Accessories, Nappa Dori

A young bunch of millennial designers from India are taking the world by storm, with their creative portfolios etched on a touchscreen, using a stylus.

When was the last time you hung up those heirloom curtains your mom gifted you? In all likelihood, never, considering how they never match the theme of your ultra-chic, contemporary apartment. The aesthetic of the millennial consumer has been influenced by a hybrid breed of new designers who have been able to tap into assets such as pop culture, technology and trends that cannot be fathomed by their older peers, more classical in their tastes. Surveys suggest that the future of luxury has evolved, the biggest spenders are now  millennials aged from 18 to 34 years old, with their budgets varying sharply from consumers a generation prior, far exceeding that of their more conservative predecessors. Here is a profile of a new breed of designers that Gen Y swears by, whose creations young (at heart) consumers across the world, aspire to possess:

 

Lekha

LEKHA WASHINGTON / ARTIST AND SCULPTOR/AJJI

Despite christening her company ‘Ajji – the Odd Product Company,’ Washington’s brand has done phenomenally well with its avant-garde furniture. “My designs might seem too radical and might look quite unsittable but they are comfortable. We showed at a fair in New York last year and I hope to take my designs to several more international fairs in the next year. I believe India should also be known for its design quality.

Lamp by Lekha

Though several top labels get products made here, they seldom admit to it. I’d like to break that glass ceiling,” Her first solo collection titled ‘The Collective Nouns Or A Pound Of Flesh And Suchlike’ in February this year, at the Sakshi Gallery in Mumbai, was as much a play with linguistics as it was an exploration into Art with its mixed media installations. www.ajji.in

 

Ayaz Basrai

AYAZ BASRAI / CO-FOUNDER/ THE BUSRIDE STUDIO

It almost goes without saying that the interiors and decor of any new upmarket eatery in Mumbai will be designed by default, by Ayaz Basrai from The Busride Studio. He had designed everything the decor of everything ranging from The Smokehouse Deli, Social, Glocal, Cafe Zoe, the Prithvi Theatre Cafe and the Blue FROG in Pune. Perhaps, it is because he is in sync with the spirit of the youth and can tap into pop culture and present in in his decor incredibly. “We’ve started projects from music tracks, from psychedelia, from lights and shadows, from inquiries into reflection and refraction, amongst others. Recently working on an optics-driven sunset-view bar, we explored fusing lenses into glass, and lenticular stickers to create an optic funhouse of sorts.” www.jointhebusride.com

 

Gautam Sinha

GAUTAM SINHA / FOUNDER/ NAPPA DORI

Most apparel designers play safe by investing in the cash cow of bridal wear and women’s fashion. Very few dare to venture in terms of designing anything that is too far from these realms. At Nappa Dori, that literally translates from Hindi as ‘Leather and Thread,’ its founder Gautam Sinha has created a bespoke brand that crafts quintessential luggage, trunks, stationery and accessories out of the finest leather. The Jumeriah Madinat, Burj al Arab, Ritz Carlton, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, One&Only Resorts, Hilton Worldwide, Kempinski and independent restaurants like Nobu, Gordon Ramsay & Marco Pierre White are a few establishments that have chosen Nappa Dori to add flair to their existing finesse. www.nappadori.in

Classic Trunk Set, Nappa Dori

 

EINA AHLUWALIA/ CONCEPTUAL JEWELLERY ARTIST

Eina Ahluwalia

“I realised at some point in my jewellery making journey, that jewellery is like a very personal piece of art, a totem, a carrier of memories. This makes it a perfect container for messages, reminders and meaning. It has, therefore, over the years become my tool for activism, and social impact,” reveals Ahluwalia, of the ethos underlying her trinkets. The merchandise available on her online store deviate from the intricate but run-of-the-mill Indian patterns.  What is equally captivating is the realism of the women who model her jewels – dusky yet beautiful – their scars haven’t been airbrushed away, neither are they fair, waify damsels that match the Indian stereotype. www.einaahluwalia.com

Through My Veins Cuff, Eina Ahuwalia

 

ROOSHAD SHROFF / ARCHITECT / ROOSHAD SHROFF ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN

Rooshad Shroff

Like most millennials, Shroff admits that he logs on to Instagram for inspiration while in transit at the airport or driving around the city. Rooshad Shroff previously worked in the offices of global ace architects such as OMA, New York and the late Zaha Hadid.

Jaipur Modern Store

Shroff, however, goes one step further as neither Rem Koolhas’ urbanist design or Hadid’s futurism always complement the country’s architectural ecology, a field that is still finding its ground. “What gets me started is travelling around locally and meeting Indian artisans and karigars, understanding traditional Indian skills and techniques of design that have existed for centuries and then employing them in a more contemporary context”.  Shroff has designed the Jaipur Modern Store, the Christian Louboutin boutique in Bangkok, the La Folie Patisserie in Bandra and at Palladium Mall which is just naming a few. www.instagram.com/rooshadshroff