MEET THE
perspective DESIGN
MEET THE profiles the independent Indian design brands that you need for your home right now Writer Bindu Nair
E
very independent design brand tells the story of its surroundings—a story layered with a mix of the culture that it is a part of, its craft heritage and the spirit of entrepreneurship that’s unique to its place of origin. The independent maker movement and the advent of marketplaces like Etsy spawned a large shift towards the handmade design ideology in America. And yet India, with its history of craftsmanship and skilled labour, has remained strangely unable to create a cohesive handmade design ecosystem. It’s scattered in pockets around the country, and we felt that it was time to shine a spotlight on the independent design landscape. RAYDEN DESIGN STUDIO, LAUNCH: DECEMBER 2012 Founders Parul and Mooshir Vahanvati wanted to create a multidisciplinary studio that allowed them to work at the intersection of art, design and technology. That’s how Rayden Design Studio was born. Their products are defined by precise engineering and a design sensibility that is minimalistic. We especially like their Urban Tweeter range of ceramic drink-ware, which takes inspiration from the form of the Indian robin. raydendesign.com
DESIGN BY NASHA, LAUNCH: FEBRUARY 2009 As anyone obsessed with stationery will tell you, there’s no such thing as too much stationery. Design by Nasha fulfils that desire to hold something tactile, which is simple in its graphic sensibility. Created by New York-based Indian graphic designer Nasha Mehta, the brand retails paper products that eschew the typical ornamentation of wedding and personalized stationery in favour of an aesthetic that is vibrant without being over the top. designbynasha.com LIGHT FISH, LAUNCH: NOVEMBER 2009 Auroville, Tamil Nadu has long been a culture lab for design practices based on sustainable living. One example is the lighting collection from product design and animation firm Light Fish, which makes a beautiful statement about the point where good design meets sustainable practices. The eclectic range of lighting fixtures follows a stringent design process that uses sustainable materials, minimizes waste and is, at the same time, energy efficient. light-fish.com
perspective GRAIN, LAUNCH: MAY 2014 When two seasoned art directors working in advertising come together to launch a brand, leather and cloth bags are not what you would expect them to come up with. Yet Avinash Bhalerao and Nainesh Saple did exactly that with the launch of Grain, a very contemporary take on bags and luggage, inspired by clean lines and minimal fuss—a bit of New York meets Brooklyn, but made in Mumbai. facebook.com/grainindia2014
IRA STUDIO, LAUNCH: JANUARY 2013 Ira Studio’s products convey understated luxury, reflected through craftsmanship that hints at an unhurried sense of time and space. Their products are handcrafted and produced as limited edition pieces. Founder Manasa Prithvi says they work with a small team of artisans, but don’t employ them full-time as this impedes their independent creative expression. She says ‘handmade’ deserves more respect. “The fashion industry has been able to make their craft relevant, and I want the same for the interior product segment as well.” irastudio.net
JENNY PINTO LIGHTS, LAUNCH: 1998 Handmade banana-fibre paper can bring a light quality to home decor that is quite unique. This realization inspired Jenny Pinto, in 1998, to design lighting using the material. “No one was making paper lights at the time. The Indian market was on the threshold of maturity as far as design went, so the time and the material seemed right,” she recalls. The brand also works on customized projects for interior designers and architects. jennypinto.com
perspective VARNAM, LAUNCH: APRIL 2012 Varnam’s range of home accessories draws its story from the traditional crafts of Channapatna, Karnataka. Founder Karthik Vaidyanathan wanted to reorient crafts in a modern context to revive the town’s ancient craftsmanship. He maintains a close dialogue with artisans on the current market trends in terms of finish, utilitarian value, attention to detail, and more. The idea of launching a brand like Varnam came out of Vaidyanathan’s love for the crafts and the social sector, and he is hopeful about adopting another local craft in a year. varnam.co.in
OLIE, LAUNCH: OCTOBER 2013 Olie’s aesthetic is a contemporary take on Indian motifs, articulated in their minimal and elegant design philosophy. Inspired by the Gond style of illustration, Olie’s founder Amrita Nambiar says their designs use the lotus as a visual metaphor to denote the joy to be discovered in finding oneself—in a word, ananda. olie.co.in
COBALT DESIGNS, LAUNCH: AUGUST 2012 Brass and copper take on a contemporary Indian expression in Cobalt Designs’ range of home accessories and lighting. Founder Valay Gada says the collection is inspired by the need to preserve the very best of past cultures, in terms of both artisanal traditions and fine craftsmanship. Each piece in the collection is handmade. cobaltdesigns.in
SOLLI CONCEPTS, LAUNCH: JULY 2013 Form and function come together beautifully in Mumbai-based Solli Concepts’ furniture range. Founders Lynden Zuzarte and Sohel Contractor saw a gap in the market for affordable, yet well-designed wooden furniture that melds a modern aesthetic with traditional woodwork techniques. Their range was commissioned for the renovated Nariman House (the Jewish centre destroyed during the 26/11 attacks). solliconcepts.com
