Ever felt so strongly about something and thought that this was it? Truth is a lot of us have, but we always hesitate because we are not too sure about what could, what if and what might be. Back in 2011, Anaita too was hesitant about pursuing her passion project with jewellery. 5 years later, her love for semi-precious gems has brought her passion project, Lustre Jewellery to where it is today. She shares with us her story and journey to being an entrepreneur who truly takes life by the reins.
Vanilla Luxury: Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your family and how you were growing up?
Anaita Thakkar: I grew up in Mumbai (India), and moved to Hong Kong to work when I was 20 - That's where I met my husband. Fast forward to us getting married and moving to Singapore, and we had our 2 boys pretty quickly. I spent the first 5 years in Singapore being a stay-at-home-mom and then I started Lustre Jewellery.
Vanilla Luxury: What was the turning point in your life when you decided to launch Lustre Jewellery?
Anaita Thakkar: In early 2011, I was on a family holiday to Sri Lanka, where I bought some gems and had the jewellers over there make me some pieces that I had designed. Upon my return to Singapore, the fledgling idea of starting this business occurred to me. Singapore had a lot of really high end fine jewellery stores, and a lot of smaller shops that sold mass produced jewellery. But there was no one that sold gemstone jewellery at an affordable price point. Given my life long love of gemstones, it was a natural and organic start to the business. Lustre Jewellery originally started as a partnership between a friend and I, and in 2014 due to different commitments to the business, I bought it over entirely.
Vanilla Luxury: What is the key to sucess in your career?
Anaita Thakkar: Being an entrepreneur forces you to wear many hats all at the same time. I didn't have a background in business or marketing but what I do have is a passion for what I do and being creative. Owning and running Lustre Jewellery allows me to combine many facets of the person that I am - I am creative, but also organised and hardworking. The last bit I think is the key to being successful in any venture that you start. Not very glamorous, but very true.
Vanilla Luxury: What has been the most challenging part of your career until date?
Anaita Thakkar: I find the marketing of a business incredibly tough, especially when it is a product that you have designed yourself. Largely because selling that product means you are actually selling yourself, your taste and your ideas. I can be quite shy and also quite private, so that is a challenge, even today.
Vanilla Luxury: Do you have any role models that you particularly look up to?
Anaita Thakkar: My parents have always been my biggest role models - my dad had to start working when he was very young due to financial constraints in his family, and had a stellar and loyal career where he worked for the same firm for over 50 years. My mum, is an artist and was a teacher when we were growing up. I saw them both put in incredibly long hours at work, and they still had time for my brother and I. My mum stitched all my clothes growing up, and baked every cake for every birthday I had. To this day, that ethos of working hard holds true.
Vanilla Luxury: How do you manage to find the correct balance while juggling between your business and family?
Anaita Thakkar: I think I manage to do what I can when the kids are at school. I have an iCloud calendar that I obsessively put entries into, and the hours between 4 and 9 pm are sacrosanct. I do tend to work once my kids go to sleep, and my social life does suffer. It helps to be super organised. We in Singapore are definitely lucky to be able to have help - that allows me to spend quality time with my kids, instead of being busy running around doing stuff for the house such as cooking and cleaning.
Vanilla Luxury: If you could turn back time, anything in particular you would’ve done differently?
Anaita Thakkar: Lustre Jewellery as business grew very organically - I didn't start out with a plan, or even a timeline on how I wanted it to grow. I started it and I figured things out along the way. That sounds silly, but in retrospect, I think that it was the right way to go. I would however handle a partnership differently if I had to do it all over again. Dissolving that was difficult and rather angst ridden.
Vanilla Luxury: What is the one object you can't live without on a daily basis?
Anaita Thakkar: My wedding ring. My husband always has been and still is my absolute rock. Can't imagine my life without him, and hence my wedding band has to be my absolute most precious item.
Vanilla Luxury: In a male-dominant society, how do you think women can find success?
Anaita Thakkar: Really? I have never felt that being a woman has held me back from doing anything that I really wanted to. I think everything comes down to choices. I certainly have never felt that I couldn't do something just because I am not a man.
Vanilla Luxury: What is your advice to women who want to pursue their dreams?
Anaita Thakkar: Just do it. I see too many people who want others opinions on whether or not they should do something, start a venture etc. Who knows you better than you? If you have a passion for something, you have got to follow it. The worst thing that could happen is that it wont work out. Better to have tried and failed than not tried at all.
Vanilla Luxury: Any words that you live by on a daily basis?
Anaita Thakkar: Do it right, or not at all. Life is in the details.
Anaita Thakkar is the founder of Lustre Jewellery in Singapore. From an organic label that was launched in 2011, Lustre Jewellery has been growing it's niche clientelle by the day. Click here to browse Lustre Jewellery's latest collections.
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