The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) held a two day seminar on February 9th and 10th, 2016 titled “Design Inspirations” in Mumbai, India. Part of its annual calendar of events, the seminar addressed an array of topics with leading practitioners and thinkers in the field of jewelry, design and diamond as speakers. The successful event was made possible by jewelry industry and GJEPC leaders, Colin Shah - Kama Schachter and Shailesh Sangani - Priority India.
Designer Reena Ahluwalia spoke about "Inspiration". She talked about how to stay inspired and how to continue to trigger inspiration in our thinking to sustain creativity. Reena elaborated on “Inspiration” and said it is a state of mind. “It is everywhere around us, we have to learn to see it,” she said. She highlighted - Openness, Curiosity, Collaboration, Outside-In thinking and Movement - as key aspects of the process. Reena visually demonstrated the importance of these approaches through some of her own projects, notably with Lita Asscher of the Royal Asscher Diamond Company and with Kara Ross of Diamonds Unleashed, a jewelry line that is not just a brand, but a movement that promotes and supports women’s empowerment.
Other prominent speakers at the event included Revathi Kant of Titan / Tanishq, entrepreneur Mithun Sancheti of Caratlane.com, Paola De Luca, founder of the Futurist Ltd., Kapil Hetamsaria from Velvetcase.com; Fashion Director of Vogue-India, Anaita Shroff Adajania, India heads of trade bodies - Sachin Jain of Forevermark, and Vaishali Bannerjee of PGI, jewellery retailer Ishu Datwani of Anmol and Indian designers Farah Khan Ali, Pallavi Foley, Laksh Pahuja, Gautam Banerjee, Manreet Deol and Anil Bharwani and Rudrajit Bose.
During her India visit, Reena also spoke to the members of Women's Jewelry Association's India Chapter (WJA-India), and to The Gemological Institute of America-India (GIA-India) alumni. Reena was invited by WJA-India and GIA-India to speak. The event was led by Nirupa Bhatt, Managing Director, India & Middle East - GIA India and India Chapter President of WJA and Aditi Molta.
Next up was Reena's speaking engagement at the Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery (IIGJ-Mumbai), a project of the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India (GJEPC). Present at the occasion were Namita Shankar, Sonjoy Ghosh, Sanjay Kothari, Shishir Nevatia, Mahesh Rao. Reena engaged with students at the IIGJ and said, "I believe that the best thing teachers gain is exponential learning from their students. I have learnt and continue to learn from great minds. One big reason I teach throughout my professional life. What comes, must be given back."
