Fashion Obsessed Sisters Create Jewelry Label ZariinforFashion-Forward Women
Zariin is positioned as a luxury fashion jewelry brand, aimed at fashion forward women in the age group of 25 to 50. With jewelry based in 22 carat gold plating, using quality semiprecious stones, Zariin’s portfolio includes a collection of an eclectic mix of necklaces, earrings, rings and cuffs, based on a unique craftsmanship. They claim that each Zariin jewel is skillfully handcrafted by artisans paid a fair price. There is no mass production.
Founded in 2010 by sisters, Vidhi and Mamta Gupta, Zariin Jewelry is sold in over 100 boutiques and stores, specialty retailers such as Anthropologie and The New Trend as well as e-commerce retailers.
Together, they are a team of 12 employees, who believe Zariin’s core competence is its design strength, and a strong product differentiation. They roll out new collections every 3 months, just to keep the excitement intact for their buyers.
“Each Zariin piece is a statement that reflects our creativity and design innovation. Zariin also derives its uniqueness from the quality and uniqueness of materials that go into it, and their fusion in creating the piece. The entire process, right from sourcing the stones from rare sources that have been discovered during our travels, to the handcrafting of each and every piece, creates a very unique look that makes the wearer feel like they own a prized possession!” Mamta tells YourStory.
Globally, the fashion jewelry market stands at $146 billion. Zariin started its business following a strictly wholesale exports model. They sell to retailers worldwide- USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, UK, Turkey, UAE and Oman. Exports to USA comprise 90% of their business. They sell directly to the boutiques and chain stores in the importing countries. All their jewelry retails under their brand name- Zariin. Hence, they have invested resources in the marketing and brand awareness for Zariin.
Starting April 2012, they are entering the retail model for Zariin, wherein, they will be launching Zariin in India through their e-commerce site shopzariin.in. This way, they will now directly be selling their jewelry to the final users. They shall also open more Zariin flagship stores, with the aim to make Zariin the top fashion jewelry brand in India. Their expansion plans include identifying strategic partnership with luxury fashion groups in India, such as LVMH. They also intend on participating in European trade shows, specifically Paris, where most premium buyers and popular designers congregate. They source stones directly from the Amazon basin, as those stones, they say, are pure, unseen, and truly exotic- thereby strengthening their USP.
Starting Zariin, The Sisters’ Brainwave:
Zariin Jewelry is the collaboration of sisters Vidhi and Mamta Gupta. They are self-taught designers who studied the entire process and various techniques of jewelry design through extensive research, mentoring and study under expert artisans from around the world. The fashion obsessed duo has always had a keen and creative instinct that drove them to sketch out designs starting at a very young age. While they were both crazy for fashion and design, neither pursued fashion degrees, though their entrepreneurial spirit and passion for jewelry ultimately drove them to pursue their dream. Vidhi pursued a degree in Corporate Finance at Indiana University. Mamta received her undergraduate degree in Economics Hons. in Sriram College of Commerce in Delhi University, followed by an MBA in Rochester, USA. After school, they spent time in corporate roles and then in the family business in the marketing and export division.
“The journey from being a completely new start-up jewelry label in a very competitive landscape has been a stimulating yet challenging one. The Jewelry industry is very competitive and there are many designers with established brands. As a new label, it is very easy to get lost in this competition, and very difficult to get attention, and to inspire confidence and interest in a new brand. We overcame this challenge by solid product development and finding our own niche and design style. The focus has been on revival of classic techniques and a unique fusion look of Indian mystique and western aesthetics. Additionally, as an Indian vendor, we had to fight the stereotype that Indian vendors are unreliable on time and quality parameters. Here we had to win the confidence of our buyers by ensuring consistent quality and meeting deadlines. We have put in place several quality checks at our end, so that each piece is inspected thrice before it is dispatched to the buyers. By making sure that we deliver on time for every order, however small or big, we have been able to overcome the stereotype associated with Indian companies,” Vidhi concludes.
As sisters and partners, Vidhi and Mamta share a passionate love for traveling and assimilating. As they continue to travel worldwide, seeking unseen, fresh and eccentric materials right from their sources, they take Zariin forward in its journey of translating playful ideas of its founders into statement and everyday must- have accessories!