Desi Design : September/October 2012

This time the ‘desi’ is heading to ‘pardes’. The occasion? It’s that time of the year—the design world is gathering for one the top events in the home living industry. Maison & Objet Paris is without doubt one the most respected trade shows in the home living industry. In this issue, we take you on a journey to discover some of the ‘Indian’ faces at Maison.

What better place to start than Sarita Handa. A well-respected name both in India and internationally, this brand brings exquisite home furnishings to a highly discerning clientele that appreciates quality and leans towards a refined aesthetic.

While in Delhi, let me introduce you to someone who isn’t at Maison this year but is already an international name. Design can move from upmarket to everyday without losing its grip on quality and creativity. Who better to prove this than Paul Sandip? With every design he proves that lives can change on a minute and mundane level powered by creative excellence.

Heading back to Paris, we discover another story that is as much about design as it is about a perspective rooted in culture, heritage and craft—not any particular one, but an amalgamation of many. Belgian designer Valerie Barkowski teamed up with Indian exporter Sunita Namjoshi to create a brand that echoes timelessness and tradition. Woven in threads of detail and craft. Bandit Queen is not just about textiles. It is about creativity that has poetry and soul.

From the sublime, we move on to fluidity of expression. Delhi based architect Manish Gulati at MOFA treats this as the core from which he extends his creative vision. Creating spaces that engage with the environment and the people who inhabit the space. A visual framework of design that has a vocabulary, which is distinctly conversational and adaptive.

The Parisian beckons me to Villepinte again. There is much to see and explore but the ‘Indian’ contingent is barely over a dozen in terms of representation. The issue ends with a quick round up of some of the other ‘Desi’ faces at Maison & Objet 2012.