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A man's world
Jewellery trends for the ubersexual male
Today, men seem to be playing the role of caring husband, loving father, smooth, and sometimes, ruthless businessman, loving son and God knows how many more roles! In the last five years India has seen a tremendous metamorphosis in the way men conduct themselves in society. From the traditional Indian male to the metrosexual to the latest term - the ubersexual, the evolution has been amazing.
Interestingly, the last few years have seen men enter and command, if I might add, a fairly high presence in fields that have always been considered woman's territory. Think about it, a few years back, a trip to the salon would have meant a haircut and a shave, today it's may include highlights, facials, manicures and maybe an aromatherapy massage!
Amazingly, if we were to delve deep into history, this should come as no surprise to us. The Mughals and other royalty were famous for their grooming, their clothes and their jewellery. Interestingly, this season has seen the launch and showcase of many lines of men's jewellery and India's first branded line for men's jewellery and accessories.
Adora diamond jewellery has launched 'MAN'S EGO' or 'ME ' - India's first brand exclusively for men's jewellery and accessory needs. Prabir Chatterjee, MD, Adora, the man behind the line agrees, "Men's jewellery is nothing new. If you remember our kings, ministers or zamindaars, they all wore jewellery, gold and diamonds, stones as well, which befitted their status. It could be a crown, a sword that was bejewelled, turban pins or even robes that were dressed up. We have simply brought it back as a reminder to the men that they too need to wear jewellery to enhance their personality."
That's true - our traditional dresses do see a lot of jewelled ornamentation, such as kurta buttons or sherwani buttons, but these are usually a one-off. This is the kind of jewellery that a man should wear every day, any time, any attire, any mood. There is something for everyone. For starters, let's look at the mind boggling variety on display - rings, pendants, bracelets, cuff rings, tie-pins, suit pins, button caps, tie tags, money clips, belt buckles, thumb rings, ear studs… the list is simply exhaustive. What is clear is men's jewellery is definitely moving away from the conventional to the innovative, trendy, stylish fashion accessory - as much a part of lifestyle today as the Mont Blanc pen or the Tag Heur watch. The best part is these don't come at so steep a price - with a starting price of Rs.2,500; this is something every man can flaunt!
Another brand, Carbon, has a man's collection that likes to work with unconventional materials. Utsav Malhotra, brand head, Carbon, says "We have tried to stick to our expertise at design, consumer understanding and understanding and usage of unconventional materials. The latest offering for men in a fully blown line of men's accessories launched by Carbon at the Lakme Fashion week was titled "Insignia", a tribute to the man who prefers to leave his mark! Crafted out of sapphire crystal and vapourised gold, the range consists of a wide range of men's accessories."
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