As your jewelry introduces you before you even speak, how can Brand Nepal 2021 miss the Nepali jewelry brand, right? Organized by Radio Nagarik 96.5, on December 18, 2021, you can meet various leading jewelry brands that provide authentic jewelries made up of silver, gold, brass and other materials. These brands are unique in their own way and provide artisanal jewelry and accessories for both men and women. Here is a list of Nepali jewelry brand that are participating in third edition of Brand Nepal Go Local this year.
Nakkali
(Sameer Shakya, CEO and Yasmin Brouwer, Creative Director, MHJ &Nakkali)
Nakkali is a gold plated jewelry brand which offers a minimalistic and dainty array of designs. Modern with a touch of tradition just enough to not forget your roots. Started in the year of 2020 amongst the COVID pandemic, they offer jewelries at a more affordable price range but with a touch of real gold, hence the name of the brand.
- What are the key things that help you to be an entrepreneur?
To feel free in what you create and how you want to present it to the outside. Other than that to have a certain vision, to work hard and be confident.
- What inspired you to run your business?
I guess we saw a change, an opportunity in the jewelry business and that’s what got us inspired to start up Nakkali.
- What are your challenges in your business?
The competition is enorm in the gold plated jewelry industry in Nepal which is a challenge and to maintain a certain quality of the products referring to the durability of the gold plating.
- How do you overcome your challenges?
As for the competition part by being focused on our own journey to not get to distracted by what others do. Every individual (brand) is different and there for has something else to bring to the table.Quality wise we are still working on that it’s a process. We try to inform our customers about how to treat their goldplated jewelry so the lifespan of the gold plating will last longer.
- What can one expect, while at your stall in Brand Nepal?
Since Christmas time is nearing we would like to give the stall a Christmas feeling by using certain props and a discount offer. The whole collection will be displayed in a neat and clear set up so it’s pleasant for the eyes to look at.
- What is your expectation from this year’s Brand Nepal event?
We hope at a great turn out and to be able to reach potential customers through this event and for it to be a great platform for Nepali brands.
Aamo by Aayusha Shrestha
Celebrating the joy of brands: Brand Nepal 2021
(Aayusha Shrestha, Founder/ Designer)
AAMO by Aayusha Shrestha is Nepal's first conceptual accessories brand that prioritizes on understanding, documenting and preserving traditional skill sets of metal crafters. They work closely with home based artisans, who continue to practice traditional skills, which has been passed down generationally.
- Why did you choose to be in this business?
It’s crucial to be able to pass down traditional skill sets to upcoming generations. By adapting and adopting generational knowledge and translating it into contemporary mediums making it relatable to younger audiences is not an option but a need and AAMO has helped create a path.
- What are the key things that help you to be an entrepreneur?
I am still a designer first and an entrepreneur second. So, creating a good team has been an important key to operating as an entrepreneur.
- What are your challenges in your business?
I personally think, copyright was and still is the biggest challenge. Not just in terms of designs but also over all branding that includes text, packaging among others.
- How do you overcome your challenges?
Keep reinventing the wheel. Also, try to share knowledge about copyright issues with consumers as well as designers, makers to hold ourselves and them accountable.
- What is your expectation from this year’s Brand Nepal event?
Hope to see a larger pool of people and have more interactions.
- What can one expect, while at your stall in Brand Nepal?
Authentic, conceptually driven handmade products, new collections and offers.
Aksa Nepal
(Priyanka Shrestha and Aakash Shrestha, Co-founder)
Aksa means soul in Sanskrit, is an ethical and sustainable handcrafted accessories brand working towards promoting and preserving the culture of Nepali art and craft. Their line of product is artisanal jewelry and accessories created for men and women out of brass and silver with gold plating and semi-precious stones preserving their air of authenticity and value. They offerbeautiful designs that are ethnic contemporary blend with the traditional art that reflect today’s lifestyle where every piece is purely handcrafted by traditionally skilled artisans.
