Akanksha Arora’s jewellery label Tribe Amrapali plays with mythology for the contemporary consumer

The founder and CEO of Tribe Amrapali gets candid about her bold decision to move away from a legacy jewellery label to building her own brand identity

When you marry into a family that runs a legacy brand like Amrapali Jewels, it's inherently obvious to continue building on the brand’s popularity of luxury, high-end jewellery. And Akanksha Arora did just that, until she decided to create Tribe Amrapali in 2013, an off-shoot of the brand catering to a younger demographic and not too heavy on the pocket. While Amrapali Jewels uses kundan and semi-precious stones to create a more traditional designs, Tribe Amrapali plays with folklore and mythology for pieces of bohemian jewellery that are experimental and contemporary in their design. What started off as a retail website to now having expanded to almost 20 retail outlets across the world, it’s no wonder that Tribe Amrapali has amassed a fan following among celebrities and influencers alike, apart from their 262,000 followers on Instagram. With the launch of their new collection ‘Matsya,’ we speak to Arora about starting a sister label, how mythology inspires her work and her advice for young jewellery entrepreneurs.

Your collections usually feature a lot of nautical, celestial and animal-related elements. Even your latest collection ‘Matsya’ translates into ‘fish’ in Sanskrit. What makes you gravitate towards these elements?

Our collection ‘Matsya’ is divided into two parts—while the first part seeks inspiration from celestial elements including the sun, the moon, stars and constellations, the second part is inspired by nautical elements such as seahorses, shells and fish. The thread tying the two together is the fact that both reflect the intricacies of nature. You’ll find lots of flowers, birds, animals and other such elements in many of our collections.

How does mythology and history inspire you in your designs?

Tribe Amrapali is an off-shoot of Amrapali Jewels, and the latter has always been synonymous with traditional, classical designs, largely inspired by India’s rich cultural heritage and history. Tribe Amrapali lends a contemporary twist to the age-old traditions and cultures of Indian jewellery. The easiest way to describe Tribe Amrapali would be ‘India modern,’ wherein we take elements, shapes and forms from the past and contextualise them in the 21st century through a modern interpretation.

You’ve previously collaborated with designers like Masaba Gupta and brands such as Fizzy Goblet. How do these collaborations help your brand when it comes to attracting customers?

Collaborations are a very gratifying experience for any brand because the designer you collaborate with has their own perspective and understanding of design. It allows you to take a step back and push the limits of your own creativity. It’s a creatively enriching experience for our craftspersons too, as they have honed their practice in tune with our design language over the years. With a collection that is born out of a collaboration, they, too, have to change their perspective and explore an entirely new side to their craftsmanship.

Our first collaboration was with Manish Arora and it was super successful. When Manish entered the fashion scene, his designs comprised 3D prints of animals like panthers and gazelles that he envisioned on the ramp at the Paris Fashion Week. At the time, we, as designers, and our craftspersons, too, had to unlearn and relearn a lot, which was extremely rewarding. Since then, we have always welcomed a fresh perspective through collaborations such as the ones with Masaba Gupta and Fizzy Goblet. Collaborations also help open up an entirely new kind of clientele.

What made you move away from Amrapali Jewels to start Tribe in 2013?

Tribe Amrapali is a modern brand at its core, and a big part of its inception was leveraging the e-commerce boom and online retail for jewellery. We believe we need to adapt and evolve with time, and this is reflected not just in our designs but in our business practices as well. Amrapali Jewels has always been a legacy, luxury brand. Tribe Amrapali, on the other hand, is a more affordable jewellery brand bringing craftsmanship, expertise and nuanced design sensibilities that have been honed over the decades. While we’re inspired by Amrapali Jewels, we have our own distinct identity. We are present in high footfall areas like malls and airports, while having a strong digital presence.

As an entrepreneur, what advice would you give to someone who is trying to build their jewellery brand?

The advice that I would give to anyone starting out in the jewellery space is to stay true to what the core of your design is. Find your strength and stick with it. If you’re someone inclined towards contemporary or modern design interpretations, then carve out a niche for yourself in that space. Anything that doesn’t come from within is never successful or rewarding in the long run.

It is also very important to stay well-informed about trends as well as the preferences of your evolving consumers. It is imperative to make the entire experience of your brand a memorable one, not just from a design perspective but also by being on top of social media, e-retail, customer service and post-purchase service. As you grow your business and expand your customer base, it's equally important to take care of the existing ones.

What’s the one piece of jewellery from your collections at Tribe that  you are most proud of and would like to pass down as heirloom?

Our designs are very classic and not seasonal, so timelessness is something that is central to our pieces. Our designs also move effortlessly from Indian silhouettes to more contemporary pairings. It’s really hard for me to choose, but if I had to pick one, it would be something from the Chandrika collection (from 2015), which is one of my favourites and till date, our bestseller collection. 

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