Recently I was at work on an exciting initiative with Swarovski, a premium brand recognized for its finest cut crystals and for being at forefront of design. We are days away from releasing the final outcome of their blogger initiative - ‘Neo Arabia’ and I cant wait to share the final shoots with you. As my association with the luxury brand grows stronger, I took some time to reflect on my first interaction with the house, around 2 years ago.

Swarovski is one of the most trusted names for fashion enthusiasts around the world, especially with the top celebrity designers in the Middle East. The best jewelry designers from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are seen using the sparkling crystals embellish their creations season after season.

I remember feeling like a child in a candy shop the first time I was exposed to the extensive selection of the crystals at the Swarovski Head Office in Dubai. While the myriad of plush colors and detailed fancy cuts left me completely besotted, what impressed me most was the amount of thought that went behind selecting each form, color and cut detail for these crystals. The carefully put together selection of crystals for a particular season lay the foundation for the design conceptualizations that will mark the season.

My first collection where I used crystals from Swarovski was my Spring Summer 2015 collection ‘Impressions of a geisha’. The collection responded to the progressive trend theme ‘Vivid moments’ and was greatly inspired by one of my favorite movies of all times ‘The memoirs of a geisha’. The collection comprised of Maiko inspired jewelry which brought forth a contemporary Japanese inspired aesthetic.

The crystal skulls were one of the biggest fashion trends predicted for the season. They continue to be one of the most striking fashion motifs around and with its iconic silhouette, associated deep meanings and unparalleled versatility, I feel confident that they will continue to attract and engage the top jewelry designers and fashion trendsetters in the middle east and the rest of the world.

With ‘Impressions of a Geisha’ collection, I tried to add a feminine touch to the skulls by taking cues from the characteristic hairdos of the geishas. The skull faces are flanked by brush textured silver curls on both sides, which symbolize the stiff hair curls of a traditional geisha. The pearls and glistening pave’ balls make for the hair buns, which are further accessorized by miniature handcrafted hair ornaments. In addition to the Maiko faces, the Sakura flower or the cherry blossoms were of great inspiration to me while putting together this Oriental inspired jewelry collection, and made for statement earrings, rings and brooches.

The line also includes necklaces, earrings, palm cuffs, hair accessory and a body chain. Some of the pieces from the line have adorned Bollywood A-list celebrities and graced popular fashion magazine covers.