Q What made you enter this creative field?
My mother has influenced me a lot, she has an impeccable taste and a great eye for the unusual. She’s a botanist by training but ventured into hand-block printed textile business in early 2000. I would travel with her to the block printing villages in Rajasthan and that exposure of watching the craft up-close made a difference. She encouraged me to formally study design and that led me to study textile design at NIFT, Delhi.
There has been no looking back ever since.
Q How would you define your work?
I would say that my work is a blend of my heritage and my experiences, it is an amalgamation of the past and the present. I’m very influenced by the extraordinary wealth and diversity of the Indian decorative
art and textile traditions.
Q Emerging trends in 2016.
Snigdha Shekhar, Founder, CEO and Creative Director of Arushii, a home textiles and furniture export company, talks to us about her influences, her work and more Impressions: Devika Gupta Harmonious Luxury Designer Speak I don’t follow trends because I believe it limits the thought process. However, considering the chaotic times we live in and all that is happening around us, I do see (or at least hope for) a shift to toned down aesthetics. I would say simple lines, easy silhouettes, usage of sustainable materials and a step away from forced and wasteful opulence to a more understated version of luxury is trending.
Q Difference between Indian and international trends, in terms of design and aesthetics?
I think in this day and age the lines are very blurred. We have access and exposure to so much information that its hard to compartmentalise influences as Indian or International. Indian design has always been led by its cultural inheritance and that’s what sets it apart.
Q Any new assignments/ ventures?
We are very excited to be re-opening our furniture and textile store ‘Artisan Luxe’. We have relocated to a new space in Delhi and will be making the announcement soon.
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