Today on the blog, we feature Uma Narayan, Founder and Curator at Umang Beads, a jewellery label founded in Chennai.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.   

Although a botanist by education, I have been a homemaker for the most part of my life. However, I have always had the entrepreneurial itch and have dabbled with various forms of enterprise over the years. Starting with a corporate food delivery service in the 80s to textile retail in the 90s, I have had the inclination to productively use my time and resources. After a long period of hiatus where family and kids grew in order of priority, I have been able to start Umang with the able support of my daughter.

2. Why did you become a maker?  Why is making so important to you?  

As I grew over the years, I was clear about one thing – I wanted to create. Selling an already existing product was plain business. I wanted to innovate and make something that was uniquely my thoughts in application. The encouragement and appreciation for my personal accessories and clothing from friends and family, reassured me about my creativity.

Besides, I have always been a champion of the not-so-fortunate ladies in an around my residence. As the number of them looking up to me for employment grew, I was certain that I would have immense support in making both their and my dreams come true. Why beaded jewellery specifically, though?  Like it always does, opportunity coincided with circumstance.

3. How did you begin Umang Beads?

On a vacation to Nairobi, Kenya we visited the Kazuri beads factory where my daughter picked up beaded neck pieces for her to wear. When we returned, she was devastated when she found the strings had come undone. I took up the task of experimenting with the various colours, materials and embellishments of all the pieces she had bought to create unique, contemporary neck pieces that were infused with a touch of tradition. Not only did I love the experience of stringing these creations by hand, I had also made her friends and colleagues ask me for more! This quickly catapulted into an interesting way of channelling my creativity and feeding into my desire to create and innovate.

Since then, there has been no looking back.

4. What is the story behind your brand name?

Initially, we began searching for a word that would mean jewellery – the most common solution for brands doing what we do. But as we thought hard, we realized, that women would buy our neck wear hoping to look good; hoping to feel confident and hoping to take on the day with a smile in their hearts. We knew we were giving women the space to hope – Umang (Hope). That it has my name at the beginning; is just a coincidence.

5. How has your business evolved over the years?    

I was stringing most of the neck wear myself when we started off, back in 2016. As the quantum of orders grew, it was just a matter of months before we started including women from disadvantaged backgrounds under our wing to help us string the beads. This helped and continues to help, empower them with income and independence. Interestingly, like most of the big guys in software today, we started in my garage. Facebook was our primary method of marketing and sales, handled on the weekends by my daughter.

In a year, we had over 6 women working under us, my daughter grew our Instagram following to over 10k organically and we were at a bigger space with proper work stations.

Today, we have a registered business, a workshop, a showroom and a soon to be launched website. My daughter has quit her full-time job to partner with me in growing Umang Beads, globally.

6. Your work space.

A 160 sq.ft well-lit room where all of us women hum along to the tunes of Kishore Kumar and Illayaraja as we innovate. An occasional squeal of glee at Raji’s new design or a word of encouragement for Usha’s despair at one small mistake bang in the middle of a string. Fits of laughter, hot-bed of creativity and a dizzying array of colour – the ideal description of my workspace.

7. What is currently on your work table?

A bunch of beads with the traditional dancer chalangais ready to be strung into our most famous pattern. A flattened stone lines my table border to smoothen rough edges of a bead or embellishment. A presser to lock the beads into the string sits solitarily in a corner –  my prized work tool.

8. What is your personal favorite pick from your brand right now? And why?

About a month ago, I created a pattern where a series of beads are interspersed with a series of long gaps where only the string is visible. I started this off as a three-layer pattern, which was gorgeous but painstaking to make and hence, expensive for the end customer. Now I have found a middle ground. Shaahkaar comes in a layer of spaced uncut beads with a full layer of pure agates attached. My personal favourite for fusion wear.

9. What are your displaying at the By Hand, From The Heart Makers Market in Chennai?

At BHFTH, Umang will be displaying a new range of semi-precious beaded neck wear in patterns inspired from Indian traditional wear and African tribal jewellery.  We will also be carrying exclusive beaded jewellery for indo- western and bohemian styles. We also plan to make anklets and bracelets to be included in our offering for the first time.

Meet the Maker @
27th edition:  By Hand From The Heart Makers Market
2 – 3 – August 2019 , Friday – Saturday | 10 a.m – 9 p.m
Hanu Reddy Residences, No. 41/19, Poes Garden, Chennai 600086, India.

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