The words you are searching are inside this book. To get more targeted content, please make full-text search by clicking here.

Architectural Digest India – September October 2022

Discover the best professional documents and content resources in AnyFlip Document Base.
Search
Published by tanawat.kenz, 2022-10-03 09:07:47

Architectural Digest India – September October 2022

Architectural Digest India – September October 2022

ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 INDIA ₹200
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD

TIMTHEELESS
MANISH

MALHOTRA

THE STYLE ISSUE

THE LAST WORD IN TRAVEL

PHOTO: ATHUL PRASAD/CONDÉ NAST TRAVELLER INDIA

CONTENTS

ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 INDIA ₹200 COVER his interiors line at Salone
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD For our Style issue, del Mobile and Zara Home
AD steps into designer launches a range of furniture
THE
TIMELESS
MALMHOANTRISAH

Manish Malhotra’s fabulous by Vincent Van Duysen. AD

PHOTO: ASHISH SAHI. townhouse in Mumbai, also travels to the California

THE STYLE ISSUE decorated in a mix of both pad of Sana Javeri Kadri, from

vintage and modern (pg 104). where she runs her spice

08 EDITOR’S LETTER company, and to designer

10 CONTRIBUTORS Sourabh Gupta’s studio in

THE STYLE ISSUE Brooklyn, where he crafts

13 DISCOVERIES his lifelike botanicals. Plus,

From couturiers like Tarun jewellery, watches, and more.

Tahiliani and J.J. Valaya to 26
indie darlings like Lovebirds,

AD curates a list of the new

fashion showrooms that have

opened this summer. In global PHOTO: FRANÇOIS HALARD.

news, celebrated film-maker

Luca Guadagnino showcases

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST 3

CONTENTS

36 50 SHOP 68 SANJAY GARG

46 AD x ARTIZE 54 PHYLLIDA JAY As Raw Mango arrives in
Earlier this month, Artize
Atelier opened its elegant Researcher and journalist Chennai, AD visit its newest
new showroom in Delhi
PHOTO: COURTESY OF LOVEBIRDS. and AD threw a party in Phyllida Jay’s third book, flagship store, Malligai,
PHOTO: FABIEN CHARUAU/COURTESY OF AMPM.their honour.
48 AD x GROHE Inspired by India, offers an housed in an Art Deco villa
In an awards ceremony
in Delhi, AD and Grohe extensive view of how Indian from the 1960s. Sanjay Garg
celebrated ten of the finest
bathroom designs for design and craftsmanship has takes us through the journey
the year.
been exploited, revered, and of bringing the space to life,

reimagined at different points from spotting the perfect

in the global fashion history. new home for his label to

62 LA CASA SUL LAGO imparting his own style and

Through an excerpt and wisdom to make it his own.

images from Baxter’s 36
poetic product catalogue,

“The House on the Lake”,

or “La Casa sul Lago”,

AD reflects on the

subtle beauty of Italian-

made designs.

4 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

CONTENTS

74 TAHIR SULTAN 98 KAUSTAV DEY 62
A renaissance man with a To Kaustav Dey, style has
PHOTO: GIANLUCA VASSALLO AND FRANCESCO MANNIRONI.
flair for the outré, designer always been “excruciatingly

and chef Tahir Sultan personal”, a medium of

welcomes AD into his expression and identity,

bold and brooding Jaipur whether on himself or his

apartment. home in Bengaluru.

88 TOMMY & DEE HILFIGER 104 MANISH MALHOTRA 118 STYLE BOOK

The Hilfigers transform a grand Manish Malhotra has defined Our selection of the best

Florida manse into a family- fashion and beauty for an design products to own this

friendly oasis with the help of entire generation with his season, followed by an A-Z

Martyn Lawrence Bullard. unapologetic flair for glamour listing of stores.

and bling. At home, however, 124 THE CURATOR

74

he’s a nostalgic soul, seeking For our style issue, Amin

quiet and comfort, working Jaffer writes about a star of

“48 hours if I could” in a 17th-century Mughal fashion:

PHOTO: PANKAJ ANAND. newly designed study, and a satin jacket embroidered in

letting life play out in his silk, meant to be worn while

Mumbai townhouse. riding or hunting.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST 5

EDITOR Komal Sharma CNX
ART DIRECTOR Chandni Mehta DIRECTOR – CNX Richard Mascarenhas
COPY DIRECTOR Tyrel Rodricks CREATIVE LEAD - BRANDED CONTENT (VIDEO) Devika Luniya
SENIOR FEATURES CREATOR Ritupriya Basu DIRECTOR – CLIENT SERVICING & PROJECT MANAGEMENT Neha Dhanani
DIGITAL EDITOR Harleen Kaur Kalsi MANAGER – BRAND SOLUTIONS Esha Singh
FEATURES CREATOR Arshia Dhar
CONTENT CREATOR Nicole Newby CREATIVE STRATEGIST Shreya Baid
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Renuka Modi ASSOCIATE EDITOR Andrea Pinto
ASSOCIATE OPERATIONS Shalini Kanojia CREATIVE STRATEGIST – ART Richa Jain
ENTERTAINMENT DIRECTOR Megha Mehta ASSISTANT MANAGER – INFLUENCER MARKETING Preeti Perla
ART PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Mihir Shah
ART PRODUCTION MANAGER Aarti Tharwani DIGITAL WRITER Vanshika Jain
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Selwin Edward
ASSOCIATE MANAGER – SOCIAL MEDIA Shrishti Bhatia COMMERCIAL TALENT DIRECTOR Devika Patne
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Sunil Nayak
SENIOR MANAGER - COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION Sudeep Pawar HEAD – AD OPERATIONS Sachin Pujari
PRODUCTION MANAGER Mangesh Pawar MANAGER – AD OPERATIONS Shivangi Shinde
SENIOR PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Abhishek Mithbaokar COORDINATOR – AD OPERATIONS Akanksha Malik
ASSISTANT MANAGER – AD OPERATIONS Sagar Lund
CRAFTSMANSHIP EDITOR Maximiliano Modesti
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS DIRECTOR – COMMUNICATIONS Swati Katakam
MANAGER – COMMUNICATIONS Waheeda Machiwala
Amin Jaffer, Channa Daswatte, Cosmo Brockway,
Divya Mishra, Gauri Kelkar, Gayatri Rangachari Shah, MANAGER – CIRCULATION OPERATIONS Jeeson Kollannur
Malika Verma, Mayank Mansingh Kaul, Nazneen Jehangir, FIELD ASSISTANT Tirupathi Dudam
Priyanka Shah, Roshini Vadehra, Sunil Sethi, Vivek Sahni,
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Amrit Bardhan
Yeshwant Holkar FINANCIAL CONTROLLER Viral Desai
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR – FINANCE Dattaprasanna Bhagwat
Ashish Sahi, Ashish Shah ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR – REVENUE SUPPORT Vinayak Shetye

CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER PANKAJ SINGH PARIHAR SENIOR FINANCE ANALYST Yogesh Suresh Potnis
PUBLISHER Armaity Amaria ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR – TAXATION Ankit Pansari
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR – GENERAL ACCOUNTING Sanket Deshpande
ASSOCIATE ADVERTISING DIRECTORS Kapil Tolani; Aditi Sharma (New Delhi) SENIOR ASSOCIATES – DISBURSEMENT Nikhil Rane, Devang Pandya
SENIOR ADVERTISING MANAGER Varun Sama
ITALY SALES REPRESENTATIVE Angelo Carredu MANAGER – FP&A Vishal Darji
MANAGER – GENERAL ACCOUNTING Yogesh Gawde
US ADVERTISING MANAGER Alessandro Cremona
COMMERCIAL DIRECTORS – EXHIBITIONS Sabina Lall, Ruchira Kanwal (New Delhi) MANAGER - DISBURSEMENT Ameya Namjoshi
ASSISTANT MANAGER – TAXATION Pranav Shah
ASSOCIATE COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR – EXHIBITIONS Dia Sachanandani
CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER – SALES Jabir Merchant ASSOCIATE – BILLING Shailesh Koli

DIRECTOR ADVERTISING – DIGITAL SALES Niti Bathija HEAD – WORKPLACE SERVICES Boniface Dsouza
ASSOCIATE ADVERTISING DIRECTOR – DIGITAL SALES Arun Bassi (New Delhi) MANAGER – LOGISTICS & FACILITIES Zain Shaikh

MANAGERS – DIGITAL SALES Sana Fatima, Shanu Dahiya (New Delhi) MANAGER – IT Madankumar Thapa
ASSISTANT MANAGER – DIGITAL SALES Jinal Goradia
MARKETING DIRECTOR Madhura Phadnis BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP MANAGER – GLOBAL PRODUCT &
ASSOCIATE MARKETING DIRECTOR Pooja Jaggi TECHNOLOGY Vishal Ingale
ASSISTANT MARKETING MANAGER Romaljit Banga
ASSOCIATE PROMOTIONS EDITOR Sneha Mahadevan ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR – VIDEO COMMERCIAL Rahul Vetkar
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Varun Patil MANAGER – PROCUREMENT Anubhuti Sharma
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Atul Hirijagner
PROMOTIONS WRITER Ritika Saundh SENIOR DIRECTOR – GLOBAL AUDIENCE PLANNING & OPERATIONS Saurabh Garg

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR – COMMERCIAL PLANNING Alisha Goriawala CONSUMER MARKETING LEAD Priyanka Shivdasani
MANAGER – AUDIENCE ACQUISITION Srividya Iyengar

PEOPLE DIRECTOR – HR Coralie Ansari
SENIOR ASSOCIATE & BUSINESS PARTNER Sumairah Ansari

EA TO MANAGING DIRECTOR Karen Contractor Avari

ALEX KURUVILLA
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Conde Nast (India) Private Limited
MUMBAI 2nd and 3rd Floor, Birla Centurion, Pandurang Budhkar Marg, Worli, Mumbai – 400030, Maharashtra, India
NEW DELHI Avanta Business Centre, 1st Floor, D-2, Southern Park District Center, Saket, New Delhi, Delhi 110 017, India

RNI. No.: MAHENG/2012/43454. AD Architectural Digest September–October 2022 Vol. 11 Issue 4. Published monthly in English, in Mumbai. Price: `200. Printed and published by
Armaity Amaria on behalf of Conde Nast (India) Private Limited. Printed at Kala Jyothi Process Pvt Ltd, Survey No. 185, Masjidband, Kondapur Village, R.R. Dist. Hyderabad-500084
and published from 2nd and 3rd Floor, Birla Centurion, Pandurang Budhkar Marg, Worli, Mumbai 400 030. Editor: Komal Sharma. Distributed by Living Media Ltd. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is strictly prohibited. All prices are correct at the time of going to press but are subject to change. Manuscripts, drawings and other

materials must be accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope. However, AD Architectural Digest cannot be responsible for unsolicited material.

