katli rani

brief>
the girls at Kulfi Studios reached out and we instantly connected over our love for indian jhumkas.
what stood out to me was how they were building indian ear stacks in new york, in a space dominated by western aesthetics.

approach>
my instinct was to go back to the roots.
celebrate the original references. rekha ji, aishwarya rai.
the kind of women who made jhumkas iconic.

paired that with desi sweets, flowers, textures.
a quiet nod to where the inspiration really comes from, also playing into the *katli* visual pun.

I wanted to shift the narrative.
where western brands use citrus fruits and florals, we used mithai, indian papers, and familiar textures.

treated these elements as the canvas. not just props.
so the jewellery felt placed in context, not just styled.

result>
a set of images that feel rooted, nostalgic, but still current.
less e-commerce, more story.

bringing the focus back to the origin of jhumkas,
while making them feel relevant in a new space.

creative direction, prop styling, photography by me.