Long story short: Ishaveya
- By Elsbeth van Paridon
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E-mail China.org.cn, September 13, 2013
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Should you lose one (happens to all of us), give Jahanavi a call and she'll have it fixed for you in Delhi. Now that's what I call sparkling customer service. Photo courtesy of Ishaveya |
BCBG vs PCPG
"The trust between the customer and myself is essential." Jahanavi B. Laag
China and fashion have one thing in common for sure: Neither is entirely politically correct (but then again, who is?) and both require parental guidance (sobbing long-distance phone calls…happens to the best of us). When your mother was once named one of India's 50 most stylish women by the nation's Vogue edition, you are bound to have some BCBG ("bon chic, bon genre," just for good measure) running through your veins. Laag took the rough cut of her idea and ran with it by starting to organize small jewelry showings at her home. The hand-polished and hand–crafted luxury stones, from lapis lazuli to turquoise to sapphire, found resonance with both foreign and Chinese women; Ishaveya was a fact.
Even though many clubs and hangouts across China's capital city are still blinded by the "wrong" kind of sparkle, think Gary Glitter boots, the Chinese woman is now increasingly fashion conscious and interested in creating her own style through accessorizing, or learning how to do so. As Laag said herself, "An accessory can make or break any outfit; it can lift it from day to night. Put on whatever you want, but just make sure you are comfortable with it. Only then can you carry it off. Confidence is the best accessory of them all." She may not be protecting wildlife, but she's definitely carrying on her cultural heritage -- even better than "protecting" methinks.
Ishaveya plays into this sense of curiosity and desire for new, more "exotic" if you will, fashion items and who knows…it may even help chip away at the wariness still in place between the giant neighbors. Bold, statement pieces at affordable prices attract both Beijing's foreign and Chinese clientele, but the most important asset for Laag in setting up her China stage is the bond of trust between her clients and the company. Fine, swift service -- a rare commodity in today's society -- lies at the core of the business, with Laag's ethics of duty giving the company a truly PCPG aspect. I see it as ethical fashion taken to yet another level. Laag's dream of creating a China platform for Indian designers may yet be an uncut diamond, but given time it will become a round brilliant one.
The pieces may have cherished histories to them, but Ishaveya's story has only just begun.
Fashionistas United, as one of my favorite quotes goes, always bear in mind:
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
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