‘Swarovski adds glamour quotient to your work’

Monteiro shares crystal creativity and more with KTAA members

OBy Chaitali B. Roy Special to the Arab Times

n Tuesday, December 15, at 6.30 pm, it was all about crystals at the monthly meeting of Kuwait Textile Arts Association, an organization of textile enthusiasts drawn from across the world for whom fibre and yarn, fabric and embroideries tell a different story not easily understood by others. It was the last meeting of the year for the KTAA, which functions under the auspices of Sadu House, and it featured a presentation by Joeld Monteiro, Operation Manager, Crystal House, a store that belongs to a large regional network of fashion and accessory tools comprising mainly of precision cut crystals and beads. In the presentation titled ‘Crystal Creativity and More’, Monteiro introduced the audience to crystals, specifically Swarovski Elements, and spoke at length about the versatility and use of this product in different business segments. It was an enlightening session especially for the members of KTAA, for whom crystals and beads suggest a wonderful world of creative possibilities.

“This summer I approached Crystal House for a KTAA presentation,” said Donna Al Shaya, President of KTAA, who is working hard to reinvigorate the community of textile art enthusiasts in Kuwait. “It was then I found out that Swarovski is not just about accessories you buy from a store, but it is so much more.” As a brand, Swarovski is very popular and it is especially hard to miss in Kuwait where they are used to such amazing effect on abayas, hijabs, bags, shoes and other accessories.

Combination

A brand that has set high standards due to the combination of fine crystal and precision cutting, Swarovski is a much-coveted item and a fashion requirement for fashion conscious women around the world. Over the years, the crystals that were originally used as jewellery stones has evolved into customizable jewellery kits and loose crystals that can be used to create innovative and personalized designs. “Swarovski was established in 1895, in Austria by Daniel Swarovski. The main aspect of the brand is the importance it gives to quality. Moreover, Swarovski has limitless expression when it comes to style and design,” said Monteiro. “You are part of the designing community in Kuwait,” he addressed the crowd. “Most of you design quilts, work with fabrics or weave. Well, Swarovski loves to deal with people who influence design, art and craft.” Speaking of the edge the brand provides, he said, “Swarovski believes in putting a little bit of glamour quotient in whatever you do. For example, we can crystallize a jacket or dress in a way in which it will retain the original look and feel, and yet give it a special touch.”

Son of a diamond cutter, Daniel Swarovski picked up his skill at shaping and cutting stone early in life. “If you observe the cuts on a Swarovski crystal, it is somewhat similar to that in a diamond,” Monteiro pointed out. “Initially, when Swarovski wanted to create a crystal, he tried to do it on glass by giving it different cuts. In the process, he made something unique, but the product didn’t have that much of a shine. To add that quotient of shine, Swarovski added lead to glass.”

Decoration

With the passage of time, and with an increase in awareness, Swarovski started producing crystals that are lead-free. Today, Swarovski, as a brand has reached out to various segments including designers, fashion companies, ateliers, interior decoration, who use Swarovski as a tool to enhance arts and aesthetics. The company also has its own team of inhouse designers who operate under Ateliar Sanskruti to create innovative designs with new shapes, colours and cuts twice a year in the form of a catalogue that serves as a beautiful inspirational tool for designers.

Crystal House is the Swarovski distribution partner in Kuwait. It offers a wide range of precision cut crystals for fashion, jewellery, accessories and interiors. The crystals of Swarovski get their decided edge over others because of precision cutting. Some of these crystal beads can be fixed by hot fix which means they can be pressed on to the cloth by a press machine or an iron or they made be stuck using an applicator wand. To the textile artists of Kuwait, these crystals and beads offer amazing possibilities in terms of embellishment. Ranju Gandhi, a KTAA member used Swarovski crystal quite effectively while crafting a wall hanging this year for the Annual Textile Arts Exhibition. “

Bling

Crystals give just that touch of bling to your work accentuating its beauty,” she said. Ayeisha Khallid, a master quilter and winner of the Best of Show at the 2015 Annual Textile Art exhibition made creative use of Swarovski crystal on her art quilt titled ‘Starry Night’. Speaking of her experience with using crystals, Ayeisha said, “I have been embellishing my machine embroidered quilts with Swarovski since last six years and have won ribbons on all these quilts. This year, I used new Swarovski crystals from Crystal House which were new. These crystals take up the colour of the surface of which they are placed. My quilt ‘Starry Night’ had different coloured stars, but I heat set and used just one type of crystal in different sizes. This gave an impression of different colour on each star.” Needless to say, Ayeisha Khallid’s innovative use of crystals helped her to win First Place and Best of Show in KTAA Exhibition in 2015.

Jan 1, 2016 BMCAAK carol singing contest:

Bishop Moore College Alumni Association Kuwait (BMCAAK) is conducting “Christmas Tree Decoration and Traditional Carol Singing Competition” by inviting various individuals, groups, associations, churches, schools in Kuwait in connection with our Kudumbasangamom on Friday, Jan 1, 2016 at 4:30 pm at United Indian School Auditorium, Abbassiya. Trophy will be