From beautiful wedding invitations that are customised to individualistic tastes to adding a sense of extravaganza and making occasions feel royal, Izhaar has been bringing back the personal touch in gifting. We sit down with creative director and founder Ruchita Bansal to get an insight into the world of personalized gifts.

 What made you get into the business of personalised gifting?

I come from Udaipur, where people are known to combine creativity with tradition. It all began when I tried to help my son with his school projects. I got very creative with school projects and gradually, people started approaching me for suggestions on new trends. Sometime later, I designed the wedding invitations of my cousins and nephews, and the response was phenomenal. It was then that I decided to put creativity to good use, and we launched Core Designs.

How long does the process of ideating and creating take? What are some of the things you keep in mind while designing e-invites?

We begin each process with thinking what we can offer. Every idea is unique and specially curated, keeping in mind the person who is giving as well as receiving the gift. Details and personalisation matter to us. Some of our clients have immediate requirements and for such clients, we have an array of ideas ready. All they have to do is choose and what we do is that, add a touch of their personality to it. Some come with an idea and theme, and we customise the gifting and invitation according to them. If you talk about trends, we keep 20 to 30 unique ideas ready for each season and for the people who have specific requirements and ideas, our process takes 30 to 60 days in curation and implementation.

While designing e-cards, the primary focus to keep in mind is to use the updated version of technology, design, content, music and above all, evoking a sense of emotional connect to the couple. It should reflect their personality and style.

What are the important factors you look at for personalising corporate gifts?

‘Izhaar’ means ‘expression’. So we focus on our client’s expression of joy, their needs and above all their story. We call ourselves storytellers, stories matter to us because we design our invites and gifts around those stories. Isn’t it the best job in the world?

What are the big gifting trends for the year 2020?

For me, trends are fickle. I don’t believe in trends because they are shallow. They last for some time and after a while, you just don’t remember them anymore. My idea of a trend is something which should last for a lifetime and evoke memories forever. The gifts we design are sustainable and will become the part of a person’s lifestyle. The world is getting digital and I believe in tangibility; the happiness you feel touching and evoking the memories and feelings attached to it is priceless.

Weddings in India are all about grandeur and extravagance. What’s the most extravagant wedding invite you have created for a client?

There are so many extravagant weddings we have been a part of. One of my favourites was where artist Jayasri Burman painted the whole art on an invite and we at Izhaar replicated the design on our invitations and gifting for the client. If you talk about extravagant, we created a humble card and personalised it for 60,000 people and that’s quite extravagant for me.

What’s a common error people make when it comes to wedding and corporate gifting?

The most common error people make is that when they shop, they forget who they are shopping for.

How do you practice sustainability and create utility in gifting after the festivities are over?

Izhaar celebrates the appeal of products with time-worn imperfections. The phenomenal themes can be classic, royal, rustic, or vintage. It is an expression of artistry, craftsmanship and creativity. They have a great utility factor, they pack the mood and aesthetic of the season in their design, and make for great keepsakes.

Where do you want to take the brand in the next 5 years?

We are constantly expanding nationally and internationally. We exhibit in the various parts of the globe to create brand awareness, and we are tying up with associates whereby we take their local expertise and share our experience to make successful business expansion. Izhaar is all about celebrations of unbridle happiness, superlative achievements, joyous togetherness and momentous occasions. And in the future, we are looking forward to broaden our horizons.