Ra-abta By Rahul Has Made Bespoke Jewellery Cool Again

Living up to its name, ‘Raabta' which in Urdu translates to connection, Ra-abta by Rahul focuses on establishing a connection between culturally rich jewellery designs and the rising need for bespoke accessories.

A brainchild of entrepreneur Rahul Luthra, the brand has been developing customised pieces of craft since 2008 much before the trend of bespoke jewellery began to rise. He has collaborated with some of the most iconic celebrity brides recently, like Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone. Every piece of work by Ra-abta represents a blend of sophistication and culture with pecks of style and sophistication.

The jewellery designer is gearing up to showcase his meticulously crafted jewellery pieces at the upcoming FDCI Manifest Wedding Weekend. In a candid conversation, the designer gives a glimpse into his journey, the techniques of jewellery making he implements in his designs and why he believes multi-functional pieces are the next heirloom.

In Conversation With Rahul Luthra

Manifest: What is it about jewellery that fascinates you? Can you tell us more about how it translated into the brand's inception?

Rahul Luthra: Jewellery is all about personification. The meticulous artwork and the preparation techniques that radiate while adorning a piece of jewellery elevate the overall aesthetic quotient of an individual. My earliest memory of jewellery is my mother’s heirloom pieces. I always used to keenly observe and try to understand the toil undertaken to curate it. Eventually, I realised this was where I belonged, and I enrolled in a gemology course. While studying gemstones, my love for jewellery elevated further and that’s when the idea of 'Raabta' was born.

M: Can you tell us the story behind the brand’s name? What is Ra-Abta by Rahul’s core philosophy?

RL: The name Raabta means connection. And I believe in establishing a unique connection with my clients, my artisans and workers. Moreover, the name Ra-abta also has the word “Rab” which also refers to the connection my craft shares with the supreme almighty, the ultimate giver. Ra-abta’s core philosophy lies in understanding the needs of its clients and establishing a genuine connection so that they keep coming back to us because whatever little we have achieved in the past few years is primarily due to word of mouth and without implementing any hardcore business marketing strategies. Even while preparing a bride, we consider factors like physical dimensions to bring out the intrinsic beauty of the individual. Additionally, we implement traditional techniques of curating jewellery like Theva and Meenakeri, which have remained unmatched through the years.

M: What inspires you to create jewellery? Who is your muse?

RL: Nature has always been my go-to source to fuel my inspiration. My nature-inspired collection- Whistle Chorus, was primarily inspired by the idea of a boy talking to birds. Moreover, jewellery is the only tangible form of beauty. The thought of creating beauty and making it accessible to people drives me to create aesthetically impeccable pieces every time.

M: Why has bespoke jewellery gained so much momentum in the past few years?

RL: The primary reason for the rise of bespoke jewellery is that people wish to incorporate an element of their style in their accessories. The days when jewellery was kept boxed and tossed in a corner only to be opened during special occasions have been left behind, the newer generation wishes to invest in pieces that can be used over time to derive the worth of their money. Plus, ever since the emergence of social media, everybody has wanted to look their best on their wedding day and leave an indelible mark in people’s minds that further fuelled the need for bespoke jewellery. Even while designing the Kaleeras for Katrina and Deepika, we included motifs that radiated their intrinsic personality and resonated with their style.

M: What are some jewellery trends or styles that we would be seeing everywhere this wedding season?

RL: Multi-functional pieces like choker bracelets and choker mathapattis are the new heirlooms. The Neutral Polki look is an all-time classic and a favourite for ages. Rose-cut jewellery is another emerging trend as people have begun to see the intrinsic beauty of these designs. Jewellery with enamelling work has also gained prominence lately, and Meenakari workpieces and art pieces with South Sea pearls and Baroque pearls are the spotlight stealers in today's day.

M: Can you give us a glimpse of what we can expect at the FDCI Manifest Wedding Weekend?

RL: This year, we can see pieces with a fusion of Polki and uncut diamonds. You will also see a lot of Bandhai and Meenakari-designed collections with a blend of precious and semi-precious stones.