Looking at her bold, singular designs, it is hard to believe that jewellery designer Bhavya Ramesh never formally studied the craft. The engineering graduate, who describes herself as “completely self-taught”, started her eponymous label in 2018 with a small investment from her father, and one clear goal: “I wanted people to look at my work and say, ‘I’ve never seen anything like this before.’ That’s still my only aim,” she tells Lounge over a video call from Mumbai.
A D2C brand that began online, the label has, in recent years, made a confident leap into offline retail, with two stores in Mumbai and a newly launched outpost in Khan Market, Delhi. While the move signals the brand’s growth, Ramesh says the real push came from customers. “Our jewellery is very experimental, so people kept asking, ‘Can I see this in person? Do you have a store?’” With manufacturing, e-commerce and distribution already in place, the gap became evident. “I realised my front end was almost dead. Retail was the missing piece, and if anything made me realise it faster, it was the customers themselves.”
In this freewheeling interview, Ramesh spoke at length about everything from the creative process of designing her stores to her ‘maximalist’ style, her offbeat inspirations, why she chose to work with silver and more. Edited excerpts:
The market today feels crowded—with social media, influencers, and new brands. Do you feel you had an early-mover advantage when you launched in 2018?
Honestly, every phase feels crowded. Even when I started, I felt there were too many jewellery brands. What matters is how you build your brand: your scale, your consistency, your aesthetic. People can see the difference between something serious and something surface-level. Even today, when it comes to silver jewellery, I don’t see many brands at scale. When silver prices went up, I didn’t even know who to turn to for advice. So competition is always there; it’s about how you position yourself.
You design the stores yourself. Why? Is it because you want them to reflect your brand’s aesthetic? Do you enjoy the process?
When it comes to store design, the first one in Kala Ghoda was honestly the scariest thing I’ve done. It was a leap of faith. Usually, I have a contingency plan, but with my first store, I didn’t. If it didn’t work, I was doomed. Opening a store in that location, especially with those prices, was overwhelming. But because of that pressure, I wanted to use every inch of the space. Even if people didn’t walk in, I wanted them to remember it as they passed by. I wanted them to stop and say, ‘I saw a store that was different’.
After the first one, I started enjoying the process. The stores are spaces for me to experiment with materials. That’s why they are small—I’m not ready for big ones yet. I design them myself and just let my creativity run free. Every store ends up being very different.
Your jewellery designs be it the nail rings, crowns or sunglasses are bold and maximalist. Are they a reflection of your personality?
I think they are a reflection of my alter ego. I dress quite boldly myself, but it doesn’t feel “brave” to me, it just comes naturally. That said, I go through phases. Sometimes I’m very minimal, wearing the same thing every day. People have told me I’m a maximalist—I didn’t even realise it myself.
The themes of your jewellery collections – GilGa is inspired by snakes, Jalebi has pieces are named after Indian sweets – are quite unconventional. Where do you find your inspiration? What's your creative process when you're working on a collection?
The creative process usually starts alone, and the idea for a collection comes from different things. For example, Ancient Aliens came from a conspiracy theory (documentary) I watched which said, 'what if the gods we worship are actually supernatural beings who came to Earth? That fascinated me. That’s why, in the promotional campaign, I painted everyone in different colours and gave them headgear—to make them feel like they’re from another planet. Sometimes I sit down and force myself to think of a concept, but often it comes naturally: from something I watched, or a conversation with friends. Once the idea is there, then we work on it as a team.
Why did you choose silver as your primary material?
This choice was part of my contingency plan. Let me go to the beginning: I come from a very academic family where my dad’s a scientist and my mom’s a college principal. After completing my engineering, I was jobless for about three years. When my dad gave me a small investment, I thought about how best I could use the money. I realised that If I made clothes and they didn’t sell, I’d just be left with clothes. But with silver jewellery, I could always sell the silver and recover money. That is why I chose to work with silver. Of course, today, I love it, but at that time, it was mainly a practical decision.
How do you deal with copycats or similar designs from other brands?
Initially, it affected me a lot, I would literally cry. But now I’ve outgrown it. I don’t let it affect me anymore.
Your social media campaigns are striking—gender-fluid, bold, and unconventional. How do you conceptualise them?
I work with my friend Bijoy Shetty on the campaigns. He is amazing. I give him the inspiration behind the collection, and he builds the world around it. I give him a lot of creative freedom. Sometimes, like with Paraloka, the campaign comes first. But usually, everything is released together. While conceiving an idea, honestly, I don’t overthink how it will be received. If an idea excites me, I just go for it, even if it feels impulsive or “childish.”
What kind of reactions do the campaigns elicit?
It’s a wide range! My mom once said, “Nobody’s going to marry you after this” when she saw one of my campaigns. Some older customers ask why I don’t use “normal people” in them. But younger audiences love it: they find it exciting. I like that it pushes people out of their comfort zones.
Who is the Bhavya Ramesh customer today? Many assume it’s Gen Z because of the bold aesthetic.
A lot of people assume that, but I don’t resonate with it. My customers are actually quite diverse, many are above 30, 55 or even 60-years- old. Opening stores really changed things for us. Online, because of our conceptual styling and models, people don’t always see themselves in the jewellery. But when they come into the store, “normal” people try the jewellery on and realise, “Oh, I can actually wear this.” Even my mom says she wouldn’t wear something if she only saw it online, but in person, she ends up liking it. So yes, the stores have changed everything for us.
How do you approach risk as a designer and entrepreneur?
I’m very sure of what I want. When I am working my thought process is: “this is what I want and I’m going to get it.” When it comes to risk-taking in business, I strongly feel that the minute you stop taking risks, it becomes less exciting. I don’t think I ever want to stop, I just want to take better risks. It’s part and parcel of being an entrepreneur—you have to take risks.
What’s next in the pipeline for the brand? More stores?
I’m interested in opening a store in Bengaluru, though I know people there prefer shopping online. But overall, I really want to expand internationally. That’s where my focus is.
QUICK TAKES
Are your sunglasses the bestsellers?
Yes, surprisingly! They’re very out there and costume-y, but people have made space for them. The heart-shaped sunglasses, Dil Do, are among the biggest bestsellers for the brand.
Talking about jewellery, what’s your current fascination?
Right now, I’m really into silver nails: we’ve created actual silver nails like acrylics. Otherwise, I’m a necklace person. My preference changes in phases, but currently, that’s where I am.
Jewellery that you splurge on:
Earrings. I have a huge collection as they're something you can wear every day.