the Mughal Garnet Hoop Earrings are crafted from vibrant red garnets on a hand crafted silver hoop in the Mughal style. They were crafted in the northern Indian city of Jaipur, which remains an artistic center to this day.
Last that I’ll feature from this exciting catalog are the Jaipur Garnet Earrings. Known as balis, the earrings often combine a flat front surface with gems. We have crafted this offering for National Geographic using master jeweler’s techniques with a simpler shape that lets the faceted garnets sparkle against a gold-vermeil hoop.
To see all Sudha items from this catalog, click here.

We are finishing last minute prepartations for some special customer meetings in New York where we hope to bring more innovative and lush designs to all of you through our network of retailers. Supporting the cause of preserving hand craftsmenship has been an integral part of our mission for the past 25 years ago. We are proud of retailers for supporting our mission.
Following New York, we head to India where we continue to find the best artisans to create the most elaborate and intricate designs using time honored traditions. Thank you all for your support, I will follow up from India soon.

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Inspiration from the Bazaars of India

Tradition has been an important back drop in the way arts and crafts are viewed and practiced in India. This is because it forms the foundation for new art forms! Unlike the arts, crafts are things we use in everyday life.
All tools are essentially an extension of the hand in the craft movement. The tools help the artisan to finish an object with quality and perfection. Decorative elements are added and it becomes an object of beauty. Form and function merge!
In this series I want to explore the various crafts that are present in “Designs by Sudha”.

People often ask me how I get my ideas for new designs. The Indian “bazaar” is a formidable design play field. One discovers colors and patterns that are not
normally seen in the city life. Driving through rural India, there is this harmony between people, animals and nature. They all seem to co-exist without conflict. The inherent chaos provides rich fodder for design ideas.
The artisan was also the trader who plied his wares after making them in his village. With people like me in the midst, he is allowed to practice his craft with the designs given by me. I am then responsible to market his hand work and he is free to practice his craft without the challenges of the marketplace!

It is a fantastically exciting, rewarding, and sometimes a frustrating endeavor. We have an excellent staff in India and outstanding artisans – the true cream of the crop; so, obviously, our experience after 25+ years is very streamlined and reliable. Many of the functions are fully automated and runs seamlessly. Customers and competitors who try to work directly with India often revert back to us. We are able to succeed where others fail, because of our unique understanding of both the crafts and the families that do them. We also have a 24/7 presence in India.

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The holiday tradition continues…

As we approach this holiday season, we are gearing up for the 6th Annual Sudha Sale, to benefit Bread & Roses and The Redwoods on November 6-8 and again November 14-15 at The Corte Madera Town Center. Come join us for a special preview party Friday, November 6th from 5.30 pm to 8pm. Please mark your calendars for some early holiday shopping for friends and family.

What makes this year’s sale unique is that due to the challenging economic times I have made a concerted effort to bring extraordinary value in each product offering. Samples of collections carried in high end stores and museum shops are priced at wholesale or below! Many are from the private collection of The House of Pennathur and are on view for sale for the first time. Since most are one of a kind, come early to get the choice picks.

So many people are working to make this event possible. Gary Morgret will use his special visual talent to make the store beautiful for you. Some of you may remember that he volunteered to do the same thing, at The Embarcadero when I opened a similar benefit store for the Asian Art Museum in the early nineties. He has also now donated some fixtures and a cash register for the event! Barr Hibbs is working untiringly to move all these things to our store. Peter Merts, the acclaimed photographer will be on hand to photograph the evening.

Prices range from a few dollars to several hundred dollars for the one of a kind beautiful jewelry from Designs by Sudha. Silk and wool scarves are hand woven using indigenous hand looms with exquisite yarns. Jewelry once carried in the best museums and catalogs are for sale at a fraction of the price.

The best part of the sale is the personalized attention you will receive from the Board of Directors, staff and volunteers of these two fabulous organizations. When else can one hope to be waited on by such an illustrious group?

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