One of the most sought-after names in the world of interiors right now, Sussanne Khan, opens up on her YOO debut, plans for her interior venture The Charcoal Project, and a continuing passion for creativity and innovation.
On the eve of her new profile as Creative Director of YOO, a speedy way of appraising the extent of Sussanne Khan’s work is to take in the sweeping view from her desk. A curved staircase imprinted with mottos of her foundation philosophy on every step leads to the mezzanine level that houses her work area in The Charcoal Project, her two-storey store at Andheri in suburban Mumbai. The store holds a curated collection by international and Indian designers, along with a furniture line designed by Sussanne herself.Today, Sussanne is prepared to sit across the supersized corner table in this cosy, wooden flooring space and talk about what attracted her to the world of architecture and design in the first place. On most other days, she can be found at the meeting table in the centre of this room with her “girls” from where she commands her design empire.
A doting mother peeps out when she talks of her younger son not being well, missing school in turn, and keeping her from making it on time for our chat. But it isn’t long before she dons the professional hat to narrate her design journey. Idolised by fashion editors and prized by high- profile designer friends, Sussanne is widely known as a leading designer with a knack for transforming spaces. Her story is becoming owing to the career choices that has taken her away from the world of star kids with an available network for a life of success. She tells us, “While I have always been very attracted to the world of design and architecture, I was inspired by the design magazines that would come home to my mother (Zarine Khan, an interior designer herself). I was fascinated by how the world of architecture, interiors and design blended in together. After completing my Arts degree from Sophia College in Mumbai, I knew the world of design was my true calling and that I would like to learn and develop further in this field.” The next thing, she went on to get an Associate ArtDegree in Interior Design from Brooks College, Long Beach, California in the year 1995.
A self -proclaimed victim of a curious mind, she uses her imagination and talents to create design stories inspired by the history of art and architecture through the ages. Her signature is a seamless blend of industrial masculine tone with feminine classical bohemian chic. The mother of two says, “Things have changed a lot since the time I’ve undertaken my formal training. Being schooled in the late 90’s has given me a very hands – on approach to design. And this is something that I bring to the work table till today and my rendering and perspectives are so precise. I really feel for this because my young girls rely on AutoCAD and are very quick but they cannot draw sketches quick enough.”Today, at 38, she straddles the world of fusion architecture, interior design play and original product design with ease. Having over 15 years’ experience working on international design projects ranging from home, restaurant, office, retail, spa to outdoor spaces, the designer says there is still a lot more to learn and grow from. “For me, it has been a journey of evolving. In the beginning, I was drawn into the world of design and now I am wholly immersed in it. Now I look to do my degree in architecture so that I get a formal training and develop my knowledge further.”
What is clearly evident about Sussanne’s success story is the notion of cool, which is key to her creations and her associations. On joining the YOO design family, Sussanne shares that she was introduced to the partners through the developer of the Pune project, whom she considers to be a dear friend. Through this venture, she joins the likes of Jade Jagger, Kelly Hoppen, Steve Leung, Marcel Wanders, all of whom have collaborated with the prolific French designer Philippe Starck.came the meeting in London, wherin we felt an immediate synergy and was very comfortable. Thereafter, the signing took place rather simply,” she shares. Sussanne also cites the design company’s foresightedness and strong thinking about client interaction as what she cherishes most what the YOO partnership. “Our philosophies are very much in sync and I fit very easily into their world of thought and design,” she adds.
Although she is fully involved in pursuing her talents through these varied international associations and projects, Sussanne has not failed to payheed to The Charcoal Project which she refers to as her ‘third child’. Apart from showcasing exclusive lines by renowned designers such as Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla and Andrew Martin, the newest entrant to this 15,000 sq. ft. space are New Delhi- based indoor and outdoor lighting installation studio Klove, headed by Prateek Jain and Gautam Seth.
The store retails a wide spectrum of decor products that range from French antique furniture and modern eclectic furniture to home accessories, dinnerware, table linen, crockery, soft furnishings, installations, artefacts, and limited edition photo art and accent pieces, and witnesses a revamp in terms of its visual merchandising almost every season, an aspect Sussanne is deeply involved with herself.
The more outlandish elements such as gorillas and skull-themed decor pieces are no longer to be seen, yet the understated luxury that Sussanne is in tune with, carries a fashion-inspired statement style, putting her designs in the spotlight. With the store is a resounding success, and her own pret line (priced between Rs 25,000-Rs 2,00,000) hugely popular, Sussanne is now focussed on concentrating more on the design side than on retail, showcasing her growing independence of thought and creation alongside the experience gained over the years, in the world of design.
Impressions: Keshia D’Souza & Riddhima Seal
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