Junk jewellery makes a comeback
By Saloni Kaul

JUNK jewellery has been out of fashion for the past two years. Steel rings and chains, oxidised trinkets, wooden beads, stone pendants and other forms of plastic and bone accessories had been summarily junked as gold regained its lustre in the Indian fashion industry.

Today, a reverse trend is being witnessed with college teens setting the tone for a revival in the fun element of body adornment. Significantly, they are not stopping at jewellery for women alone. Men are as much upbeat in sporting finger rings, bracelets, chains and ear studs.

The role models in this segment of fashion jewellery are strangely enough, television stars. For instance, veejay Nikhil Chinappa’s steel finger rings have become a rage on university campuses these days. He wears as many as 14 of them in all his fingers.

Ear studs are equally popular with college kids. As Nitin Shah, an undergraduate in Bombay’s St. Xavier’s College, puts it. "I think they look cool. Basically it’s a question of how comfortable you are with them and whether they fit with your profile."

Indeed, this has become a debatable issue as there are many, who feel that jewellery should be worn selectively. Some like models John Abraham and Rahul Dev even insist that jewellery should best be left to women and men should have nothing to do with it.

"Jewels are meant for women," Abraham points out. "When men take them on, they end up looking terribly effeminate. I wear only a fishbone chain around my neck and that’s it. Left to myself, I would discard even that. But it has become a sort of a talisman."

Designers like Niharika (who designs for celebrities like Chinappa) counter this perception by arguing,"If you can carry your jewellery well, there’s no question of looking effeminate. For example, one person may look a complete moron in a tropical psychedelic shirt, but another guy can look great in the same thing if he carries it off well."

According to Niharika, the real "flavour of funky fashion" today is silver. "The thing about silver jewellery is that it complements well with almost any kind of clothing you might wear. Moreover, I kind of like the rustic look which is very much in vogue these days."

Agrees model-turned-actress Anupama Verma, who uses pieces of junk silver ornaments, including a smart belly button pierce: "Silver is popular not only because it looks smart, it is affordable too. I love wearing silver chokers and armlets."

Observes Shyla Lopez, another model: "People do not want to wear dazzling gold jewellery all the tine, whereas silver can be worn on any occasion. Right now, silver necklaces with traditional motifs, snake chains studded with semi-precious stones and large pendants are much in style."

Junk jewellery also takes the shape of safety pins, astrological signs, swastikas, tridents, stars and crosses... all very understated, in oxidised metal with matt finish. Floral motifs and paisley designs are popular with women sporting traditional Indian wear.

There are also pretty bead necklaces, silver anklets, large bangles in bone and plastic, bronze and copper chains, rudraksha lockets, pendants of pebbles, glass and shell... The latest to hit the campus is the ‘invisible chain’ — a silver locket strung to a thin, white nylon thread.

"We wear such stuff because it’s the in-thing in college now," says Ekta Rawal, an 18-year-old. "For example, all the girls in my class are wearing invisible chains around their necks. It’s nothing more than good, healthy fun." — M.F.