AYURA; THE EMBLEM OF LUXURY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: JOYS CHOKATTE

Representing Sri Lanka in the most polished international circles, encapsulating decades of decadence and elegance is “Ayura” an exclusive high end gem and jeweller brand established by the delightful young entrepreneur Adil Fouz. Having travelled globally Fouz made it his ambition to discover, fabricate and share the beauty of adornment and accessories with the world, hailing every angle of production within the island.
Reputed for having royals’ among their regular cliental, Ayura has achieved production standards here before unknown to Sri Lanka and has truly outwitted their competition. Sri Lanka being a treasure in the gem and jewellery industry has many approaches of conducting their business transactions; Ayura chooses not to take this for granted and has built relationships with families and friends, from blue blooded circles, maintaining a line of cliental from generation to generation, father to son; and by this avoiding irregular walk-in business, which is the current economical trend in the Sri Lankan jewellery industry.
Fouz insisted that the interior design layout for his creations display should be a visual stream showcasing the value of his product. The execution of this impassioned space was handed over to none other than Architect Philip Weeraratne, a figure well known and recognized for producing some of the most exclusive, alluring and siren spaces in the country. Weeraratne, along with junior architect Keerthi Sri Rama, worked diligently over a period of six months to produce the perfection that is evident in the interiors of Ayura. Fouz himself provided the studio/workshop concept for the design team to develop end design around and was involved in the project first hand, proving that the best of interiors are almost always produced by a healthy relationship between client and designer.

From the sleek entrance to the final display all elements whisper superior attention to detail and style. At first it’s difficult to define the style of end design and to view it with an era focused eye, however upon understanding the demographic one gathers that it isn’t about one significant style but creating a space that represents luxury and sophistication for clients of different cultures and lifestyles; the place flowed from conservative to unique, classical to avant-garde, antique to pop and unorthodox. The space also has a very “French” air to it, a term commonly used by young designers to describe a minimal space that in its few elements is heavily decorative. The minimal furnishing that is functionally placed around the space has been given style focused crafting and is artistic and pleasing to the eye. In paying attention to furnishing details Ayura creates the sense of affluence, opulence and substance, feeding the demographic a visual understanding of their worth.
Each piece being custom made and re done several times to achieve absolute perfection came at a cost but the ambiance they add to the interior makes it a fine price to have paid in the end. One of the most significant pieces is the hand crafted, decorative full length mirror placed in the centre of the space; the first thing that catches your eye, holding the semblance and bearing of a regal and precious magic mirror it’s an extremely charismatic creation that holds the entire space in fusion. The rich silver scalloping on the frame effortlessly matches the interior and its Paris inspired artwork makes one see their reflection from a brand new opulent perspective.
To really understand the retail space of Ayura one must understand its colour scheme and the thematic realisation behind it. The entire space is of a neutral palette or of an achromatic colour blend using one is a very dramatic way to decorate a space. An Achromatic colour scheme is one devoid of colour, the most popular being black and white; the design team chose to spread the space with black, silver and white. The black majority of the scheme epitomizes strength and intrigue, the minimal white corresponds to the purity of the product and the metallic sliver hint thrown in every now and then in design elements as well as in the product itself is representative of capital and fortune. The right materials can increase the effectiveness of an achromatic colour scheme and has the ability to make a feature stand out.

Being a confident businessman Adil Fouz with his optimistic personality definitely adds to the flair of Ayura and by this they have expanded their possibilities and potential in being a recognized and respected brand in the international fashion industry. Fouz at his leisure works with several elite international labels and should definitely be recognized in Sri Lanka as a young entrepreneur who has done more than his part in placing the Sri Lankan gem and jewellery market in the eyes of global prime establishments.