06 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

Scan the QR code below
to get the digital edition

ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST INDIA` 200 JULY-AUGUST 2021 ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST INDIA` 200 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD

BIJOY IN QUEEN Published By Condé Nast
ONOMICHI OF HER
Chief Executive Of cer Roger Lynch
THE CASTLE Chairman of the Board Jonathan Newhouse
CRAFTSMANSHIP Global Chief Revenue Of cer & President,
SONAM
ISSUE KAPOOR U.S. Revenue Pamela Drucker Mann
Chief Content Of cer Anna Wintour
AHUJA President, Condé Nast Entertainment Agnes Chu
Chief Financial Of cer Jackie Marks
THE STYLE ISSUE Chief Marketing Of cer Deirdre Findlay

INDIA` 200 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST INDIA` 200 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022 Chief People Of cer Stan Duncan
Chief Communications Of cer Danielle Carrig
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD
Chief of Staff Elizabeth Minshaw
2022 Chief Product & Technology Of cer Sanjay Bhakta
WOW LIST Chief Content Operations Of cer Christiane Mack
OUR FIRST
Worldwide Editions
GLOBAL
COLLABORATION France: AD, AD Collector, GQ, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Vogue Collections
Germany: AD, Glamour, GQ, Vogue
sSaHaOtWrCIAsStI NhGIsgtujral’s
ARCHITECTURAL LEGACY India: AD, Condé Nast Traveller, GQ, Vogue
Italy: AD, Condé Nast Traveller, GQ, La Cucina Italiana,Vanity Fair,
THE ART ISSUE
Vogue, Wired
MARCH-APRIL 2022 INDIA `200 ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST MAY-JUNE 2022 INDIA `200 Japan: GQ, Rumor Me, Vogue, Vogue Girl, Vogue Wedding, Wired
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD
Mexico and Latin America: AD Mexico and Latin America,
THE MHAEYLOLO Condé Nast College Américas, Glamour Mexico and Latin America,
TENTH
GQ Mexico and Latin America, Vogue Mexico and Latin America
ANNIVERSARY Spain: AD, Condé Nast College Spain, Condé Nast Traveler,
ISSUE Glamour, GQ, Vanity Fair, Vogue
Taiwan: GQ, Vogue
WITH United Kingdom: London: HQ, Condé Nast College of
AMIN JAFFER
Fashion and Design, Vogue Business; Britain: Condé Nast Johansens,
IN PARIS Condé Nast Traveller, Glamour, GQ, GQ Style, House & Garden, Tatler,

A RESTOR ATION STORY The World of Interiors, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Wired
United States: Allure, Architectural Digest, Ars Technica, basically,
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST JULY-AUGUST 2022 INDIA `200 ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 INDIA ₹200 Bon Appétit, Clever, Condé Nast Traveler, epicurious, Glamour, GQ,
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD GQ Style, healthyish, HIVE, La Cucina Italiana, LOVE, Pitchfork,

The THE Self, Teen Vogue, them., The New Yorker, The Scene, Vanity Fair,
TIMELESS Vogue, Wired
Te x t i l e MALMHOANTRISAH
Issue Published Under Joint Venture

With THE STYLE ISSUE Brazil: Casa Vogue, Glamour, GQ, Vogue
Priti
Published Under License Or Copyright Cooperation
Pratap
Singh Australia: GQ, Vogue, Vogue Living
Bulgaria: Glamour

China: AD, Condé Nast Traveler, GQ, GQ Lab, GQ Style, Vogue,
Vogue+, Vogue Café Beijing, Vogue Café Shanghai, Vogue Film,

Vogue Business in China
Czech Republic and Slovakia: Vogue

Greece: Vogue
Hong Kong: Vogue, Vogue Man

Hungary: Glamour
Korea: Allure, GQ, Vogue, Wired
Malaysia: Vogue Lounge Kuala Lumpur
Middle East: AD, Condé Nast Traveller, GQ, Vogue,

Vogue Café Riyadh, Wired
Poland: Glamour, Vogue

Portugal: GQ, Vogue, Vogue Café Porto
Romania: Glamour
Scandinavia: Vogue

Serbia: La Cucina Italiana
Singapore: Vogue

South Africa: Glamour, GQ, GQ Style, House & Garden
Thailand: GQ, Vogue

The Netherlands: Vogue, Vogue Living
Turkey: GQ, Vogue, Vogue Restaurant Istanbul

Ukraine: Vogue, Vogue Man

Condé Nast is a global media company producing premium content
with a footprint of more than 1 billion consumers in 31 markets.
condenast.com

"Excruciatingly PHOTO: SARANG GUPTA.

personal." That’s how

Kaustav Dey defined style.

The idea has since given me much
solace. A few years ago, I had watched a

TED talk by Kaustav where he narrated a moment from his Bollywood, but his home is classic, comfortable, functional,
childhood, of when he discovered a pair of bell-bottoms, tinged with nostalgia, flushed in natural light, surrounded by

slipped into them, and grew a new sense of self. From trees, and built around an open-to-sky courtyard. As he

“wanting to be invisible” he went straight to “choosing to fussed over the flowers, as he rearranged the silver photo
be looked at”. “How fashion helps us express who we are frames of his family, he caught himself saying, “I don’t want
and what we stand for” was the title of Kaustav’s talk, if my home to look like a perfect house in a glossy magazine.”

you plan to look it up. It moved me to tears but it also gave In his unselfconscious comment, his home and its moment of

me a freeing clarity in my ongoing inner dialogue with truth had presented itself. Though I think, more than anything
myself, on what makes a person stylish and what makes a else, it was his dazzling smile that photographer Ashish Sahi
thing of beauty. was catching in bursts of shots, which is the true source of

So, since I’m currently in the business of inviting myself his personal style.

over to people’s homes—a privilege of the job—I reached out And then there was Tahir Sultan. A well-kept secret, lying
to Kaustav and he graciously opened the doors to his low in the deserts of Rajasthan, moving among a tight-knit
Bengaluru apartment (pg 152) for AD’s annual Style issue. circle of friends, hosting curated dinners and scouring

Among his pattachitras and kalighats, his Japanese antiquities from unnamed, unmapped locations. Tahir is a bit

calligraphy, and a vintage veena, Kaustav was so at home. He of an enigma. As we photographed his Jaipur home (pg 128),
belonged in that space and time as just the natural order of it was like an excavation: one room a flamboyant flamingo

things. Away from the choreographed overstatement that pink and the next a colour of the earth, with Naga tables and

big-ticket fashion can sometimes be, personal style is ancient urns and all sorts of repurposed and aged

different. It seems to be rooted in a truth, a truth of who we curiosities. That’s his home, a facet of who he currently is: a
are, what our journey has been, and how far we have come in raconteur who conjures up magical worlds and draws you in

accepting ourselves. And homes, at least those that are truly with style dripping at the ends of his sentences.

lived in, more often than not, tend to give away that truth quite Personal style is non-conformist by definition because it’s

effortlessly. When Kaustav’s photographs came to us, it only unique to each. Sui generis. And that’s the most fun and
reaffirmed my somewhat shaky belief that homes don’t lie, fulfilling part about putting together this annual style issue.

that homes speak the truth about their residents more easily It’s an unexpected curation—the homes, the stories, the

and eloquently than a lot of other forms of expression. news, both local and international—but it’s all stylish in its

own unapologetic, singular way. —Komal Sharma
Even when we went over to designer Manish Malhotra’s
townhouse in Bandra—our cover story (pg 158) for this
issue—it had an instant impression of a generous,
wholesome family home strewn with flowers and a table

EDITOR’Sspread full of food. Manish might have wrapped an entire

NOTEgeneration in sequins and embellishments and dreams of

08 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST INDIA` 200 NOVEMBER 2018 ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST INDIA` 200 MARCH-APRIL 2019

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD

PHOTOS: JIGNESH JHAVERI (NOVEMBER 2018, OCTOBER 2019); BIKRAMJIT BOSE (MARCH-APRIL 2019, SEPTEMBER 2019); ALL COURTESY OF AD INDIA AlibaThge Issue

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE DOING BEAUTIFUL THINGS
IN THE HAMPTONS OF MUMBAI

ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST INDIA` 200 SEPTEMBER 2019 ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST AD100

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD THE MOST INFLUENTIAL
ARCHITECTS AND

INTERIOR DESIGNERS IN
THE SUBCONTINENT

INDIA` 200 OCTOBER 2019

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD

LAKSHMI NAWAZ BOMBAY THE
RED
ISSUE

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD

CONTRIBUTORS

← SAMIR WADEKAR

STYLIST AD’s former stylist comes
on board for this issue’s cover story,
bringing his magic styling touch to
Manish Malhotra’s Bandra villa (pg 104).
“This shoot will remain significant and
memorable for me as it marks a decade
of both shooting with Ashish Sahi, and
my relationship with AD.”