MEET THE profiles the independent Indian design brands that you need for your home right now Writer Bindu Nair
E
very independent design brand tells the story of its surroundings—a story layered with a mix of the culture that it is a part of, its craft heritage and the spirit of entrepreneurship that’s unique to its place of origin. The independent maker movement and the advent of marketplaces like Etsy spawned a large shift towards the handmade design ideology in America. And yet India, with its history of craftsmanship and skilled labour, has remained strangely unable to create a cohesive handmade design ecosystem. It’s scattered in pockets around the country, and we felt that it was time to shine a spotlight on the independent design landscape. RAYDEN DESIGN STUDIO, LAUNCH: DECEMBER 2012 Founders Parul and Mooshir Vahanvati wanted to create a multidisciplinary studio that allowed them to work at the intersection of art, design and technology. That’s how Rayden Design Studio was born. Their products are defined by precise engineering and a design sensibility that is minimalistic. We especially like their Urban Tweeter range of ceramic drink-ware, which takes inspiration from the form of the Indian robin. raydendesign.com
DESIGN BY NASHA, LAUNCH: FEBRUARY 2009 As anyone obsessed with stationery will tell you, there’s no such thing as too much stationery. Design by Nasha fulfils that desire to hold something tactile, which is simple in its graphic sensibility. Created by New York-based Indian graphic designer Nasha Mehta, the brand retails paper products that eschew the typical ornamentation of wedding and personalized stationery in favour of an aesthetic that is vibrant without being over the top. designbynasha.com LIGHT FISH, LAUNCH: NOVEMBER 2009 Auroville, Tamil Nadu has long been a culture lab for design practices based on sustainable living. One example is the lighting collection from product design and animation firm Light Fish, which makes a beautiful statement about the point where good design meets sustainable practices. The eclectic range of lighting fixtures follows a stringent design process that uses sustainable materials, minimizes waste and is, at the same time, energy efficient. light-fish.com
perspective GRAIN, LAUNCH: MAY 2014 When two seasoned art directors working in advertising come together to launch a brand, leather and cloth bags are not what you would expect them to come up with. Yet Avinash Bhalerao and Nainesh Saple did exactly that with the launch of Grain, a very contemporary take on bags and luggage, inspired by clean lines and minimal fuss—a bit of New York meets Brooklyn, but made in Mumbai. facebook.com/grainindia2014
IRA STUDIO, LAUNCH: JANUARY 2013 Ira Studio’s products convey understated luxury, reflected through craftsmanship that hints at an unhurried sense of time and space. Their products are handcrafted and produced as limited edition pieces. Founder Manasa Prithvi says they work with a small team of artisans, but don’t employ them full-time as this impedes their independent creative expression. She says ‘handmade’ deserves more respect. “The fashion industry has been able to make their craft relevant, and I want the same for the interior product segment as well.” irastudio.net
JENNY PINTO LIGHTS, LAUNCH: 1998 Handmade banana-fibre paper can bring a light quality to home decor that is quite unique. This realization inspired Jenny Pinto, in 1998, to design lighting using the material. “No one was making paper lights at the time. The Indian market was on the threshold of maturity as far as design went, so the time and the material seemed right,” she recalls. The brand also works on customized projects for interior designers and architects. jennypinto.com
perspective VARNAM, LAUNCH: APRIL 2012 Varnam’s range of home accessories draws its story from the traditional crafts of Channapatna, Karnataka. Founder Karthik Vaidyanathan wanted to reorient crafts in a modern context to revive the town’s ancient craftsmanship. He maintains a close dialogue with artisans on the current market trends in terms of finish, utilitarian value, attention to detail, and more. The idea of launching a brand like Varnam came out of Vaidyanathan’s love for the crafts and the social sector, and he is hopeful about adopting another local craft in a year. varnam.co.in
OLIE, LAUNCH: OCTOBER 2013 Olie’s aesthetic is a contemporary take on Indian motifs, articulated in their minimal and elegant design philosophy. Inspired by the Gond style of illustration, Olie’s founder Amrita Nambiar says their designs use the lotus as a visual metaphor to denote the joy to be discovered in finding oneself—in a word, ananda. olie.co.in
COBALT DESIGNS, LAUNCH: AUGUST 2012 Brass and copper take on a contemporary Indian expression in Cobalt Designs’ range of home accessories and lighting. Founder Valay Gada says the collection is inspired by the need to preserve the very best of past cultures, in terms of both artisanal traditions and fine craftsmanship. Each piece in the collection is handmade. cobaltdesigns.in
SOLLI CONCEPTS, LAUNCH: JULY 2013 Form and function come together beautifully in Mumbai-based Solli Concepts’ furniture range. Founders Lynden Zuzarte and Sohel Contractor saw a gap in the market for affordable, yet well-designed wooden furniture that melds a modern aesthetic with traditional woodwork techniques. Their range was commissioned for the renovated Nariman House (the Jewish centre destroyed during the 26/11 attacks). solliconcepts.com
