Gen Z jewellery revolution

crash.club by CKC crafts a compelling narrative by integrating creativity, affordability, and sustainability into its brand story. Executive Director Chaitanya V Cotha delves into the brand’s origins, identity, growth strategies, and its appeal to Gen Z

In the dynamic landscape of Indian jewellery retail, few brands have managed to bridge generational gaps as effectively as crash.club by CKC. This innovative sub-brand of the 150-year-old Krishniah Chetty Group of Jewellers has carved out a distinctive niche by reimagining luxury for India’s young, purpose-driven consumers

Edited Excerpts:

Pratyasha Kumari (PK): What inspired the founding of crash.club by CKC, and how did it all start?
Chaitanya V Cotha (CVC): crash.club by CKC was officially launched on March 24th, two years ago, coinciding with my birthday—a personal milestone. The inspiration behind the brand lies in the meaning of the term “Crash”, which refers to a group of rhinos. I have been fascinated with rhinos ever since I encountered one during a family trip to Africa at the age of 13. Over time, I became increasingly aware of the alarming decline in their global population due to poaching and other threats.
This passion led to the foundation of crash.club by CKC—a brand that combines a love for rhinos with a commitment to affordable luxury. A percentage of our sales supports conservation efforts through collaborations with organisations like WWF. By aligning a noble cause with fast-selling fashionable products, we aim to create a brand that resonates with the conscious consumer.

PK: What motivated CKC, a legacy brand, to branch out into silver jewellery and lab-grown diamonds with Crash.club by CKC?
CVC: India is a young country, with a significant portion of the population aged between 18 and 28 years. This demographic aspires to own stylish, high-quality jewellery but may not always have the budget for natural diamonds or premium gold jewellery. crash.club by CKC addresses this gap by offering affordable luxury through silver jewellery and lab-grown diamonds.
Silver jewellery provides a fast-fashion option, allowing for quick manufacturing and trendy designs. Meanwhile, lab-grown diamonds offer a cost-effective alternative to natural diamonds without compromising on brilliance or appeal. Our focus is on creating accessible, stylish jewellery suitable for everyday and occasional use.

PK: What opportunities did you see in the silver jewellery market, and what challenges did you face during the initial stages?
CVC: Entering the silver jewellery market was relatively seamless due to CKC’s established reputation. However, the most significant challenge was internal—reshaping the perception of a 150-year-old legacy brand. CKC has always represented aspirational, premium jewellery. Introducing Crash.club required a delicate balance of maintaining our heritage while creating a distinct, youthful identity.
Our manufacturing processes underwent a complete transformation. We shifted from traditional, time-intensive production to a more agile, trend-responsive model. Leveraging CKC’s extensive operational expertise, we successfully navigated this transition, ensuring that our commitment to quality remained uncompromised.

PK: What growth trajectory has crash.club by CKC experienced since its launch?
CVC: Our digital-first approach has yielded remarkable results. We have witnessed exponential growth in online sales, processing between 50 to 130 online orders daily, with peak days surging up to 600 orders. This digital momentum has been complemented by strong physical retail performance, where we have successfully attracted a younger demographic and expanded beyond CKC’s traditional customer base.

PK: crash.club is targeting the youth with diverse needs for styling jewellery. How are you approaching the product curation?
CVC: We have carefully curated collections that speak to diverse personalities and occasions. The Dark Crash Collection is exclusively designed for men, featuring innovative materials and bold designs that address the emerging market for stylish male accessories. Our Destination Wedding Collection offers silver jewellery with high-quality gemstones, ideal for wedding scenarios abroad, providing affordable luxury with minimal travel risk. The Luxe Crash Collection represents our premium segment, offering superior gemstone quality and exquisite craftsmanship with prices ranging from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 1.5 lakh, targeting consumers seeking accessible elegance.

PK: How does crash.club by CKC approach individual style and personalisation?
CVC: Our design philosophy centres on celebrating individual identity. We invest extensively in market research to understand diverse personality types—from introverts to extroverts, from homebodies to social butterflies. This nuanced approach allows us to create jewellery that genuinely resonates with different lifestyles and personal expressions.
Our website serves as a comprehensive platform where customers can explore collections that align with their unique aesthetic preferences. By continuously monitoring both global and local fashion trends, we ensure our offerings remain contemporary and desirable.

PK: What are your most prominent markets and target demographics?
CVC: Interestingly, crash.club by CKC has achieved pan-Indian appeal without geographic concentration. We have observed particularly promising growth in smaller towns, likely attributed to increased digital accessibility.
Our primary demographic spans ages 22 to 35, though our collections appeal to a broader age range of 18 to 65 years. This wide-ranging appeal underscores the versatility and inclusive design philosophy of our brand.

PK: How do you navigate the marketing strategies for CKC and crash.club by CKC, given their distinct target audiences?
CVC: Our approach to marketing is strategically differentiated to ensure each brand maintains its unique identity and resonates with its specific demographic. CKC remains focused on aspirational, high-value jewellery for a mature audience, utilising traditional marketing channels such as newspapers, radio, and outdoor advertising, complemented by carefully curated online campaigns. The communication tone reflects the brand’s rich legacy and timeless elegance.
Conversely, crash.club by CKC adopts an entirely different paradigm. We are deeply embedded in digital ecosystems, leveraging platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn to engage with Gen Z and millennial consumers. Our content strategy revolves around creating immersive video content, practical styling guides, and fashion-forward tips that speak directly to a younger, more dynamic audience. This deliberate diversification ensures that each brand communicates authentically without diluting the other’s core positioning.

“crash.club by CKC combines a love for rhinos with a commitment to affordable luxury. A percentage of our sales supports conservation efforts through collaborations with organisations like WWF”

Chaitanya V Cotha , Executive Director of crash.club by CKC

PK: How do you build authenticity for the brand’s purpose-driven model?
CVC: What sets our approach apart is the authenticity of our commitment. While we share glimpses of these efforts on platforms like Instagram, our conservation work is not a superficial corporate social responsibility exercise. It represents a genuine, deep-rooted commitment to wildlife preservation that is fundamental to our brand’s ethos.
Our conservation contributions are intricately linked to our sales performance, operating on a flexible model rather than a fixed percentage. Our partnership with WWF encompasses multifaceted initiatives that directly impact rhino preservation. These include strategic relocations of endangered rhinos, deployment of over 164 anti-poaching cameras, conducting over 1,000 animal health checks to prevent infectious diseases, implementing microchipping for tracking, and ecosystem maintenance through savannah cleaning programmes.

PK: What are the plans for crash.club by CKC’s future expansion?
CVC: Our strategic roadmap is centred on amplifying our digital footprint and diversifying our product offerings. We are actively exploring collaborations with international marketplaces to extend our reach to global audiences.

Written by Pratyasha Kumari