→ ASHISH SAHI ↑ DIVYA MISHRA

PHOTOGRAPHER AD’s former art WRITER Former deputy editor of
director photographs India’s leading AD, Mishra writes about designers
fashion designer Manish Malhotra at championing sustainability in all its
his Bandra home in Mumbai (pg 104). nuanced complexity. For this issue, she
“Manish is as cool and stylish as his meets Kaustav Dey in his Bengaluru
clothes and his smile lights up the apartment (pg 98). “Kaustav’s
frame. He is quite a host as well; I unpredictable sense of style is so
remember him saying, “If you are in my engaging—whether he’s championing
home you have to eat.” jewellery for men, giving a TED talk
on the power of fashion, or setting
up home.”

→ PRIYANKA KHANNA PHOTO: HASHIM BADANI.

WRITER Former fashion features
director of Vogue, Khanna writes
and speaks on art, design, fashion,
and parenting. Her debut novel will
be published by Penguin India in
November this year. For this issue,
she writes the cover story on fashion
designer Manish Malhotra (pg 104).
“Manish is known for being immensely
likeable and his home is a reflection of
that warmth,” she says.

↑ ANITA SARSIDI ←GOKULL RAO KADAM

STYLIST Sarsidi was the interiors editor PHOTOGRAPHER A deep-house DJ
at AD for three years. In this issue, she turned photographer, Kadam runs his
styled the Palm Beach home of Tommy photography studio, Meister Meister,
and Dee Hilfiger (pg 88). “It was a fun covering architecture, design, beauty,
shoot as I’ve known Douglas Friedman fashion, and portraiture. In this issue,
and Martyn Lawrence Bullard for years. he photographs Kaustav Dey in his
And Tommy and Dee were the best to Bengaluru apartment (pg 98). “There
work with on this shoot. They were so was such a harmony about the way
game to do the jet ski portraits, which Kaustav had done up his home. I really
turned out so fantastic. It’s probably loved shooting this series.”
one of the best shoots I’ve worked on.”

10 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

CONTRIBUTORS

← PANKAJ ANAND PHOTO: TOMO MORISAWA.

→ SWAREENA GURUNG PHOTOGRAPHER A regular with
Condé Nast titles, Anand has been
WRITER Former features writer at shooting travel and home features for
Harper’s Bazaar India and a regular over a decade now. In this issue, he
contributor to AD, Firstpost, and photographs the quiet, meditative, but
Tata Cliq Luxury, Gurung takes on also fantastical home of Tahir Sultan
the comprehensive book Inspired by in Jaipur (pg 74). “Tahir has such a flair
India by the accomplished fashion for spaces and colours and materials, it
researcher Phyllida Jay, scheduled was fascinating to watch him put things
to release this month. She pulls out together as the shoot progressed.”
a crisp excerpt from this fascinating
fashion history of exchange between ↑ CHERYL MUKHERJI
India and the world (pg 54).
PHOTOGRAPHER Mukherji is a visual
artist and writer based in Brooklyn,
New York. For this issue, she
popped by artist Sourabh Gupta’s
studio (pg 32). “It was wonderful to
work with Sourabh and get to learn
more about his intricate, process-
driven practice from up close.”

→ DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN

PHOTOGRAPHER Friedman’s work
features in all Condé Nast titles,
Harper’s Bazaar, and numerous
advertising campaigns. In this issue,
we see his talent at work capturing the
magnificent Palm Springs, Florida, villa
of Tommy and Dee Hilfiger (pg 88).

↑ HANNAH MARTIN ← ARIEL FOXMAN

WRITER As the senior design editor WRITER A contributing editor to
at AD, Martin keeps track of the latest Vanity Fair, Foxman lives in Boston
trends, new collections, and rising with his husband and their son.
talents. In this issue, she writes about In this issue, he writes about
designer Philippe Starck’s new chair Tommy and Dee Hilfiger’s Florida
for Dior (pg 20). “I interview designers home (pg 88), designed with help
often, but it was a career highlight from Martyn Lawrence Bullard. “I
to speak with the legendary Philippe loved how gleeful the Hilfigers
Starck about his super-minimalist were about their new hometown
take on Dior’s classic Louis XVI of Palm Beach. There was an
Medallion Chair.” unadulterated joy in their voices.”

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST 11

CONTRIBUTORS

← SAMANTHA COOPER PHOTO: MICHAEL ROBERTS MACONOCHIE.

PHOTOGRAPHER Born and

raised in the Bay Area of the U.S.,

Cooper’s work ranges from fashion

photography to portraiture and

her practice is informed by a deep

understanding of colour. For this

issue, she photographed Sana

Javeri Kadri’s kaleidoscopic home

in California (pg 28).

→ VAISHNAVI NAYEL ↑ DANA THOMAS
TALAWADEKAR
WRITER Thomas began her career
WRITER A British-Indian journalist and a writing for the Style section of The
regular contributor to AD, Talawadekar Washington Post, and for 15 years
steps inside the whimsical world of she served as a cultural and fashion
designer and chef Tahir Sultan for this correspondent for Newsweek in Paris.
issue, as he invites us to his Jaipur She is currently a regular contributor
apartment (pg 74). “Tahir’s home holds to The New York Times Style section
a mirror to his life, where each object and to British Vogue. In this issue, she
tells a story,” she says. writes about Oratoire, Louis Vuitton’s
new sustainability-focused atelier in
France (pg 24).

→ AVANTIKA SHANKAR

WRITER A writer and playwright
based in Mumbai, Shankar writes
about Studio Renn’s new jewellery
collection (pg 22), exhibited at
IF.BE, a new multidimensional
space in Mumbai. “Studio Renn
has an intellectual yet intuitive
approach to design that you don’t
see very often, and their jewellery
is a lot richer for it. It is always a
pleasure to speak to them.”

↑ VARUN SAMA ← NEERJA DEODHAR

CONTRIBUTOR Part of AD’s WRITER Deodhar is a writer and
advertising sales team, Sama has researcher with five years of
a special interest and talent for experience in Indian newsrooms. In
enabling the creation of editorial this issue, she writes about Tarun
content. In this issue, he supported Tahiliani’s new store in Mumbai’s
the editorial team in featuring a wide Ballard Estate (pg 36). “I discovered
range of Italian ateliers that shined that with the launch of his new
through at Salone del Mobile 2022. store, Tarun Tahiliani is returning to
his Bombay roots.”

12 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

Our annual Style issue brings you a pairing of local and Discoveries
global news: The best of Vincent Van Duysen,
Luca Guadagnino, and Edra from Salone del Mobile
i n M i l a n ; v i b ra nt yo u n g c re at i ve s f ro m N ew Yo r k a n d
California; and our very own India-proud local fashion
labels opening new brick-and-mortar stores like
nobody’s business. It’s been a busy, stylish summer.

The
Bengal Tiger
Strikes Again
Sabyasachi Mukherjee returns
to Bergdorf Goodman with the
“Bengal Byzantine Broadway”
jewellery collection.

At barely 20 year s old, TEXT: SWAREENA GURUNG. PHOTO: COURTESY OF SABYASACHI.
Sabyasachi Mukherjee sold his
first jewellery pieces, made EACH BANGLE IN THE STATEMENT
with stone, bone, feathers, BANGLE STACK IS SET IN GOLD
and hand-painted wood, out of plastic WITH MULTICOLOURED GEMSTONES.
tiffin boxes to street vendors in Kolkata. At
48 today, Mukherjee recently unveiled his
third and latest collaboration with New
York’s Bergdorf Goodman, for a fine
jewellery collection. Over the decades, his
magpie-like intrigue for beauty has
remained unchanged and grounded in
deep reverence for Indian craftsmanship.

“Tracing the path between Calcutta
and New York is a new sort of silk
route—I wanted to connect the past to
the future. This collection brings
together various influences from
Harappan art and the fauna of the
Sundarbans to Moorish flourishes and
Georgian finery,” says Mukherjee. This
dialogue of inspirations is articulated by
Bengal’s master craftspeople. “Bengal’s
grand history of handcrafted jewellery
almost faded away because of a lack of
patronage. I want to bring this legacy
back to the world,” he adds.

Among the coveted pieces are a
deconstructed Maharani necklace set in
gold with uncut diamonds, pearls and
gems contrasted with a hand-printed
velvet tie-clasp; a turquoise statement
necklace set in gold with cut and uncut
diamonds and apatite; and a baroque
cocktail gold ring with the signature
Sabyasachi Bengal tiger. “As the world
hunts more and more for authenticity, I
am confident that the next generation of
the greatest jewellery designers will come
from India. We have a sophisticated
history of handcrafted jewellery that goes
back centuries, and I have made a
promise to myself to work relentlessly to
conserve this legacy and make it relevant
again,” says the designer.

