"And through them, I realised something important:
The impact of my work is not just in what I make, but in how what I make makes people feel."
As I sit with everything that unfolded during the very first Dishoom Loves Market, I keep coming back to one word: ripples.
These two weekends didn’t just feel like an event. They felt like a moment where years of work, community, and creativity folded back towards me, showing me the quiet ways my practice has travelled through people’s lives.
I met visitors who have followed my journey for years, people who recognised my pieces instantly, and others who had encountered my work through entirely different facets of my practice (curation, collaborations, decolonial work, consultancy, storytelling) without realising it all came from the same place.
Standing there, it hit me:
My work creates ripples I never fully see, and Dishoom became the place where those ripples returned to me.
Being Chosen and Being Held
When I was invited to join Dishoom’s inaugural market, I felt honoured, but I had no idea how deeply supported I would feel throughout. The team held me, my family, and my friends who helped me across both weekends with so much care, intention, and genuine warmth.
Every detail, every check-in, every gesture made the whole experience feel grounded and human. It wasn’t just about taking part - it was about being welcomed into something lovingly curated.
Conversations That Mattered
Over both weekends, I had conversations that felt meaningful in ways that surprised me. Nothing felt transactional. People came ready to connect with the stories behind the work, the symbolism, the process, the motifs, the intentions.
Some conversations were long and tender; others were small but sincere. And through them, I realised something important:
The impact of my work is not just in what I make, but in how what I make makes people feel.
"To celebrate 10 years of my brand this year and to end the year on such a high…
It feels monumental. Affirming. Transformative."
Gratitude as the Golden Thread
Gratitude ran through this whole experience...Gratitude for the people who stopped to chat. For those who’ve watched my journey evolve over a decade. For the new audiences who were discovering my pieces in person for the first time. For the customers who shared how my work had travelled with them.
This event arrived at a meaningful moment for me: a year where I’ve worked hard to communicate that I am not only a jewellery designer. My practice has many arms - curation, collaboration, consultancy, decolonial work, education, storytelling, all connected by what I call my golden thread of adornment.
At Dishoom, something clicked.
I spoke about my practice with clarity, ease, and confidence I’ve grown into.
People understood it.
People felt it.
And I felt seen as the whole artist I am.
A Creative Pause: The Jewellery Making Workshop
One of the highlights for me was hosting the Jewellery Making Workshop on the final afternoon. In the middle of the excited crowds and movement, we created a pocket of stillness.
A moment for people to return to creativity and a space to breathe, explore, play, and make something meaningful with their hands.
I shared my motifs, my process, my approach to adornment and watched each person interpret them in their own way. Seeing their pieces come to life was deeply moving. It felt like the perfect, gentle closing note to two full, wholesome weekends.
What Dishoom Created Truly Mattered
This wasn’t “just” a market. It was a community space. A thoughtfully woven ecosystem that invited brands like mine to show up fully and authentically.
And really, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Dishoom’s support for APS began long before this weekend. Our story started back in 2022 with a nerve-wracking email and a hopeful dream. That message blossomed into a small but meaningful partnership: they generously provided chai for my first ever solo pop-up in London. Since then, Dishoom has continued to show up for APS - supporting Adorned Narratives again through serving their delicious chai and featuring us in their Dishoom Loves newsletter,
The ripples from this event, and from all our collaborations, will stay with me for a long time. I really can't thank the Dishoom team enough for their support!
