Hanut Singh’s mind has a beautiful spark, ignited by creativity and the constant need to push boundaries. Before he arrives in Calcutta for his second showing at 85 Lansdowne, we catch up with Hanut, who is from the Kapurthala royal family of India and has been worn by almost all the top stars from around the world, like Madonna, Beyonce, Demi Moore, and Meryl Streep, on a quiet Sunday morning over the telephone. We not only learned a little bit more about his design process, but also drew up a roster of books, movies, and music recommendations.

Welcome back to Calcutta! Tell us what you’re getting this time…

I’ve actually done a very deep dive, because, you know, everything for me is a personal expression and because this is something that is, like, literally a passion of mine, my delve into it is always very filled with curiosity, learning, upping the game, changing it around, playing, being true to my design aesthetic, but yet, upping the game. Shifting the lexicon a little bit and moving the needle. It’s an inner journey, and I do it all on my own. I don’t have any teams of designers. I do every single aspect, from sourcing the stones to doing the design to... I just don’t make it by myself, but every other aspect is imbued with my creativity. So, as I say, I’m always adding to the arsenal.

It’s going to of course have some of my big hits, which are like my classic pieces, but then it’s going to have a medley, literally like a smorgasbord of newer designs. Lots of focus on things on the neck. People love layering. I’ve had lots of really interestingly cut stones and lots of sort of talismanic pieces, and it’s the best with new stuff.

What were your takeaways from your last Calcutta trip?

The sophistication of the Calcutta ladies, and Calcutta as a place, on its own, is so deeply soulful. So, I pick up on emotions. It doesn’t have to be obvious. There’s something in the air that has a beautiful, soulful, melancholic yet pulsating vibe. And it’s something that I’m really drawn to.

So, not only were all the ladies charming, and not only was the place that I did it in (85 Lansdowne), just the whole (vibe)… it really was a smash-hit show (his first one in Calcutta). Apart from that being really energetic and invigorating for me, just the city... There was something very special, also because I guess my childhood was spent there (Hanut lived in Alipore from when he was two years old to when he was eight and went to La Martiniere for Boys). So, I have that as well. It sort of opened up different synapses in me, the past, the present, continuing future, all of that. It was heady.

How much did the city fuel your creativity?

You know, osmotically, I was continuously inspired. I was enchanted by all the food, literally. We went to some art shows, which were really beautiful. Some of the antique stuff that I saw was amazing. I went to the temple, which was, of course, very moving. So, all of this informs my work, in subtle ways. There’s a mood that is created in one’s mind’s eye, and for any creative person it osmotically informs every aspect of a being. The third eye has to always be open, I believe. You gain a lot from that, and then you’re also very consciously aware.

Creatively, what did 2025 belong to?

Oh my God, I had a lot of creative explosions in 2025. I went to Japan for the first time, and I’ve been aching to go to Japan for two decades. But I finally did it. I mean, just this whole philosophy, presentation, art, food, architecture, their gardens, it was literally soul-opening, eye-opening and profound. I’ve always had sort of Asian elements in my work. The perfection was just mind-boggling. So that was a big explosion for me.

I also had a lot of really good work that I did, which I was very proud of. A lot of travel, a lot of family time, a lot of slowing down, (spending time) up in my home in the mountains. I have to recharge, everybody does. You can’t be an unlimited operating battery. So that’s very important to me, where I can do my paintings, designing, reading, thinking, without actually expending that kind of energy. So yeah, it was a very holistic year. Let’s put it that way.

As a creative person, how does everything that is happening around us seep into your creativity?

We’re living in very strange times. I’m here to bring beauty into the world. I’m here to bring elegance, sexiness, joy, fun, and beauty. And that’s my main focus. So, lightness, energetic, beauty, all of that energy is what I’m here to do. For me, it’s all about hope, joy, intimacy and love. That’s what I want to put out in the world. I’m here to put out something that is eclectic and electric.

Do you look up to anybody in times of distress?

Of course, we have mentors; we have people whom we look up to. We have the philosophies that we read. We have things that calm our nerves. Of course, we live in very odd times. And there’s always the profundity that the older generation can give us if you’re willing to hear and listen. I get it a lot from books, podcasts, I get it a lot from elders, I get it a lot from mentors, so yeah. If you look, you find. If you seek, you find. It’s again another version of keeping the mind’s eye open. So that is not only design-related, but conscience-related as well, you know?

Your pieces are so quiet, yet they’re bold and beautiful. What have been forever inspirations?

I love vintage jewellery… the jewellery of the ‘20s, ‘30s. That’s my favourite jewellery design period. I love the work that some of these modern people are doing. I love what the jeweller, JAR, Rosenthal (Joel Arthur Rosenthal), one of the greatest living jewellers, is doing. I love Bvlgari in the ‘70s. I love Cartier through the ages. I love Taffin. I love his geometry in jewellery. I really do love the past that forms a lot of the present.

In terms of design and luxury, how do you think the definition will change this year as to how people are consuming luxury? Is it still an investment, or do you think people are looking to live in the moment?

A bit of both. I see at least my clients and my newer clients, really delving into luxury, delving into the more esoteric pieces and materials. It’s pretty wonderful, you know. Apart from the design element of it, which of course they come to me for, it’s also the materiality of the stuff. I just think there’s a wider, more open bent in people who are now buying. And jewellery is luxury, and jewellery is tied to emotion. You buy jewellery for an occasion, and you buy jewellery to cement something. Jewellery is always the most personal element of what you own. It’s like you think, ‘Oh my God, my mother gave that to me’, or ‘that belonged to my grandmother’.

What are you reading, watching and listening to?

I love Rhye. I love another artist called Raye. She’s beyond brilliant. I listen to a lot of New York tribal house music. Madonna’s my icon and I love her. I’m listening to a lot of old Aretha Franklin. I read a lot. I just finished the most amazing short stories by Salman Rushdie, really incredible. I did Arundhati Roy’s book (Mother Mary Comes to Me), which I absolutely really loved. It’s electric. I just finished reading the Booker Prize (winner) called Flesh (by David Szalay), which is very raunchy, but very good.

And what am I watching? I’m about to watch the new Leonardo DiCaprio movie (One Battle After Another), which is meant to be the movie of the year. I’ve finished watching the Rose Byrne movie, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, which is really incredible. I’ve loved Jennifer Lawrence’s new performance that she did in her latest movie (Die My Love) with Robert Pattinson. Really, like a throbbing performance. Then I watch all the fun serials, the new Claire Danes one, The Beast In Me, which is really good. I watched Haq, a Hindi movie, which I thought was excellent.

How do you manage your time?

I’m very good with my time. I’m very much a morning person. So, I do a lot of my work stuff in the morning. In the evenings, if I have to do a lot of my accounting, all of that sort of work. And then I read a lot, and I spend a lot of time with my dogs. I definitely carve out time for myself in a day. I need some quiet time, and I need to be ebullient. So, it’s everything all at once.

Anything that you promised yourself that you will do this year?

That I would take my pedal off the hamster wheel and literally do things filled with the intention of enjoyment. Literally less pressure on myself, for sure. And intention in everything that I do. Honestly, I’m 50-something years old now, and I really believe that one must have intention in every aspect of life. Mindful intention. You know, I’ve done a lot of the running and the racing and the charging and the show after show after show. I’ve now come to the point where I want to do it very mindfully. Life has to be led and lived, not hurried through.