14 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

WHAT A MAN'S GOT TO DO

PHOTO: R BURMAN/GQ INDIA

Hearth The sets of Luca Guadagnino Cogolin; a 1957 Digamma reclining
of the films like Call Me by Your Name armchair by Gavina, paired with an
Matter or I Am Love, set in the exquisite ottoman from Guadagnino’s personal
Necchi Campiglio Villa in collection; and glass sconces by the film-
Award-winning film-maker Milan, play an exceptional role in the maker for FontanaArte, among other
Luca Guadagnino tells storytelling. Every object in the homes of intriguing elements, arranged into a pair
AD about the intuitive his characters add to the story in ways that of mirrored living rooms. The idea,
process behind his interior widen the cinematic scope of the film. So Guadagnino says, was to evoke memories
collection shown at Salone it’s no surprise that Guadagnino’s interior of a “lost bourgeoisie, the Milan left
del Mobile this year. collections too have a narrative of their behind, and bridging that with our present
own. Along with his co-conspirator, times” through the physical space of the
architect Stefano Baisi, he gives AD the living rooms, one of which has a fireplace
low-down on Studio Luca Guadagnino’s built in ceramic.
latest outing at Salone del Mobile in June
this year, that showcased their installation For Guadagnino, it was also an oppor-
“Accanto al Fuoco/By the Fire”. tunity to reflect on his practice, where
some of the pieces on display had already
The centrepiece is a furrowed fireplace been created, but in different materials.
crafted from a grey-blue ornamental stone “We realized that all these elements were
called “ceppo di gre”, which is said to be coming together to form the living room,”
found in only one cave in Italy. Around it he says, adding that “boxing them together
are puzzle-piece coffee tables designed into the shape of the living rooms—as
in-house; carpets from La Manufacture Stefano pointed out—was a great way to
pay homage to Carlo Scarpa”, the Italian
architect who is a chief source of inspi-
ration for the design studio.

The three-dimensionality of interiors
and architecture excite Guadagnino,
allowing him to play with materiality and
the senses. “It was an intuitive process, and
next year [for Salone del Mobile], our
approach will be different; it’ll be forward-
looking,” Guadagnino says—a reminder of
how he seems to time-travel with ease
through the spaces he creates, whether on
screen or off.

TEXT: ARSHIA DHAR. PHOTO: GIULIO GHIRARDI. THIS CERAMIC FIREPLACE
WAS BUILT IN-HOUSE, AS
WAS THE RED TRAVERTINE
COFFEE TABLE; THE
CARPET HAS ALSO BEEN
DESIGNED BY STUDIO LUCA
GUADAGNINO WITH GRAPHIC
DESIGNER NIGEL PEAKE FOR
LA MANUFACTURE COGOLIN.
THE VINTAGE 1957 DIGAMMA
CHAIR WAS DESIGNED BY
IGNAZIO GARDELLA FOR
GAVINA ITALY; THE BOISERIE
WAS DESIGNED IN-HOUSE, AS
WERE THE LIGHT SCONCES
FOR FONTANAARTE.

16 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

Free the
Sofa
Taste, workmanship and intuition
come together in Edra’s On The Rocks
sofa—as it does in every piece by this
Milanese maker—an AD favourite from
this year’s edition of Salone del Mobile.

TEXT: RAJASHREE BALARAM. PHOTO: COURTESY OF EDRA.

A COMPLETE ABSENCE OF RIGIDITY A t the Salone Del Mobile 2022, are hand-modelled in “Gellyfoam”, a
COUPLED WITH MODULAR DESIGN among the array of crowd- special mixture protected by international
MAKES EDRA’S “ON THE ROCKS” A pulling exhibits showcased patents that contributes to a luscious
PARADIGM OF SPATIAL FREEDOM. by Edra was the On The softness, which feels more like a comfort-
Rocks sofa designed by its Milanese author ing embrace designed to love the human
Francesco Binfaré. An intriguing rubber- body any which way one sits on it.
footed composition of three polygons and
a quadrilateral with four seating elements Widely renowned for the timeless ele-
and two backrests, On The Rocks’ gance of its pieces and its uncompromising
phenomenal design is invested with commitment to comfort, Tuscany-based
specially developed materials and Edra is a forerunner in technological inn-
complex, advanced physics. The resulting ovation. Binfaré, who has had a long
output, though, has turned out to be as association with the brand, admits to
delightful as a puzzle. “For years, I had several rounds of rejections: “One evening,
been trying to give voice and meaning to after yet another unsuccessful prototype, I
everything I designed and in particular to went home more tired than usual. I sat on
free the sofa from its morphological the sofa, wrapped in a big coat, and started
constraint,” says Binfaré, who has indeed leafing through the Italian newspaper
liberated the sofa from its formal contours Corriere della Sera. While I was reading it, I
in more ways than one. had an intuition. On those black-and-
white pages, I made yet another sketch of
On The Rocks’ individual seating pieces the product. It was the right idea, the idea
and backrests can be configured to offer of On The Rocks.” Despite all the science
formal seating of short depth or extremely that has gone into its making, On The
deep and relaxed seating. This gives the Rocks is a piece of art born in a moment of
user the freedom to explore an interesting epiphany in an imagination that refused
variety of configurations. The shapes to quit.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST 17

Flower
Power
Meet Rolex’s new
bouquet of dials for its
iconic Datejust line.

T he world’s most famous watch TEXT: TYREL RODRICKS. PHOTO: COURTESY OF ROLEX.
brand is called so for a reason.
Every year, like clockwork,
Rolex finds a way to reinvent
the wheel, to refresh its many watches in
a way that makes each new edition feel
desirable. Last year, the British-founded,
Swiss watchmaker decorated its 36-mm
Datejust dials with palm fronds in a vari-
ety of finishes. And at this year’s Watches
and Wonders in Geneva—though the
fair was founded in 2020, it only just held
its first IRL edition—Rolex continued
its floral foray with three new 31-mm
Datejust watches.

The three watches mix and match ma-
terials and forms—with increasing levels
of bling. The Azzurro-blue dial (pictured)
is paired with white Rolesor, Rolex’s own
blend of Oystersteel and white gold,
for its fluted bezel, case, and bracelet.
The silver dial is paired with a two-
tone bracelet and case in Everose and
Oystersteel. And the bright olive-green
dial is encased in 18-carat yellow gold.
The latter two feature 46 brilliant-cut
diamonds in their bezels, and the 24
flowers on all three dials have diamond
pistils (centres). Rolex has made every
flower stand out by decorating each in a
different finish—either sunray, matt,
or grained.

Each Datejust 31 is equipped with the
calibre 2236, a tried-and-tested move-
ment that powers its hour, minute, and
second hands—and the date display,
arguably its raison d’être, at three o’clock.
The date on most watch collectors’
minds will be next year’s Watches and
Wonders, when Rolex will unarguably
inject some fresh wonder with updates to
some of its iconic lines. But till then,
these floral dials will draw collectors
intrigued by the bright, bold evolution of
these classic Rolexes.

18 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

The
Leopard and
the Lake A s Astha Khetan, founder of
the House of Things, the many stories that breathe inside any
prepares to launch her handcrafted object.” Khetan, a
lifestyle product label Ira museum lover, has made sure that these
Folklore and craftsmanship Udaipur—two years in the making—she stories come alive in each item in her
come together in charming admits to finding a sharper clarity each premier homeline. Titled “The Leopard
day on what she expects out of it. Quite and The Lake”, the debut collection is
tableware from newly simply, she wants people to celebrate theatrical, minimal, folkloric, and opulent
launched studio Ira Udaipur. Indian craft traditions as much as they all at once—yet a sophisticated, contem-
porary take on the royal history, romance,
would celebrate any of her handcrafted and culture of Udaipur.
products. “It’s beautiful to see someone
wanting to know the provenance of Lake Pichola, with its herons gliding
things, the artisanal techniques that have above, and the leopard prowling the
gone into the Aravalli mountain range of Udaipur are
HREE BALARAM. PHOTO: COURTESY OF IRA UDAIPUR. making, and the key protagonists, making their
presence felt on everything—carafes,
TEXT: RAJAS trays, dinner sets, incense burners, vases,
pen wells, cloches, goblets, swizzle
sticks, tea boxes, and snack jars. However,
capturing the majesty and unfettered

spirit of these wild creatures in
glorious interactions of glass,
soapstone, brass, and enamel has
involved many leaps of faith
for Khetan, as she observed
artisans relentlessly coax
unyielding materials to
heed to their will and
imagination. “We took
more than a year to
perfect the brass
dome of the Seher
bakhoor burner after
rejecting dozens of
prototypes,” says
Khetan. The pride
in her voice is more
than a faint trace; so
is her excitement
about explorations
into diverse artisanal
techniques—espe-
cially meenakari, the
traditional Rajasthani
enamelling as yet
confined to jewellery.
Beyond exotic techniques
and materials though, the true
essence of Ira Udaipur is
distilled by the transformative
potential of India’s craft legacies.

THE PICHOLA DINNER SET—MADE
FROM FINE BONE CHINA WITH
TRANSFER PRINTS AND 24-CARAT-GOLD
DECALS—IS INSPIRED BY UDAIPUR’S
PALACES AND ROYAL GARDENS.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST 19

Starck
Difference

Design legend Philippe
Starck puts his own spin
on Dior’s Medallion chair.

It’s 5:15 p.m. in London and Philippe DESIGNER PHILIPPE TEXT: HANNAH MARTIN.
Starck is schooling me on square STARCK’S PINK COPPER
roots over Zoom. “You make a sign VERSION OF DIOR’S
like this,” he says, gesturing from his MEDALLION CHAIR
office chair. “You put a number beneath (COURTESY OF DIOR).
and you divide, divide, divide until there
is nothing left to divide because you’ve
reached the prime number, le chiffre
premier. This is my way of working. I try
to go to the bone, to the minimum of
the thing.”

Over the course of his prolific career,
the French design star has applied that
reductive approach (he describes it as
“precise and cruel”) to domestic main­
stays ranging from tables to toilets.
Staunch minimalism, he argues, ensures
timelessness. His latest subject: Dior’s
Medallion chair, the Louis XVI–style
seats that Christian Dior lined up for
fashion shows at his famous 30 Avenue
Montaigne headquarters and sprinkled
about his homes in Paris and outside
Milly­la­Forêt. Starck’s reinvention,
titled Miss Dior, marks the latest in the
brand’s present­day revivals, comm­
issioned from the likes of Pierre Charpin,
Atang Tshikare, and U.S. AD100 Hall of
Famer India Mahdavi.

