Rebel with a cause

In a candid interview with The Retail Jeweller, founder Vandana Jagwani, the self-avowed creative rebel and disruptor, talks about Vandals—a brand that unapologetically celebrates lab-grown diamonds, clocking a turnover of Rs. 75 crore in its fourth year, and reimagining the retail experience

Back in 2020, Vandana Jagwani boldly ventured into lab-grown diamond jewellery by launching Vandals, an avant-garde brand that has quickly gained a celebrity following. Defying the scepticism associated with legacy jewellers retailing lab-grown diamonds, she seamlessly blended a contemporary, experiential approach with the heritage of her family’s legacy jewellery brand, Mahesh Notandass

Edited excerpts:

Pratyasha Kumari (PK): What was the scenario of the Indian jewellery industry when you founded Vandals, a lab-grown diamond jewellery brand? How did you decide to enter this new industry?
Vandana Jagwani (VJ): Vandalism is now viewed as an art form, but it was once regarded as an act of rebellion carried out under the cover of darkness. Similarly, Vandals was born in 2020 into an environment where the entire jewellery industry was hesitant to embrace lab-grown diamonds. Even my family’s legacy brand Mahesh Notandass had reservations about launching a lab-grown diamond brand, so I had to conceal the entire Vandals project until its launch.
During my GIA diamond grading course in 2016, I encountered lab-grown diamonds for the first time and was amazed to find no visual difference between them and natural diamonds. I instantly knew this sustainable, abundantly available alternative was the raw material for my new jewellery business. I wanted to bring a breath of fresh air into Mahesh Notandass, and creating an avant-garde lab-grown diamond jewellery brand felt like the perfect way to do that!

PK: As an offshoot of legacy jeweller Mahesh Notandass, how are the two brands functioning together? How is Vandals leveraging the huge clientele of the legacy brand?
VJ: The beauty is that Vandals draws its roots from Mahesh Notandass’ legacy, while Mahesh Notandass benefits from Vandals’ modern, youthful spirit. The two support each other without undercutting. Some customers are still reluctant about lab-grown diamonds, so they request us to create the same designs with natural diamonds, which we accommodate. Up to 35 per cent of Vandals’ customers come from the existing Mahesh Notandass clientele, and we are leveraging the trust the legacy brand has built over the years.
Mahesh Notandass has its flagship store in Bandra, Mumbai, and my Luxe Lab for Vandals is situated on the third floor of the same building.

“The beauty is that Vandals draws its roots from Mahesh Notandass’ legacy, while Mahesh Notandass benefits from Vandals’ modern, youthful spirit. The two support each other without undercutting”

Vandana Jagwani, Founder, Vandals

PK: Could you describe your core target audience for Vandals in terms of demographics, psychographics, and buying behaviours?
VJ: Our target is an educated audience within the 18 to 40 age bracket who understands the difference between a product’s cost and its perceived value. These are people who buy jewellery for themselves, not just based on the raw material’s worth. 50 per cent of Vandals’ customers are millennials, Gen Alpha, and Gen Z.

PK: Can you describe the Vandals retail experience at your Luxe Lab and tell us how the experiential environment complements and reinforces the brand’s avant-garde spirit?
VJ: It is not a store; it is a gallery! We do not provide the typical retail jeweller experience. Instead, customers feel like they have stepped into an art gallery with so many stories to discover. The ambience is avant-garde, with graffiti walls, vandalism artwork, sculptures, light rock music, and themed rooms. In our private display area, we have buttons which, when pressed, reveal hidden jewellery pieces, adding an element of intrigue. The focus is majorly on delivering an immersive, multi-sensory customer experience where people can enjoy, chill, appreciate, and shop for our pieces. The 2,000-square-foot Luxe Lab reinforces Vandals’ rebellious, creative spirit.

PK: Describe your primary product focus and Vandals’ unique selling proposition. Do you think the crashing prices of lab-grown diamonds will adversely affect Vandals?
VJ: We do not put our entire emphasis on the raw material; instead, we believe our value comes from design and the quality of craftsmanship. So, we do not compromise on either. This is precisely why I believe the crashing prices of lab-grown diamonds would not have any harsh effects on us. We have successfully clocked a turnover of Rs. 75 crore and a growth rate of 25 per cent in the last fiscal year, and we are hoping to cross our targets for this year too.

“We believe our value comes from design and the quality of craftsmanship. So, we do not compromise on either. This is precisely why I believe the crashing prices of lab-grown diamonds would not have any harsh effects on us”

PK: Vandals is a celebrity-favourite brand. Could you tell us about the celebrities who now enjoy shopping at Vandals and what their top picks are?
VJ: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Ananya Panday, Masaba Gupta, and Alaya F are some of our most cherished clients. Meenakshi Kuwadekar wore Vandals on the 2024 Cannes Film Festival red carpet. Suhana Khan and Janhvi Kapoor attended ‘The Archies’ launch party dressed in Vandals’ fruit collection. Our striking earrings are among the top picks.

Written by Pratyasha Kumari