BRAND NAME - Rata
FOUNDER - Pratiksha Tandon
STARTED IN - 2020
USP - Handcrafted Beaded Jewellery
A label that crafts customised jewellery, Rata is a sanctuary for nature’s ephemeral residents that come alive through intricate 3D beadwork, fostering a space that champions self-expression through spontaneous creativity. Founder Pratiksha Tandon speaks to Blur The Border on how love and care—the two pillars that define Rata—can forge a brand that makes people feel special about themselves. Behind their statement pieces that seamlessly shuttle between being dramatic and bold—from hand strung vibrant garden of roses embracing your neck to statement earrings mirroring the intricacy and delicate nature of peonies—are skilled beaders who, in collaboration with Tandon’s artistic prowess and an impressive portfolio, promise a bead-e-ful journey.
Pratiksha's Picks
Who is the one influencer you wish to see wearing your products?
Alok V. Menon
Is there a podcast, book, or social media handle that you’ve found helpful for your business?
My approach to managing the business has been more about going with the flow than following a fixed pattern or set path.
If you could collaborate with any Indian or international brand, who would it be?
Indian brands - Rahul Mishra, Vaishali Shadangule
International brands - Schiaparelli, Iris Van Herpen
BTB: What is the story behind the name ‘Rata’?
PRATIKSHA: Our brand's name is Rata. We added the word "love" to it for our social media presence because our goal is to build a community based on love and care. Without these two pillars, Rata wouldn't exist and we wouldn't be able to create what we do. Rata is a Sanskrit word that means "pleased," "delighted," or "fondly attached to something." This name is special because it truly aligns with our values. Here, we string together beads to create a beautiful, cohesive whole. Similarly, the letters from my first and last names combine effortlessly to form Rata, representing the unity and harmony that we strive for in our work.
BTB: What inspired you to start the brand?
PRATIKSHA: Rata was never a part of my immediate 5-year plan when I left my job in 2021 but I wanted to create a space where everyone would feel free to express themselves and feel safe in doing so. Additionally, beading has been able to create that ever-lasting bond that depicts care, love, and tenderness with everything joyous. Since this craft is time-consuming and not everyone is aware of it in the Indian market, I felt like taking on the challenge, making people feel special about themselves, and believing that someone out there is crafting these pieces for them especially.
BTB: What is your professional background and what role did it play in getting Rata off the ground?
PRATIKSHA: I studied fashion design at NIFT, Gandhinagar, and beading was introduced to me as the first project when I was pursuing my internship with the brand, Pero. Through the internet, books, and tutorials available online, I came to learn a lot about this craft and eventually, I honed and mastered this skill during the lockdown. Looking back, I feel fortunate that people have discovered our brand, Rata, through organic means and have been able to appreciate our unique creations. I believe it was meant to be, a stroke of divine intervention that led us to take flight.
BTB: Tell us about your products and what, according to you, sets your brand apart from competitors.
PRATIKSHA:: We use a variety of techniques such as hand weaving, crocheting, wire artistry, and 3D embroidery to create our products. Our brand also offers versatile styling options, including varying lengths, weights, and forms, to inspire wearers to use their jewelry pieces more creatively and resourcefully. In case someone gets bored of wearing a particular piece, we also revamp their accessories into an object of their choice at a reasonable cost, given the scope of the renovation.
The best part about our products is the craft itself. Even after becoming the most skilled beaders, you will still have something that you don’t know or probably you will create some new techniques yourself while exploring this medium. We are providing people with elaborate detailed pieces that no one can duplicate easily in the market because of a lack of knowledge, artisans with the required skill set, and time constraints which leads to higher costs of making.
My last purchase from a homegrown brand was…
A colorful abstract print dress from Shopdrawn. I love their playful prints and the breezy silhouettes.
What is the show/book/song you are currently obsessing over?
Show: Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones
Book: How do you live? By Genzaburō Yoshino
Song: Chaleya from Jawaan
In my spare time, you’ll find me…
Travelling and enjoying a satisfying meal or exploring different cuisines.