With its subtly tapered legs and oval
back—the couturier liked to upholster it
in toile de Jouy—the Dior Medallion is,
to Starck, the Platonic ideal of a chair,
living in what he refers to as “the coll­
ective subconsciousness of Occident”.
Similar seats graced his grandmother’s
home, where he recalls spending days
as a child sequestered beneath their

20 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

TOP: A CROWD OF DIOR ORIGINAL MEDALLION CHAIRS AT slipcovers. “It was a small
THE BRAND’S MILLINERY SALON, CIRCA 1960 (COURTESY OF house for me,” he says. “I
DIOR). ABOVE LEFT: A SKETCH OF A ONE-ARMED CHAIR IN lived in the icon.”
GOLD FINISH (TILL JANZ). ABOVE RIGHT: STARCK ON ONE
OF HIS NEW MISS DIOR CHAIRS WHILE SPORTING SKETCHES Starck has revisited the
OF THE SERIES (TILL JANZ). Louis XVI silhouette before
in his now famous Louis
Ghost chair, made for Kartell
using see-through plastic.
But for Dior, he insists, “this
is the ultimate—we cannot
have less.” By reducing the
original Medallion (which
Dior once described as
“sober, simple, and above all
classic and Parisian”) to a
skeletal form so thin that
only one metal-injection
atelier would agree to the
job, Starck has created what
he dubs “an icon of an icon
of an icon”. His aluminium version can
be gussied up in three finishes—black
chromium, pink copper, or gold—and
ordered matt or polished. Each got its
moment in the spotlight during the
brand’s cinematic presentation at Palazzo
Citterio, unveiled during Milan’s Salone
del Mobile design week in June. The
stackable chairs, their backs stamped
with a Dior logo, come with arms,
without, or, perhaps most poetically,
with a single rest, meant to nudge the
sitter into an elegant leaning pose à la
Marlene Dietrich, whose portrait
inspired the idea. “Don’t forget, we are in
Christian Dior,” says Starck with a laugh.
“We are in haute couture.”

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST 21

Put a Ring
on It
Studio Renn’s newest jewellery
collection finds a conceptual
showcase by AD100 firm Case
Design in a restored ice factory
in Mumbai.

TEXT: AVANTIKA SHANKAR. PHOTO: COURTESY OF STUDIO RE

NN.

THE PRINCESS RING FROM
THE CACTI COLLECTION
BY STUDIO RENN.

D iamonds set in concrete, “With jewellery design, there is always
gemstones placed precar­ a certain framework when it comes to
iously on serrated edges, and weight, practicality, and value,” admits
gold subverted with an co­founder Roshni Jhaveri, “When we
opalescent finish. It isn’t simply the use of want to break out of those constraints,
the material, but the experimental we introduce materials that aren’t
treatment of it that defines Studio Renn’s necessarily seen in fine jewellery.” In the
approach. Earlier this month, the Claw collection, black onyx wrought by
jewellery studio unveiled a new German lapidary Michael Peuster is
collection, Prime[al], with a show crafted into sleek, cascading forms that
decorated by AD100 firm Case Design at are rarely achieved in stone. The Cacti
Mumbai’s hottest new cultural centre, collection, inspired by the manner in
IF.BE—formerly an ice factory. With 70 which cacti are often used as fencing
pieces from Studio Renn’s oeuvre, set around fields in rural India, inspired an
within biodegradable displays made of entirely unique way of setting diamonds
rammed earth, bamboo, and rice, the within serrated edges. “The cacti
collection was inspired by a poem represent the idea of protection,” explains
written by studio co­founder Rahul Rahul, “The diamond represents what is
Jhaveri, in which he celebrated “the perceived as precious, protected within
significance of simple things”. Taking off the ridges of the cactus.”
from this idea, the designers considered
themes of nature, the wilderness, and a In this vein, Studio Renn has a
return to raw, unsullied terrain. Artist distinctive approach to discovering and
Sadanand Shirke helped the designers distilling new ideas. “It is out of the study
explore the idea through line drawings of a concept that a vocabulary emerges,
and paper sculptures. What emerged was which we then try to capture in the
a celebration of the most basic instincts of works that we design,” Rahul adds, “The
human nature. jewellery is just a medium to comm­
unicate that thought.”

22 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

Notes From
Gondal In a new cookbook,

the maharani of
Gondal reveals recipes
from a royal kitchen.

TEXT: GAUTAMI REDDY. PHOTOS: PANKAJ ANAND; HARSHITA NAYYAR (BOOK).

THE BOOK IS A DELECTABLE E very once in a while, Maharani many of the skills and techniques that I
COLLECTION OF THE 50 MOST Kumud Kumari of Gondal and went on to learn from her,” she explains,
POPULAR AND MUCH-LOVED her late husband Maharaja adding, “You see in those days, men—even
RECIPES OF THE MAHARANI. Jyotendra Singh would play the maharajas—used to cook!”
host at the Naulakha Palace in the
Kathiawar region of Gujarat. At the pal- The book is a delicious trove of her
ace, dinner would be served on a large show-stopping recipes, from raw mango
mahogany dining table—a standout piece pickle and marmalade to her “signature
in the palace collection—with savouries Gondal chicken”, “curry of Indian cher-
and sweets arranged in crockery carrying ries”, and an amusing selection of fruit
the royal emblem. The food, from these fools for dessert—all of which have been
regal dinners, has been delightfully photographed in precious porcelain, glass,
documented in the form of a cookbook, and silverware that were made in and
written by the maharani herself. ordered from London by her father-in-
law, Maharaja Bhagvant Singh.
“This book is dedicated to my mother,
Manhar Kunver of Bhavnagar, from Simple and authentic, the maharani’s
whom I picked up a penchant for recipes are easy for anyone to try at home.
cooking,” shares the maharani. Along And for those who wish to, there’s always
with her mother, she also recalls her the option to share a meal with the
grandfather, Maharaja Sajjan Singh of maharani at Naulakha Palace—which is
Malwa, being an outstanding cook. “The now a heritage hotel, brimming with the
most interesting recipes I learnt were from finest collections of vintage cars, miniature
my grandfather. He taught my mother paintings, antique furniture, and textiles.
The adventure to Gondal awaits.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST 23

Ground-Up TEXT: DANA THOMAS. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF LOUIS VUITTON.
Change

In France, Louis Vuitton’s LEATHER GOODS MID-CONSTRUCTION AT
new Oratoire atelier signals ORATOIRE, LOUIS VUITTON’S LATEST ATELIER
sustainable ambitions for BUILT ON PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY.
the storied luxury brand.

S ustainability in fashion doesn’t
only mean sourcing green
materials or embracing
circularity. Factories and
workshops can—and should be—eco-
friendly too. Which is why Louis Vuitton
is reconceiving the design of its leather
ateliers with environmental impact in
mind. The first in this initiative is Oratoire,
a 65,000-square-foot single-storey
bioclimatic building in the Loir-et-Cher
region of central France.

Named for its neighbouring wood-
lands, Oratoire is a model of eco-design:
recycled metal for the structure; recycled
cement for the flooring; Forest Steward-
ship Council–certified wood for the walls
(to absorb machine noise); solar panels
on the roof, which generate enough
energy to power the building; and a new
ventilation system of mini windows, with
temperature-activated louvres that allow
wind to circulate through the space with-
out blowing papers off desks. The wind’s
temperature is cooled by a network of
rain-fed ponds and reservoirs that also
nurture local biodiversity.

As in villas of ancient Rome, the
subflooring has pipes that circulate water
to heat the building in the winter and cool
it in the summer. A bank of 20-foot-tall
windows faces north, bathing the work-
shop with diffused natural light; the
southern (and therefore warmer) façade
has fewer and smaller windows, and is
shaded by trees. The goal of the company’s
in-house architecture team was to
maintain a comfortable temperature
throughout the building—not easy, since
sewing machines generate heat—by using
natural cooling methods rather than air-
conditioning, which is environmentally
problematic on a host of levels, including

24 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

ABOVE: OVERHANGS AND SLIM WINDOWS LIMIT THE SUN’S IMPACT energy consumption and fluorocarbon
ON THE BUILDING’S TEMPERATURE. BELOW: ORATOIRE MARKS THE emissions. As a result, Oratoire’s energy
FIRST IN A SERIES OF SUSTAINABLE NEW WORKSHOPS. usage is half that of existing Louis Vuitton
ateliers. “Modular and agile, the atelier
Oratoire is the image of our new gen­
eration of workshops,” Louis Vuitton
chairman and CEO Michael Burke said at
the ribbon cutting.

It is also a cornerstone for Our
Committed Journey, Louis Vuitton’s
programme to improve its environmental
performance and reduce its carbon
footprint by embracing circular creativity
on every front. In the 168 years since it was
founded, Louis Vuitton has produced
quality leather goods that last for gener­
ations. Now the company is applying that
same ethos to everything from fashion
shows to boutique design. At the Met
Gala in New York City in May, Louis
Vuitton dressed several guests in vintage
archival pieces, thereby encouraging re­
wear (an easy circular practice) on the red
carpet. For years, the company has
incorporated certified eco­practices, such
as renewable energy and LED lighting, in

its store designs. By 2025,
Louis Vuitton has pledged to
reuse or recycle all event and
store­window materials, and
rely solely on renewable
energy in its production and
logistics sites.

