All About My Mother
Sana Rezwan, collector and director of The Art Lab Studio, and Cecelia Morelli Parikh, entrepreneur and founder of Le Mill (Mumbai) share their fond memories, snapshots of their moms – and their favourite diamond jewellery styles.
Personal images courtesy Sana & Cecelia
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Sana Rezwan
Seasoned collector and entrepreneur Sana Rezwan has always been inspired by creativity – and the power of spreading messages through art. Since taking over the reins as Director of The Art Lab Studio, Sana has collaborated with artists and creatives in order to generate meaningful and lasting partnerships. To understand the unmistakable role that she plays in the creative sphere, all you need to do is study her curatorial credits and special projects. Clients come to Sana because she thinks outside the box and generates innovative opportunities for the brands that her Studio works with.“Whether pro bono or not, we have always aimed at generating deep value for our clients. I usually choose artists and collaborators that I feel personally passionate about – the projects must have purpose and feel relevant,” says Sana, who is currently busy with a project in Jaipur.
Some of the projects she has been involved with recently include the Daniel Arsham collaboration with Kohler, Assouline’s Jaipur Splendor by Mozez Singh and other upcoming projects include a Netflix series, Jaipur Art Week, launching a children’s art and mental health programme known as Miss Kendra in India as well as a jewellery brand from Brazil in India. “In the US, we are exploring a sizeable public art project with the Art Production Fund, which we hope to open in New York next year,” adds Sana, who is a patron to the South Asian Modern and Contemporary Department at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Do share some memories and also tell us about your relationship with your mom.
SR: I have always been attached to my mother at the hip they would say; perhaps, I still am. I have grown up always having a close relationship with my mother, which has only grown closer in my adult years. We speak every single day; no matter what continent or time-zone I am in. My mother is the strongest and purest soul I know. She defines humility, kindness, elegance, and compassion, with absolute grace. Ma was, and is, my best friend.
What do you find most inspiring about her? Any key life lessons she’s taught you?
SR: Her commitment to spirituality. She taught me the importance of looking within and establishing a practice.
Too many, but one to share is that giving is very important. She has always instilled in me a sense of responsibility and that everything comes back to you at some point; so, it is important to constantly try to do good.I go to my mother for everything. She is my everything. Even if she does not have answers for everything, she holds space for me and that is what is most important.
What’s the last fun activity you did together?
SR: We recently went on a safari in India and just being with her – in nature – is one of the most gratifying experiences.
Jewellery Notes from Sana
What is your first jewellery memory?
SR: I would always watch my mother wear our family jewels, and was always drawn to the craftsmanship of those pieces. I would play with them for hours as a child.
Which piece of jewellery did you recently gift your mom?
SR: I bought her a pair of Diva’s Dream malachite studs from Bulgari.
What styles and designs of natural diamond jewellery would you pick for her?
SR: I’d pick diamond studs for daily wear,otherwise she loves kundan or uncut natural diamonds and prefers jewellery that has an antique finish. She has some very gorgeous pieces from Gem Palace. She also loves any piece with rose-cut natural diamonds.
What’s your jewellery style – and is there a designer whose work you absolutely love?
SR: I love my Dior and Van Cleef & Arpels studs for daily wear. I like to stack bracelets from Cartier, the Gem Palace, Monica Vinader and Tallin. I am in love with Silvia Furmanovich’s works!
Ceceilia Morelli Parikh
Former buyer for luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman, Cecelia Morelli Parikh moved to her adopted homeland India in 2007 – and a few years later, launched Le Mill, a luxury concept store in Mumbai. “We wanted to create a store that all Indians could be proud to say they shopped at. One that would stand up to comparisons of stores abroad as well,” says Cecelia, who co-founded the store with Julie Leymarie.
Do share some memories and also tell us about your relationship with your mum
CMP: I grew up between Paris and London. We would summer in our home in the south of France, which at the time was less developed than it is now. My parents travelled a lot and took us everywhere, so I was very lucky and saw Petra, Tokyo, Bora Bora all before I was 18. My mother is based in Paris. She’s an art historian and one of the three very chicest women I have ever met. Our style is completely different but I took so much inspiration from her. She practiced yoga almost daily even now – and she can still do the splits.
What do you find most inspiring about her? Any key life lessons she’s taught you?
CMP: She is incredibly knowledgeable about everything cultural. She reads all the time. She’s that old school French intellectual that I wonder still exists. She can also read a painting better than any gallerist I have ever met. One key lesson I’ve learnt is to always take an hour a day, wherever you are, for yourself.
How has your relationship with your mom evolved over the years?
CMP: Becoming a mother definitely changes something. But the feeling of coming home to her house and being fed – and put to bed is the most comforting feeling ever, especially after a long fashion week.
What’s the last fun activity you did together?
CMP: The Venice Biennale – my mom and I do the art exhibition together every two years.
Jewellery Notes from Cecelia
What is your first jewellery memory?
CMP: A beautiful garnet and pearl necklace that my mom used to wear. It was long and I liked to tug at it.
Which piece of jewellery did you recently gift your mom?
CMP: I gifted her a vintage bracelet from Pomelatto last year for her 70th birthday that she now wears daily.
What styles and designs of natural diamond jewellery would you pick for her?
CMP: I’d choose little diamond studs. My mother, however, likes jewellery as art and big earrings; she’s been rocking that style consistently since she was 20.
What’s your jewellery style – and are there any special pieces that you absolutely love?
CMP: I have key pieces that I wear on rotation; I wear silver and a lot of gold chains – and I love cuffs. A vintage Tiffany bone cuff is my every day staple, and a 70s Cartier chain. But I also love to collect vintage Indian pieces to wear with western wear. I would quite like to make a signet ring with a sunken old-mine natural diamond in beaten gold.
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