Homegrown small brands I am loving right now.
That. Antiquepiece
23n69e
The Wicker Story
BTB: What has been an accomplishment that you are the proudest of in your journey
PRATIKSHA: My journey itself has been my greatest achievement. Finding the incredible individuals who make up my team, teaching them the craft, and taking on the challenge of bringing new and innovative ideas to life. I'm also proud of the feedback we've received from customers.
BTB: Is there any other brand doing great work in this space that you would like to highlight?
PRATIKSHA: I haven’t been able to find brands in Indias - retail and homegrown- doing this level of intricately detailed beadwork. But, I do like the works of some international brands like Susan Alexandra, Purautz, and Helena Thulin. They have a unique language of their own which makes it very fascinating to look at their pieces made out of beads.
BTB: What is your favourite piece from Rata and why?
PRATIKSHA: It was a custom statement collar we made, which was a surprise gift from a mother to her daughter who was living in the USA. The collar featured a garden of roses- which took us almost 20-25 days to achieve. It was also the first time we as a team explored a beaded patterned collar using different sizes and colors of beads. We had to go through multiple trials since no one knew her exact neck size. But the result was quite rewarding and kept us hooked throughout the process.
BTB: Describe your creative process - from ideation to the final product.
PRATIKSHA: It comes from almost anywhere and everywhere - From childhood memories, and nature, to anything that looks fascinating to me. The work of artists like Joyce J. Scott, Liza Lou, Karen Paust, Patricia Parker, and Volkhovskaya Ulyana inspires me the most.
My creative process begins with an image, either in my mind or a photo of a flower I find inspiring. I study the flower's shape, petals, and natural folds, sometimes sketching a rough outline. Next, I select a color scheme matching the flower's natural hues. For complex designs, we create a colour-coded grid pattern. We then decide on the technique to make the petals appear realistic. Each petal can take 1-2 hours or more. Making just the flower takes about 4-5 days. We proceed to create the center, attach the petals, and shape the stem and leaves to achieve a natural look. Finally, we choose whether the flower becomes an earring, necklace, or bracelet, attaching the appropriate findings and ensuring comfort and sturdiness before completion.
BTB: As an entrepreneur, do you find that it’s hard to take time out for yourself?
PRATIKSHA: It is very challenging. I have been trying to take out some time for yoga to calm my body and mind, but it's been difficult to be consistent with it. There is no fixed schedule, and anything can come up any time, requiring my immediate attention. But, I believe there is beauty to this chaos. Facing these challenges has helped me to grow and learn in difficult situations. At the end of the day, I feel proud and content with myself for doing the best I can in the given circumstances.
BTB: What are some of the challenges you have encountered so far? And what are your biggest takeaways from them?
PRATIKSHA: It’s been challenging to find artisans who are willing to learn the skills of beading. Finding the right audience who believes that our creations are worth their time and money also poses a different challenge, and we might have to educate our customers about beading through genuine storytelling. Since the process of making one piece takes about 10-15 days, meeting order requests on short notice is difficult especially while we are strongly advocating the idea of slowness. Our products that get sent to sourcing requests also often get mishandled or come back broken. Therefore, we need to inculcate a basic principle in people that caring for our creations, much like humans, ensures their lasting value and importance. I also believe that our current imagery isn't doing justice to the beauty and intricacy of Rata’s pieces and there’s room for improvement.
BTB: What do you think the next five years look like for your business?
PRATIKSHA: Creating more detailed works, expanding our range of products, and entering into different design domains like home, playful objects, clothing, and interiors. Become a collaborative space for other creatives to come on board with like-minded people and brands from different design dimensions and diversify the scope of the craft. Have our website up and running to make the entire experience seamless and easy for our community. Also, expand our retail network by having Rata visible in major stores in India and hopefully abroad.
Artisan working on the Blue Peonies Earrings
Artisan working Rata products
Making of Rata's Signature House Patch
FOLLOW RATA' INSTAGRAM @ratalove.in