Following Oratoire’s lead,
two more Louis Vuitton
bioclimatic workshops are
due to open in France this
year—one of them in the
Drôme, a southern region
known for toasty summers,
where the design team must
harness and tame the fierce
mistral wind. Should
Oratoire’s natural air­
cooling systems prove
themselves to be efficient,
Louis Vuitton will recreate
them here and in the brand’s
other future workshops.
Atelier Oratoire, LVMH
chairman and CEO Bernard
Arnault told the crowd at
the inauguration, reflects
the commitment “we are
making for the development of our
activities in a sustainable manner” and
“our respect for our environment”.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST 25

At Home Reflecting on his design archives
With Vincent and personal interiors, Vincent Van
Duysen crafts a refined collection
of furniture for Zara Home.

TEXT: ALIA AKKAM. PHOTOS: FRANÇOIS HALARD.

VINCENT VAN DUYSEN’S With his 60th birthday Van Duysen, which debuted online and in
COLLECTION FOR looming, Belgian architect select global flagships with a slew of tactile,
ZARA HOME INCLUDES and designer Vincent Van elegant selections for the living room. Van
THIS GENEROUSLY Duysen was gripped by an Duysen—who imagines meditative, mini­
PROPORTIONED LOVE SEAT “introspective mood” when hatching his malist interiors and products for the likes
WITH A WELL-PADDED inaugural (and very personal) collection of of Flos, Kettal, Kvadrat, and Molteni&C
FRAME, A DOWN CUSHION, furniture for Spanish houseware behe­ and Dada—was enamoured with the idea
AND LINEN UPHOLSTERY. moth Zara Home. This contemplative of democratizing his work through a
mindset prompted him to plunge back collaboration with such a prominent,
26 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 into his more than three decades worth of affordable brand.
archives, reconsidering his designs of yore
with fresh perspective. “It was a lesson,” he “I’ve spent 35 years building up my
tells AD. “How could I precisely describe name, my career, my aesthetics, and my
my style and determine what people are DNA, and I’m here to inspire, so that
interested in from me for their homes? I anybody in the world can buy beautifully
had to look backwards.” crafted furniture at a decent price from
me. I want my pieces to be in everyone’s
Now, a few months after his milestone home, no matter who they are and no
birthday, the architect and designer is matter at what scale,” he elaborates.
pleased to unveil Zara Home+ by Vincent
There is a significant level of detail

THE SOFA AND ARMCHAIRS ARE EACH rendered in the objects, which embrace Antwerp and Portugal to explore the
AVAILABLE IN LINEN, COTTON, OR earthy materials such as Campaspero materials, textures, and hues that define
BOUCLÉ UPHOLSTERY. ABOVE: THE OAK limestone and linen, showcase notable his oeuvre. “I started to pick out some
AND WOVEN-LEATHER LOUNGE CHAIRS joinery skills, and possess “understated, items, revisited them, and made them
ARE ALSO AVAILABLE IN AN ALL-BLACK simple, recognizable forms”, as Van even purer, stripping off anything exces­
WOOD AND LEATHER OPTION. Duysen puts it. sive,” he says of the process. “There are also
my bone colours, my warm browns, my
In the line are comfy bouclé sofas and dark greens, and my smoky greys that I
armchairs imbued with British sens­ took out of the palettes from my homes
ibilities, sleek stools with subtly curved for the upholstery.”
seats, and sculptural side tables fashioned
out of heat­treated thermo­ash wood. As each reimagined mock­up was
Along with leather­adorned oak lounge completed, it elicited the “feeling of
chairs; stark, low­slung coffee tables; and coming home, which actually is the
accent consoles, there are also graphic purpose”, Van Duysen points out.
table lamps, accessories, and hand­ Currently, he is enmeshed in plans for the
knotted rugs that reference Van Duysen’s year’s second release with Zara Home.
affinity for the herringbone pattern. Dropping later this year, it will be devoted
to dining­room furniture—and once
To achieve such a line­up, Van Duysen again, the past will be at the forefront.
began by taking stock of his own homes in

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST 27

Hot Pink TEXT: RITUPRIYA BASU. PHOTOS: SAMANTHA COPPER. STYLING: SOPHIE PEOPLES. VISUALS EDITOR: JAY MODI.
in Cali

AD visits Sana Javeri
Kadri’s pad in Oakland,
California, from where
she runs her spice
company and fashions
her kaleidoscopic
dreams and interiors.

There’s nothing shy or SANA JAVERI KADRI’S HOME-OFFICE—IN HER TWO-BEDROOM COTTAGE IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA—IS PAINTED
restrained about Sana IN A BRIGHT HOT LIPS PAINT BY BENJAMIN MOORE. THE CHAIR IS FROM HAY, THE RUG BY CASA OJO. SIDEWALK
Javeri Kadri’s home. FINDS ABOUND: THE TABLE IS A GLASS TOP ON A SAWHORSE SHE FOUND ON THE SIDEWALKS OF SONOMA;
Something about the THE YELLOW DEVI HEAD IS FROM CHOR BAZAAR. SANA IS DRESSED IN A JUMPSUIT BY ANKURJI, THE FAMILY
two-bedroom cottage—a jungle TAILOR IN MUMBAI, MADE WITH AN IKAT FABRIC FROM MANGALDAS MARKET; THE EARRINGS ARE BY SAEYRI.
gym of shapes and colours—feels
very on-brand for Sana, almost
like a visual echo of the maximal,
joyous identity she’s crafted for
her U.S.-based spice company
Diaspora Co., which sells organ-
ically grown, single-origin spices
from family-owned farms across
India and Sri Lanka. Perhaps it’s
the gleaming, impossible-to-
miss colours? “My friends often
joke that my house feels like the
Diaspora Co. headquarters,” says
Sana. “Quite honestly, this is
where a lot of the action’s at.”

Sana founded the company in
2017 in an attempt to decolonize a
commodity that has historically
been built on a system of
oppression. Today, the brand sells
a smorgasbord of single-origin
spices—including pepper from
Kerala, dried red chillies from
Manipur, and Kashmiri saffron—
and pays its farmers an average of
six times more than the
commodity price.

While Sana was busy juggling jobs as a
freelance photographer and a line cook at a
Mexican restaurant, and later bootstrap-
ping her spice company, she spent much
of her early years in “god-awful” rentals,

28 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

TOP: THE PINK ACCENT ARMCHAIR THAT MATCHES until she found a quiet little cottage in
THE LIVING-ROOM FIREPLACE WAS A SIDEWALK FIND. Oakland, California. “I bought the house
ABOVE THE FIREPLACE IS A CUSTOM HAND-PAINTED for its beautiful neighbourhood and for its
DIASPORA CO. SIGN BY A FAMED OLD DELHI PAINTER- access to hiking trails, but it was a real
ARTIST, KAFEEL. THE PINK AREA RUG IS BY BLOCK fixer-upper,” says Sana. “I spent the first
SHOP, THE CUSTOM COFFEE TABLE BY KOOIJ, THE year fixing the plumbing, the sewage, the
WOODEN LADDER SHELVES FROM DESIGN WITHIN leaking roof, and realizing that I don’t have
REACH, AND THE BRASS LAMP FROM WEST ELM. central heating. I had to deal with so
LEFT: THE CUSTOM DINING TABLE BY WAKA WAKA IS much of the practicalities that I didn’t get a
PAIRED WITH DUSEN DUSEN 01 CLEO CHAIRS FROM chance to have fun with it.”
DIMS, A COLLABORATION WITH DESIGNER ELLEN
VAN DUSEN. THE BOOKSHELVES ARE FROM FLOYD, This year, though, things changed. Ask
A DETROIT-BASED DECOR BRAND. ABOVE: ON THE Sana when her creativity took the wheel
KITCHEN COUNTER ARE A MONSTER PINCH SALT and she promptly points at a yellow,
CELLAR FROM SHOPPA BY BEATA HEUMAN, A MASALA Ravinder Reddy–esque sculpture of a
DABBA BY DIASPORA CO., AND A YELLOW FRUIT BOWL woman’s head in her home office. “It star-
FROM THE RAAWII STRØM COLLECTION FOR MOMA. ted with Chor Bazaar—as all good things
do. That’s where I found the piece,” says
Sana. “I grew up going to the Bazaar with
my mom (AD100 architect Shimul Javeri
Kadri) and seeing her take beautiful
objects from the street and apply them to a
modern context. I committed to working
on this house when I found this piece and
lugged it from Mumbai to California.”

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST 29

ABOVE: A SURF GIRLS ART PRINT BY LEAH The rest fell into place slowly. A tur­
REENA GOREN HANGS ABOVE THE BED, quoise dining table by designer Shin
DECORATED WITH THROW PILLOWS FROM Okuda and a Dirk van der Kooij coffee
DESIGN WITHIN REACH, SHEETS FROM IN table—which looks like gooey acrylics
BED, AND A MUSTARD THROW FROM GJUSTA were smeared across the table with a
GOODS. THE LAMPS ARE FROM CONWAY palette knife—underscored Sana’s love
ELECTRIC; THE SIDE TABLES ARE FROM and need for colour. “They were my first
VALYŌU FURNITURE. RIGHT: THIS BATHROOM IS ‘grown­up’ buys,” she reveals. “It was
PAINTED IN DUSK PINK BY BENJAMIN MOORE. when I finally painted the walls—hot
THE VIVA LA MUJER PRINT IS BY JESUS pink for the home office, a lucent peach
BARRAZA AND MELANIE CERVANTES, GOLD- for the bathroom—that the space started
FOIL MAP OF INDIA BY UYENO MIYOSHI, AND feeling like home.”
OCHRE WAFFLE-WEAVE TOWELS BY ONSEN.
But the process was not without its
30 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 debates. “I’ve always had this chaotic
approach to colour that gives both my
parents palpitations; I’ll just buy colour­
ful things and put them together till they
work. Recently, I wanted to paint the
kitchen cabinets dark green and I got
completely vetoed by them,” says Sana.
(Update: Since this story was written and
photographed, Sana has managed to
change their minds about the dark
green cabinets.)

