How Mia by Tanishq used visual merchandising to tell a festive story

Through the Manifest collection and a Christmas wishing tree, Mia by Tanishq used visual merchandising to create festive spaces that encouraged interaction, belief, and emotional connection. 

At Mia by Tanishq, visual merchandising is not limited to displays; it is a storytelling tool. This approach came alive through the ‘Manifest’ collection during Diwali, followed by a Christmas wishing tree activation, turning stores into spaces of emotional connection.

According to Divya Krishna, Retail Experience Design & Visual Merchandising Head, Mia by Tanishq, the intent was to create a festive VM narrative that goes beyond decoration and directly engages customers. “Mia is an everyday jewellery brand, so our festive story doesn’t end with Diwali,” she says. “We look at how a collection can live longer in-store and continue to engage customers through experience.”

Translating an idea into visual language

“For the Manifest Collection,” Divya explains, “We drew inspiration from Indian palaces in terms of forms, expressed through motifs.”

The Manifest collection used pink and blue as key colours. Pink is already Mia’s brand colour, so it naturally stayed. The decision to use blue, however, came from a very specific design reference. “There’s a space called The Palace Atelier at City Palace, Jaipur. When you see it, the interiors are done in a very strong olive green,” explains Divya.

Initially, the team wanted to use this olive green tone for the collection. However, during the festive season, green can sometimes carry religious connotations, and that’s when blue became the natural alternative, shares Divya.

Blue was already present in the collection through the colour stones, and it also helped the VM stand out inside the store. Blue also brought a more modern feel to the space, while still keeping the Indian connection intact. The team took cues from places like Palace Atelier and Bar Palladio in Jaipur to localise the Indian feel.

Material choices and display forms

The team first explored 3D printing, especially for smaller architectural elements like pillars. “The first prototypes were done using 3D printing,” says Divya. However, since 3D printing involves plastic granules, the team decided not to use it for final production.

“Sustainability is very important to us, so we consciously moved away from materials that involve plastic,” she explains. For the final VM, the displays were made using MDF wood and paper. Mia avoids materials like sunboard and vinyl as much as possible.

“We usually go for offset printing on paper, and in most cases, the paper we use is almost completely recyclable,” Divya shares. This ensured that the visual merchandising was not only visually appealing but also responsible and reusable.

Along with materials, the team also rethought the display forms. Instead of traditional jewellery busts, which are commonly used across the category, Mia chose simpler and more compact forms. The new display forms were inspired by a simpler version of a traditional jharokha, clean arches without heavy detailing.

The wishing tree

To take the Manifest idea forward, Mia introduced a ‘Christmas Wishing Tree’ in stores. Placed near the entrance, the four-foot-tall tree invited customers to write what Mia meant to them or what they wished for in life. “Even if someone didn’t buy anything, they could still take part. That was very important for us,” Divya explains.

It was made largely using MDF, in line with Mia’s focus on sustainability. “We want to recycle and reuse the same tree for the coming Christmas season as well,” Divya explains.

The tree was created as a modular structure, using a simple male–female joint system where two panels fit into each other. This made it easy to assemble, dismantle, and store for future use. The Wishing Tree was placed inside the store, but was positioned close to the entrance so that it remained clearly visible from the outside.

“People could see notes being tied to the tree and felt curious enough to walk in,” Divya explains.

This placement helped the installation become a natural conversation starter. Customers could first understand the idea behind the tree, how it connected back to the Manifest collection, and then take part by writing their wishes.