30 Under 30: Sasha & Kaabia Grewal - Queens of costume jewellery

Image: Amit verma

Besides jewellery design Sasha (left) and Kaabia share an interest in chess

Sasha & Kaabia Grewal |28 | 29
Designers and owners, Outhouse Jewellery
Category: Fashion

Growing up, sisters Kaabia and Sasha Grewal were fascinated by their mother’s heirlooms: Beautiful, sparkling jewellery belonging to the landlord families of Karnal in Haryana.

Bitten by the gem bug, and armed with training in industrial design from the Indian Institute of Gems and Jewellery, Delhi, in 2009, Kaabia and Sasha worked single-mindedly. Sasha pursued designing jewellery for leading brands like Topshop and River Island while Kaabia studied gemology at the Gemological Institute of America, New York, in 2010. Kaabia even interned with jewellery design maverick Eddie Borgo between December 2010 and February 2011. Eventually, and inevitably, they started their own jewellery design business, Outhouse Fashion, in 2012.

The sisters say they love to experiment with material and textures, and their designs are modern, eccentric and bohemian. “When we ventured into costume jewellery design, there were few people in it,” says Sasha. “We have almost built a new sector.”

Today, actresses like Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Sonam Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri count among their clients.

The Grewals, who claim to be doing annual sales of about Rs 5 crore, plan to expand their global operations. “We want the brand to be visible in international trade shows and boutiques… and design will remain Outhouse’s biggest USP,” says Kaabia.

Outhouse’s unique style and efforts to popularise costume jewellery have earned it recognition from consumers and peers. “There are very few people doing the kind of quality [work] they are doing,” says Sunil Sethi, president, Fashion Design Council of India. “Outhouse is a homegrown brand but follows international trends. They have understood the pulse of the market.” And, so far, it has been beating in their favour.