“This trial­and­error approach is
something I learnt from them. Our home
in Mumbai was a testing ground for all
their experiments; once my parents
wanted to make a bookshelf with a glass
screen, and the first time they tried it, the
screen shattered; but then they tried again.
I’ve seen our house go through so many
renditions over the years, and that kind of
gives me the space to make mistakes.”

Brimming with echoes of India—from
the metal dabbas used to store grains in the
kitchen, to the Diaspora Co. sign hand­
painted by Painter Kafeel, an artist from
Old Delhi—Sana’s home is where much of
her life and work come together. “Our
dream garam masala, which we’re
launching this fall, was born in my
kitchen, and most days the team has lunch
on the deck over my garage.” A place
where her many worlds collide, this
colourful, cosy little cottage has become
an honest­to­God, kaleidoscopic
reflection of Sana Javeri Kadri.

PHOTO: ASHISH SAHI/AD INDIA

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN THE WORLD

Botanicals
in Brooklyn

AD visits Sourabh TEXT: NICOLE NEWBY. PHOTOS: CHERYL MUKHERJI.
Gupta’s studio in
Brooklyn where he SOURABH GUPTA IN HIS BROOKLYN STUDIO—TO THE
crafts his lifelike RIGHT IS ONE OF HIS SIGNATURE PIECES, A LOTUS
botanicals that then PLANT THAT’S A TRIBUTE TO HIS INDIAN ROOTS.
appear on gowns at
the Met Gala or on
large scale sculptures.

Ten days before the 2022 Met
Gala, Sourabh Gupta found
himself holed up in his New
York studio, meticulously
crafting a spray of ivy at the behest of
Oscar de la Renta CEO Alex Bolen, who
had first discovered the designer’s work
through Instagram. The final sculpture
was draped over heiress Ivy Getty, app­
earing like a seamless extension of her
vintage lace gown, vines climbing
gracefully up her back, and forming a
delicate halo around her bouffant. “The
original idea was to work with copper or
brass and paint over it. But we also
wanted it to have a softer, more gentle
quality. So we used paper that was
prepared in a way that it turned almost
velvety with a metallic sheen,” he ex­
plains. This is the second time his work
has appeared on the Met Gala red carpet;
in 2019, he handcrafted 300 white paper
daisies that were appliquéd onto a gown
worn by fashion designer Tory Burch.

Gupta’s creative process is rooted in his
childhood. “Art wasn’t the centre of life”
in the small town of Hiranagar, Jammu
and Kashmir, where he grew up, he
explains over a video call. “We lived in a
small house with only one room
and a courtyard. I spent a lot of time
creating things to decorate it.” Gupta
would use any available supplies he
found, going as far as making his own
potter’s wheel using one from his
brother’s old bicycle.

After training and briefly working as

32 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

EXPERIMENTING WITH an architect in India, he
DIFFERENT MATERIALS, won a scholarship to
INCLUDING PAPER, the Parsons School of
BRASS, COPPER WIRE, Design in 2018. He
AND ODDS AND ENDS moved into an 8-by-10-
IS AN INTEGRAL PART foot corner of a friend’s
OF GUPTA’S PROCESS. home in Harlem, and
turned it into his make-
shift studio space from
which he began creating
lifelike botanical sculp-
tures that are now his
signature. Right from
the start, he saw poten-
tial to expand his work
to wallpaper, furniture
design and so on.

As they might in
nature, Gupta’s crea-
tions have taken over his
new 550-square-foot
studio in Brooklyn,
which he moved into
this year, turning it into
a mini “jungalow”.
Though creations such
as brilliant orange nast-
urtiums, jewel-toned
lotuses, and pink-tinged
roses seem incredibly
lifelike from afar, he explains that his aim
is neither realism nor to create an
idealized version of nature. “I’m more
interested in looking at the whole picture.
I realized [these sculptures] start to be-
come very boring to me unless it’s a micro
world of its own where there are insects,
bug bites, yellowing leaves, and wilting
blooms.” There’s also a certain other-
worldly, poetic movement to each petal,
leaf, and stem. This, Gupta says, is his
goal: to capture the essence of a flower or
plant, a moment in time etched in his
memory, much like a watercolour artist
may depict a landscape.
No material is off limits—Gupta has
fashioned prototypes from paper tinted
with coffee, mustard seeds, Amazon pac-
kaging, and a kitchen sponge, and in one

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST 33

BELOW: A WORK IN PROGRESS. BOTTOM: A case, used bristles of a shoe-polish brush to
LIBRARY DEDICATED TO DESIGN OCCUPIES craft a dandelion. As he gives AD a virtual
PART OF GUPTA’S STUDIO. “I SPEND MY tour of the studio, we also get a glimpse of
MONEY ON TOOLS AND BOOKS,” HE SAYS. the organized chaos that is his workspace,
littered with sketches and works in
progress. His inspiration is equally varied,
from vintage botanical illustrations,
miniature Mughal paintings to the
exquisite work of Sabyasachi Mukherjee.

In the works are collaborations with
French designer Joseph Altuzarra; the
Brooklyn Botanical Gardens; Lilanur, a
boutique perfumery founded by Good
Earth’s Anita Lal; and a large-scale
installation for The Spiral, an upcoming
office tower by the Bjarke Ingels Group.
He also reveals his plans to turn the
property next door into a gallery, and to
expand his repertoire to include lighting,
furniture, and home decor. “My brain
doesn’t work singularly, and my process
is an extremely sacred thing on its own.
I hold on to finishing a piece. There are
multiple pieces in the studio that are one
step away from being finished. And
I don’t want to finish them.”

34 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

THE LAST WORD IN TRAVEL

PHOTO: ERRIKOS ANDREOU/CONDÉ NAST TRAVELLER INDIA

HAUTE

After the great pandemic-induced pause, the
fashion world is breaking out of hibernation, ever
more stylish. From star couturiers to indie
darlings, AD curates a list of new fashion stores
that have opened this summer. Happy shopping!

ADDRESSES

36 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

FALGUNI

TEXT: NICOLE NEWBY. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE BRAND.

SHANE When Falguni and Shane Peacock decided
PEACOCK to open their flagship store at upmarket
Banjara Hills in Hyderabad, they relied on
Gauri Khan’s inimitable ability to walk the
fine line between luxury and ostentation.
Ivory steps lead into an elegant foyer where
classical details, such as marble flooring and
wall moulding, are offset by glamorous gold
accents. “We want customers to be greeted
by a concierge to give them a luxury hotel–
like experience,” Gauri explains. Further
along, a glittering chandelier—a Gauri Khan
signature—presides over the bridalwear
section without upstaging the couture. The
trial area is larger than life with a gilt-edged
mirror for the bride-to-be and plush,
oversized seating for her entourage. The
ready-to-wear line gets a dedicated space
next to the main store where gilded clothes
racks are dotted with playful peacock-green
drawers and trunks.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST 37

TA R U N For Tarun Tahiliani, the launch of his new
boutique at Mumbai’s Dubash House (AD’s
former address) means many different things: an
opportunity to innovate, an avenue to showcase
new craft, and a philosophical return to the place
where he grew up. Ballard Estate, the business
district where Dubash House lies, is built in the
Edwardian neoclassical style and Tahiliani spent
his childhood years only a few streets away.

The designer says he wanted his new boutique,
which replaces the older one at Colaba, to “have
a feeling of belonging to Old Bombay”. Ballard
Estate, and indeed South Mumbai, seeps into
the image of the boutique in subtle and
fundamental ways: the interiors are decorated in
beige hues; graceful columns of fluted cut-glass
rise up to a high ceiling; and jali screens bearing
Tahiliani’s monogram demarcate different
sections. “I would have been an architect if not a
designer!” Tahiliani jests. Even the edges of the
stone details have been rounded off, in keeping
with Art Deco styling.

The new boutique is characterized by the
“luxury of space” it affords, as Design Temple’s
Divya Thakur, interior architect for this project,
puts it. Silk rice paper adorns the walls, upon
which hang paintings of early India. Parsi-style
marble-top tables and brass handicrafts lend an
old-world charm. The tone-on-tone palette of
the space was a conscious decision, Thakur
explains, as bridal wear tends to be full of colour
itself. At the same time, there’s a juxtaposition of

38 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

TEXT: NEERJA DEODHAR. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE BRAND.

TA H I L I A N I

the luxe and the austere—for example,
mother-of-pearl and stone sit side by
side. This is in keeping with Tahiliani’s
own vision of India Modern.

The boutique’s launch comes at a
crucial juncture for Tahiliani, as he
reflects on how his brand has come into
its own. The last two years gave him
time to remould his voice as a designer.
“My whole focus now is on Indian craft
and bringing back the draped form,
which I think India is losing,” he rues.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST 39

TEXT: VAISHNAVI NAYEL TALAWADEKAR. PHOTOS: FABIEN CHARUAU/COURTESY OF THE BRAND.

With earth-toned walls, a serene court- AMPM
yard, and a decidedly meditative air,
AMPM’s new boutique in DLF Emporio is
more sanctuary than store. Label co-founder
Priyanka Modi took cues from her own
warm, minimalist home. The store channels
a curiously monolithic presence. From the
woodland scent to the music, its elements
were designed to “evoke the senses in equal
spirit”. The boutique is divided into three
realms: a tranquil gallery and foyer; a
luminous courtyard with a water feature;
and a space reserved for breathing and
browsing. Modi explains, “We wanted the
space to reveal itself layer by layer, detail by
detail, quietly imbuing a sense of wonder—
like a home that quietly cocoons you from
the din of the world outside.”

