“Bollywood is definitely the new cool factor, and it’s awesome to see that it’s… becoming mainstream in America,” says Ruchi G. Kalra, founder of RGK D’Zines. Ruchi was invited to showcase her jewelry at a pre-Emmy event in August 2010. The stars fell in love.
“They absolutely loved the designs and… could not believe that these were hand-crafted pieces,” Ruchi declares proudly. Her designs were subsequently worn on the red carpet at the 2010 Emmy’s, followed by sightings at the Hollywood Gala and parties for HBO and MTV. Ruchi’s famous clientele include Lindsey Haun and Natasha Alam of HBO’s True Blood, Katrina Law of Spartacus, Sarah Drew of Grey’s Anatomy, Lauren Velez of Dexter, and Ali Fedotowsky of The Bachelorette. South Asian customers include Archie Panjabi of The Good Wife and Taslim Manji, wife of Rizwan Manji from Outsourced.
"...to have a picture of Ali Fedotowsky, the new Bacholerette, in the Fall Issue of US Weekly was an absolutely thrilling feeling," says Ruchi.
Ruchi keeps in touch with her star-studded clientele through email, Facebook and Twitter.
“I am very excited to see all the celebs wearing the pieces,” she says. Despite her booming success in jewelry design, she had originally planned for a very different career. After spending part of her childhood in India and Africa, she moved to the U.S. and focused on math and computer science in college. She also went on to complete an M.B.A. in Marketing. After several years in the corporate world of aviation, she knew she wanted to change the direction of her life.
24 karat gold vermeil earrings with beads and freshwater pearls. Photo: Sameer Soorma.
In 2009, Ruchi decided to start RGK D’Zines. Her initial jewelry collection is a tribute to her Indian heritage, with pieces inspired by the Victorian and Royal Mogul era in India. Jewelry is hand crafted in sterling silver or 22-24 karat gold vermeil with semi-precious stones. “Women love to make a statement with their jewelry,” Ruchi says. “[I work] closely with the designers to create pieces that… combine the old world traditions with new world elegance.” Even the peacock feather in her logo radiates personality: It “symbolizes integrity and the beauty that can be achieved when we choose to show our true colors.” Love the sentiment, Ruchi! We look forward to what’s in store.
—MARIAM KAMAL
Hungry for more?
Shop: www.RGKdzines.com
Fan on facebook: www.facebook.com/RGKdzines
Read the blog: rgkdzines.wordpress.com
CELEBRITY CLIENT GALLERY: Click images to enlarge and view captions.
All photos courtesy of Ruchi G. Kalra. Photo on top of page: Assortment of bracelets and rings, photographed by Sameer Soorma.
