“Hi friends. I am Shivani Choudhary from New Delhi, the capital city of India. I was born in 1985. I am a Scorpio and a very creative, ambitious, and hardworking person.
“My mother is a fashion designer and my biggest inspiration. I grew up watching her balance her time between work and home. She has an apparel boutique and worked very hard to run it. Even at the age of 64, she is so hardworking and active. I aspire to be like her. As a child, I used to frequently visit the boutique and loved the bright colors, lovely designs, and the charm of the apparel. Everything there fascinated me, even the ambiance.
“I graduated from Delhi University. I also studied interior design at the Apeejay Institute of Design in New Delhi. I worked as an architect in a firm for a few years, but I didn’t feel the same satisfaction and happiness that I used to feel when I visited my mother’s boutique. I always wanted to be a designer, so I decided to leave my job as an architect and assist my mother in her boutique. She has been my mentor and guide all throughout. After my marriage and the birth of my first child, I could no longer assist my mother in her boutique, so I designed some clothing at home to add to my mother’s collection.
“I wanted to do something more, so I decided to try my hand at designing jewelry. Even when I designed clothing, I used to advise customers on what kind of jewelry would complement their outfits. I would even sketch some jewelry designs for them.
“Initially, it was very difficult to balance family and professional life, but I slowly and gradually made my way through. Now, I have a small workshop and a team of artisans working with me who give shape to my beautiful designs. My designs are both traditional and modern. We use silver, brass, copper, gold, and colorful gemstones. We also work with leather and wood.
“My designs are unique. I love creating new designs; though it is challenging to come up with unusual designs every time to fulfill the needs of each customer. I get inspiration from a lot of things, such as nature, animals, humans, birds, and technology, as well as the intricate jali work and carvings featured in the royal palaces and forts of Rajasthan.
“We have participated in a lot of local wedding and jewelry exhibitions in Delhi and the NCR (National Capital Region). The team of workers that I have is innovative and crafts my pieces according to the needs of every person. My work provides employment to the local community to help them educate their children. My dream is to expand globally and spread my work to a larger scale.”