"Private Collection is open for business; out of this world but within your reach," read the newspaper announcement the day in 1985 when Rehana Saigol first opened the doors of her jewellery store in Karachi. Old-school, tasteful and elegantly worded, it was to be the first and last advertisement the designer would ever run, for her creations, which embodied pretty much the same principles as the copy for the first ad, found a ready and eager clientele that needed little urging to splurge on the jewels.

Thirty years on, Rehana, or Chunni, as she is fondly known as within the Karachi social circle where she has played doyenne for decades now, still finds it hard to give in to the marketing and PR gimmickry that the advent of social media has made so pervasive and frenetic.

"You know, just today my son was asking me why I don’t advertise in magazines and Facebook like other brands these days. And one would think it odd that someone like me who comes from an advertising background and spent her time making other people look good and marketable would be media-shy. In my case, I think the reverse psychology works better. I don’t go hunting for new business, but people come to me because my brand’s integrity is beyond doubt," says Rehana during a chat with Instep.

With a list of clients that has included some of the most powerful women in the world, from Benazir Bhutto, Margaret Thatcher and Hillary Clinton to members of the Saudi royal family, Private Collection is a jewellery brand that has flourished despite the country’s economic ups and downs that local businesses are all too familiar with.

The obvious reason for that of course, is the generational and timeless quality of jewellery and the fact that weddings will take place and brides will wear the requisite set even with the threat of war looming on their heads. One also can’t ignore the influence that Rehana and her artist husband Shakil, whose shared passion and artistic vision combine to form the exquisite pieces that are the hallmark of Private Collection, wield over high society and helps pull in the right customers.

But more than societal obligations, it is the designer’s willingness to accommodate which has ensured her a loyal following, often with three generations of one family coming to her. "I might not be aggressive when it comes to marketing, but I am aggressive when it comes to pleasing the client. My strength lies in the fact that I listen to what the client wants and work within all budgets to give them a customized product."

It was the lack of such a personalized jewellery service that let Rehana to launch Private Collection in the first place. "As a young woman going to work in the ’70s and ’80s, I realized that I didn’t own a single piece of jewellery I was comfortable putting on for the day. While I had been given beautiful Mughal-era jewellery pieces when I got married, they just didn’t excite me," she says.

She laughs as she recalls how the idea was born out of her own ‘need and greed’ and found a ready audience in her creative powerhouse of a husband. Together they conceptualized and designed the pieces and offered them to a group of family and friends. The circle expanded at a furious rate and the rest, as they say, is history.

Which is what the brand must be credited for creating a little bit of, says its proud owner. When the Saigols first set up shop, the concept of bespoke jewellery was non-existent. The bridal sets popular in the market had very little aesthetic value and lacked individuality. "We were adventurous, and we offered women the chance to wear bespoke pieces created specifically for them. We were the first brand to take semi-precious stones seriously and by including them in precious metal designs, I would say we changed the way the metal market thought and operated."

With precious jewellery slowly but surely falling out of favour and many young players entering the market who offer fashionable costume jewellery for a fraction of the price, what was adventurous and groundbreaking three decades ago would seem old-fashioned by today’s standards. Private Collection, however, is not the sort of label that pays attention to fads and is focused on offering a timeless elegance that will survive for generations.

"Jewellery is such a subjective item," explains Rehana. "Leather or stainless steel are just as relevant as gold and silver, but that’s not what I do and that’s not the reason people have been coming to me for thirty years."

Despite being consistent in its style, the brand manages to pull in a varied clientele as witnessed during its recent exhibition held in Lahore. From society aunties to professional women, Rehana’s old Lahori friends to PYTs such as Zara Peerzada and Juggan Kazim, the two-day showing at The Nishat was thronged by women eager to try on the stunning baubles that were on display.

With something to suit all tastes - from diamond pieces fit for a bride to statement necklaces and earrings, as well as smaller, every-day pieces - it wasn’t surprising that the jewels fast found loving homes in the wardrobes of Lahore’s elite. What was surprising, however, was the versatility that even some of the more traditional looking pieces offered. Detachable earrings, one multi layered necklaces that could be turned into two smaller ones, a choker that could double as a bracelet - there was many a practical option.

"Sometimes the jewellery lasts longer than the marriage!" quipped Rehana. "There is a very pragmatic streak in me and I like to devise pieces that are functional as well as beautiful and can be worn over and over again. Jewellery, after all, lasts a lifetime and should be adaptable to suit any number of occasions."

The successful Lahore exhibition has provided the designer just the creative push she had been looking for. Health issues had forced her to slow down over the last few years, and the change in pace had affected the sari line that she had launched to critical acclaim a few years ago, forcing it to take a backseat. "I’m coming out of a tunnel now," says Rehana. She promises a lot more delectable saris and stunning jewels in store for us, and if ever there was a killer style combo, it’s this.