The Enigma of being Hanut Singh

The Enigma of being Hanut Singh.

By Anil Prabhakar

If you haven’t heard about Hanut Singh then you are probably not his target audience. The Delhi based jeweler neither has a retail store nor does he have an online store in any part of the world. Hanut  doesn’t even advertise his product. Yet his creations are adorned by global celebrities like Rihaana, Meryl Streep, Beyonce, Oprah Winfrey among many others..

“I make jewellery for women who know their mind and have the means to buy it. The quintessential Hanut Singh woman does not need her husband’s money or approval to buy what she wants.” Says Hanut.

Hanut says he was fascinated by gemstones and jewellery from the age of 4.  He didn’t need a formal as jewellery is in the DNA of  the royal Kapurthala family.

His great grandfather Maharaja Jagatjit Singh was known for his fine taste in life and was a big buyer of jewellery from the likes of Cartier, Boucheron and Van Cliff and Arpels.

His grandmother,  Maharani Sitadevi also known as princess Karam was regarded as one of the most glamorous women of her time. She was listed among the twelve most glamorous women in the world.

Princess Karam and her contemporaries Maharani Sitadevi and Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur were part of the charmed international jet set club.

These maharanis regularly appeared in fashion and lifestyle magazines such as Vogue, Tatler and Harper’s Bazaar. They patronized the luxury jewelers and couturiers like Mainbocher. Their wealth and taste for finer things in life helped  them befriend socialites such as Wallis Simpson, Barbara Hutton and Elsie De Wolfe.

Hanut’s uncle the late Martand Singh, popularly known as Mapu, was the founder of INTACH. A heritage and cultural revivalist,  Mapu had worked with the legendary Japanese designer, Issey Miyake. He was the first Indian to curate a fashion show along with the former Vogue editor, American star Diana Vreeland for New York’s Metropolitan museum. Mapu, the  Pama bhushan awardee was a also a mentor to many Indian fashion designers including Rohit Bal.

Hanut thus inherited fashion, jewellery and luxury from his ancestors.

Hanut’s career started with writing for fashion magazines L’officiel and Elle. He also had a stint with the fashion retailer Ogaan before becoming a full time jeweler. From writing to being written about is a fascinating journey.

Known for using innovative materials in his creations, Hanut’s first collection used abalone shells and baroque pearls.  Abalone is known for its healing properties. It was made for Jaisinh  ji Jhala the associate professor of Anthropology at Temple University College of Liberal arts in Philadelphia who belongs to the royal family of Dhrangdhara.

Hanut’s designs are contemporary and made for global charismatic,  intelligent women. Among his Indian muses are his sister princess Devaki Singh, journalist  Shikha Singh, Shweta Bachchan Nanda, Malini Ramani and Meher Jesia.

He uses a lot of colored gemstones such as emerald and rubies. The influence is courtesy the Mughals who brought them to India from Persia centuries ago.

Sourcing quality gemstone is Hanut’s passion. He travels all over the world attending jewellery fairs, meeting dealers and stone cutters. His collections are an amalgamation or a rainbow of stones such as Paraibas , rock quartz of highest quality, tourmalines, emeralds and pearls sourced from Madagascar, Afghanistan, Brazil and Japan.

A mixologist at heart,  Hanut fuses the vintage with contemporary.  It is not uncommon for him to use rock crystal beads with diamonds or rubies in a pendant or ear rings.

Hanut’s inspirations are the elements of nature such as the flora and fauna. Architecture is another recurring theme in his creations.

He has even used ebony wood pierced with 18K gold and diamonds in an ear-ring set with floral design.

His designs are edgy and he prefers to buy rough stones that are carved to perfection. The creations are manufactured in Delhi. Hanut however, is planning to get them made in Italy for the perfect finish and craftsmanship.

Hanut said, he primarily designs for himself. He wears his own jewellery and has also made men’s jewellery for close friends.

His collections typically comprise of 35 to 45 pieces priced at Rs.2 lakhs and above. Ear rings are very popular and comes in geometric shapes such as Pyramid. His crescent moon, chandelier and drop ear rings are an instant hit.

Hanut says that he is an artist by temperament. He has never thought of retailing out of departmental stores such as Harrods, despite being approached several times.

He prefers to do trunk shows in London, Los Angeles and New York. In the US, he has chosen Roseark, the 5000 sq ft luxury goods store located in the heart of Los Angeles. The store located in an indoor – outdoor bungalow that offers a unique shopping experience and is a favorite of global celebrities.

 Fred Leighton, the high end jewellery store located on Madison Avenue is the preferred location in New York.

Fred Leighton is renowned for extra ordinary vintage style and rare collectible jewelry.

 In India, Hanut retails out of his home in Delhi. Chennai, Mumbai and Bangalore are the other cities where he organizes his trunk shows. In Chennai the location is at Atul and Tina Malhotra’s Evoluzione,   while in Mumbai it is Maithili Ahluwalia’s Bungalow eight. The haute homemaker Vinita Chaitanya hosts Hanut Singh shows over weekends in Bangalore.

 Hanut embodies the characteristics of a luxury brand… artistic, selective and yet global in spirit.

This article has appeared in the J mag

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