40 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

Enlisting the help of AD100 LOVEBIRDS
architect Saurabh Dakshini,
Delhi-based Lovebirds made a
shift from its contemporary ware-
house aesthetic, and embraced the
old-world charm of the annexe of
the 19th-century Wesley Church,
just off Mumbai’s bustling Colaba
Causeway. The primary display
takes the form of a movable
geometric island in the centre of
the store and clothes racks des-
cend from the ceiling. A curved
wood trial room is offset by an
arrangement of black-stained,
brass-accented furniture. The
annexe’s arched doorways, with
glazed frames and wooden louvres,
were left untouched, as was the
terracotta-tiled flooring that dates
back to the 1840s. On the walls, a
poetic series of photographs by
Ashish Shah made in collaboration
with Kshitij Kankaria capture a
theme of intimacy and acceptance.

TEXT: AVANTIKA SHANKAR. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE BRAND.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST 41

After setting up a successful flagship store in
New Delhi, textile designer and “Bombay boy”
Ashdeen Lilaowala has brought his exquisite
Parsi Gara saris to his hometown. “It was only a
matter of time before I opened my store in
Mumbai,” he says, acknowledging the Parsi
community’s historic ties with the city.

Designer Ali Baldiwala of Baldiwala Edge,
transformed the Colaba boutique, which prev­
iously housed Rajesh Pratap Singh’s luxury
menswear, in a whirlwind 45 days. “I’ve always
wanted to recreate a Parsi home,” he says.
Bathed in a dusty rose, it’s elegant and feminine
without being cloying—an exercise in restraint.
The store is subtly divided by furniture and
sheer curtains, creating a natural flow that
guides visitors from one display to the next.

ASHDEEN

42 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

TEXT: NICOLE NEWBY. PHOTOS: TALIB CHITALWALA.

Intricately embroidered, jewel-toned saris and lehngas glimmer from under
clothing racks that were upcycled from the previous store and refurbished with a
fresh coat of taupe paint, gentle tent-like curves and floral embellishments in
brass—a finishing touch that’s a nod to Lilaowala’s botanical designs.

Each flourish is carefully considered: hand-painted niches by artist Kanak
Nanda, inspired by chinoiserie motifs that complement Lilaowala’s own designs,
and custom window laminates with Art Deco and Art Nouveau influences by
graphic designer Ruchita Madhok. Vestiges of the building’s old bones remain in
the form of iron ceiling beams and patterned wooden flooring. “I wanted to have
a blend of traditional and modern elements,” says Lilaowala, who also added sev-
eral pieces of his own ancestral furniture, including the reception table, display
cabinets, and a pair of armchairs. Art Deco–themed chandeliers and brass-framed
windows add glamour and balance out the vintage elements with a contemporary
touch. “It reflects our brand ethos which is to take the Parsi Gara textile tradition
and innovate with it while keeping its essence intact,” notes the designer.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST 43

“This is a special one; it follows two years of a sabbatical from JJ
2017-2019, or as I like to call it, self-imposed exile!” exclaims
designer J.J. Valaya, while describing his recently opened bou-
tique in JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity. “I wanted to carve an
experience that would bring all my loves together—couture
fashion, home design, and photography,” he adds.

Having celebrated the label’s 30th anniversary in July, he ref-
lects on how his style has evolved over the years. It’s a story that
unfolds in each store—“Evolution is the magic of great design!
While my earlier stores had clean, minimalist lines for the clothes
to stand out, today, you’ll witness a symphony of royal motifs,
and the modernity of Art Deco coming together in this space. We
needed to do justice to our core DNA: We love large spaces, we
love maximalism, and making people feel warm and welcome!”

Intricate detailing and ornate craftsmanship tell a grand,
palatial tale across the two-storey, 12,000-square-foot boutique.
The path to this scale of maximalism is a dangerous one to tread—
one that requires fine expertise and discernment to get it right. “It
requires a careful sense of balance,” the designer acknowledges,
a d d i n g , “ We ’re i n t h e b u s i n e ss of l u x u r y a n d we c a n’t b e
apologetic about it!”

This is also the first space that has allowed Valaya to create a
complete living experience and showcase his interior and home
decor line, Valaya Home. The pièce de résistance of the boutique

44 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

TEXT: ELA DAS. PHOTOS: ASHISH SAHI/COURTESY OF THE BRAND.VAL AYA

is “Le Salon du Musée”, a lounge that showcases JJ
Valaya Muse, a collection of five one-of-a-kind pieces
that display intricate embroidery and hand-crafted
detail. Designed to offer a museum-like experience,
the space is clad in dark grey and black with
diaphanous fabric screens setting each garment apart.
The only thing in abundance here are mirrors that
further spotlight the spectacular craftsmanship. “To
me this is like a large installation where all my loves
have come together. Everything I do has to have a
sense of scale!” Valaya says.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST 45

AD x ARTIZE

EARLIER THIS MONTH, ARTIZE ATELIER OPENED ITS ELEGANT NEW
SHOWROOM IN DELHI AND AD THREW A PARTY IN THEIR HONOUR. BUT
NOT WITHOUT SOME FUN! FOOD AND CONCEPT CURATOR EESHAAN
KASHYAP BROUGHT HIS SIGNATURE TOUCH OF HUMOUR AND GLAMOUR
WITH CHAMPAGNE-FILLED BATHTUBS AND ELDERFLOWER SPRITZERS, SET
B E AU T I FUL LY AG AI N ST ARTI ZE ’S A RT- I N S P I R ED I N T ERI O RS A ND P RO D UCTS.

2 5
1

34
67

(Left to right) 1. Shalini Misra, Sunita Kohli,
Gunjan Gupta. 2. Mohit Hajela, AD’s
Komal Sharma, Rajesh Mehra, Condé
Nast’s Armaity Amaria, Ranbir Mehra.
3. Artize Tailwater. 4. Swanzal Kapoor,
Vivek Gupta, Amrita Guha. 5. The façade
of the Artize Atelier in Delhi. 6. Sandeep
Khanna. 7. Punam Kalra, Aarushi Kalra.

46 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

(Left to right) 1. Kohelika Kohli, Dhruv
Chandra, Condé Nast’s Armaity Amaria,
Sandeep Shukla. 2. Wild mushroom
pâté with pistachio confetti. 3. Vikas
Sabharwal, Vikram Chaudhary, Priyanka
Khanna. 4. Chandrika Sahay, Mohit
Hajela. 5. Shonali Majumdar, Debashish
Majumdar. 6. Vritima Wadhwa, Tushant
Bansal, Sanjyt Syngh, Sanchit Arora.
7. Condé Nast’s Ruchira Kanwal, Iqrup
Dhamija 8. Medha Khosla, Saurabh
Dakshini. 9. Eeshaan Kashyap. 10. Ashwin
Alva, Nimeran Singh, AD’s Komal Sharma,
Iram Sultan, Puru Das. 11. Rahoul B. Singh,
Jyoti Kaushik, Uday Pratap Singh.

3 1
7
2 4

5
6

10
11

89

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST 47

AD x GROHE

TO SEEK AND AWARD SOME OF THE FINEST BATHROOM DESIGNS THIS
Y E A R , A D FO U N D A N A L LY I N G R O H E . I N A J U RY- L E D P RO C ES S, W E
ARRIVED AT TEN WINNERS, WHO WERE FELICITATED AT AN AWARDS NIGHT
AT THE PULLMAN HOTEL IN DELHI LATE LAST MONTH. HERE ARE SOME
GLIMPSES OF THAT FABULOUS SATURDAY NIGHT, HOSTED BY GUL PANAG.

4 12

6 1. The winners on stage with the jury and AD and LOCATION: PULLMAN NEW DELHI AEROCITY. BEVERAGE PARTNER: JIMMY’S COCKTAILS.
3 Grohe teams. 2. Rahul Mistri, Bobby Joseph. 3. Sunita
Kohli, Anadya Bhati, Kohelika Kohli. 4. The Grohe
8 Bath & Design Awards’ trophies were designed by
AD100 architect Pravir Sethi of Studio Hinge. 5. Condé
Nast India’s Armaity Amaria, Reza Kabul. 6. Prashant
Sutaria, Alhad Gore, Anil Badan, Hiten Sethi, Khozema
Chitalwala. 7. Pulin Shah, Nikita Maheshwari, Sanjyt
Singh, Shivani Gupta, Ayush Gupta. 8. Amit Porwal,
Pratip Francis. 9. Vivek Gupta, Kiran Gala, Shveta
Khandelwal, Dayna Fernandes, Jai Shah.

5

7
9

48 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022

2 4 5
1

3

8 7
12
6

10 11

1. George E. Ramapuram, Sunita Kohli. 2. Saurabh Dakshini,
Medha Khosla. 3. The winners’ wall at the Grohe Bath &

9 Design Awards. 4. Harleen Kalsi, Apoorva Anand. 5. Tripti

Sahni, Pravir Sethi. 6. Condé Nast India’s Pankaj Singh Parihar,
Shernavaz Bharucha, Harjas Kaur, AD’s Komal Sharma, Sandeep
Khanna. 7. Gaurav Sharma, Akash Thakur, Rishav Batra,
Shveta Khandelwal, Gul Panag, Bobby Joseph, Priya Rastogi.
8. Shernavaz Bharucha, Varun Sama, Sejal Shah. 9. Pooja Jaggi,
Romaljit Banga, Gul Panag. 10. Ravisha Maroo, Sana Memon.
11. Sandeep Arora. 12. Guests with the July-August issue of AD.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST 49

SHOP

OBEETEE
Sunrise Haze rug

from the
Matthew Williamson collection

MAARTEN DE CEULAER MINOTTI STYLIST: SHALINI KANOJIA.
Pile of Suitcases Yoko C ord

cabinet outdoor armchair by
Inoda+Sveje design
ZOYA
Diamond embellished

morganite ring

50 AD ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022


Click to View FlipBook Version