Gypsy Rani, Punk Rajah, Indian Rose, the names of London-based Indian-origin accessories designer Mawi Keivom’s creations give away the influences on her aesthetic sensibilities (even if you haven’t seen one of her uberluxe pieces of statement jewellery, sported by the likes of pop star Katy Perry).
Born in Manipur, Mawi (pronounced Moi-oi) travelled the world with her diplomat parents, studying in New Zealand at the Auckland Institute of Technology, working in New York and then finally, moving to London. It was here that Mawi met her husband Tim Awan; together, they head the accessories label MAWI, which was launched at the London Fashion Week in 2002.
For Mawi, her travels, and the rich cultural heritage she was born into, have been equally important in moulding her style.
“I was born here, so India will always be a reference point in my work,” said Mawi, who presented a line at the recently concluded summer/resort 2014 season of the Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai. “All of the different cultures of the places I’ve lived in, have influenced me, the architecture, the history. I’m also very interested in sculpture, industrial design and mechanics, so all that has shaped my aesthetics.”
It’s been an incredible journey, Mawi says, from her first show to the Lakme Fashion Week in 2014. Mawi was conscious of the impression she wanted her label to give out in putting together her first show here.
“I think it was important for us to show the repertoire, the work that we’ve done in the last 10 years. So we delved into our archives for this one,” she says.
Mawi’s work is a juxtaposition of opposing elements; while the designs are strong and bold, they’re also celebratory. Mawi’s own look is a mix of feminine and fierce. On the day we meet her, she sports a short, flirty dress, a baseball cap and chunky, ornate rings that glitter on her fingers. She tells us the pieces are not from her label, but “finds” from her visits to markets all over the world.
When she is working on her own pieces, the design process is very hands-on, Mawi says. “I never plan a collection in my head. A lot of it starts from my material, and what I’m feeling. I might spot something and that might trigger something else, and then things happen organically.
It’s really a journey of discovery. That’s what makes my work multi-layered and diverse. I don’t sit on a drawing board and sketch stuff. I actually work with different materials and collage it and it becomes something that I didn’t even imagine.”
It’s interesting that Mawi, who counts the legendary Coco Chanel among her inspirations, didn’t actually study jewellery design. It was womenswear that she was trained to create at Auckland, something she calls “a blessing really”.
“I never planned to be an accessories designer. A lot of what I apply in jewellery comes from having done womenswear. Having no set boundaries has allowed me to be experimental and allowed me to shine,” she says.
She’ll be bringing that same sense of experimentation to the many exciting projects and collaboration opportunities that are coming her way after her LFW show and not just in the realm of fashion.
“From product design to the car industry or interiors, there is a lot to explore,” Mawi says. “Just having this introduction is going to open us up to a much larger audience.”