- What inspired you to run your business?
To promote, preserve and sustain the art, craft, culture and tradition by supporting the Nepali artisans is the main motive to run our business. This will also help to preserve it, improve the quality of products and ultimately contribute to the domestic economy of Nepal.
- What are the key things that help you to be an entrepreneur?
Communication, research, networking and collaborating are the main key things to help us be an entrepreneur. But the most important thing is to keep continuously moving forward by learning.
- What are your challenges in your business?
Among many challenges, to make the same design that we had imagined/drawn in the computer or paper is the biggest one as we always have limitations to what we can do with the limited resources we have. Also, fulfilling the expectation of the customers to the very maximum is also a great challenge.
- How do you overcome your challenges?
We are always looking for new techniques, processes and trends to keep ourselves updated all the time. Also, research is the best thing that helps us to deal with the challenges and come up with new ideas and creativity.
- What is your expectation from this year’s Brand Nepal event?
Since this is a big event after COVID-19, we are very optimistic that this will help all the local brands to catch up with the pace that we were in. Not just promoting a Nepali product but also to boost the confidence of the brands to continue what they are doing. We are also expecting to increase our brand visibility through this event.
- What can one expect, while at your stall in Brand Nepal?Customers will be able to see how Nepali artisans are able to work with such fine details with high quality by hands.
Khusiyali Silver
(Sumitra Bishwakarma, Founder)
Silver Handicrafts Nepal is involved in making fine silver jewelries, silver ware, creating a different share in Nepali Market, attracting people to wear the silver jewelry.
- Why did you choose to be in this business?
It just happened to me or probably the lockdown - from making silverware which is most common to creating a masterpiece.But it is taking a lot of hard work, patience to keep on moving and I am very passionate about my job.
- What are the key things that help you to be an entrepreneur?
Innovation, creation and market share.
- What are your challenges in your business?
Inflation, manpower and market fluctuations.
- How do you overcome your challenges?
It’s not something you do overcome overnight, still waiting and working.
- What is your expectation from this year’s Brand Nepal event?
Ofcourse, the recognition, since we are just stepping our steps in the market with the oldest form of art with the newest dimensions, Also, to let people know that the silver jewelleries are a wearable form of an art.
- What can one expect, while at your stall in Brand Nepal?
The variety, uniqueness, the most important - an art.
Maya Handicrafts
(Sameer Shakya, CEO and Yasmin Brouwer, Creative Director)
Maya Handicrafts is an ethical Nepali brand offering a wide range of authentic silver jewelry collection to be treasured by you. They support and acknowledge the aptitudes of local artisans who utilize their inherited skills to create various unique pieces of jewelry. Each jewelry is handcrafted by silversmiths of Nepal who symbolizes the high level of competence and array of skills of Nepalese artists and craftsmen which has been handed down from numerous generations.
- What inspired you to run your business?
The biggest inspiration is the outer and inner world coming together. Nepal is a very big inspiration. Looking outside and seeing so many woman wearing such colorful clothing, temples, faces, certain smells that come from incense, food etc. Your senses are forced to be wide open which is an experience on its own. Then you go back to your inner self and interpret how you think it should be translated.
- Why did you choose to be in this business?
It runs in the family (Sameer Shakya). Always been a big fan of jewelry, to create and just to be inspirational. (Yasmin Shakya)
- What is your expectation from this year’s Brand Nepal event?
This will be our first time to join “Brand Nepal events” we expect it to be a platform to bring different Nepali brands in connection with each other because we believe that together you can reach more then alone. And beside that to showcase Nepali brands in an attractive way towards the customers and to let them know the significance of this market.
- What can one expect, while at your stall in Brand Nepal?
A nice set up stall with a certain overall look which makes it pleasing for the eyes. We will showcase our best sellers, traditional, fusion and modern jewelry pieces so there is something for all types. And we will offer our customers a certain discount on this event as well.
