Architectural Digest India

simple pleasure

At times like this, the luxury of this magazine just isn’t relevant. Of course, we’ve never been more grateful for the safety of our homes than now. But this is not the time for sophistication. Home is simply shelter and our hearts are filled with compassion for the blaze of grief and indignity outside. While there is no headspace for high design, suddenly we find comfort in anything that brings India together. Anything that makes us proud. This issue, dedicated to mango season, has been long in the planning but was always based on the idea of something that felt like a national treasure and a time of year that has more charm than even truffle season in Italy. Nowhere else in the world does a homegrown fruit bring a smile…

contributors

PETER D’ASCOLI WRITER Designer Peter D’Ascoli works with handcrafted Indian textiles. On a recent visit to Rajasthan, D’Ascoli found, “a hidden gem in Shekhawati, an old ruined haveli brought back to life through the vision and talent of the stylish Maria Grazia Baldan”. (pg 142) PANKAJ ANAND PHOTOGRAPHER Pankaj Anand is a regular with Condé Nast magazines, over a career spanning a decade now. In this issue, he shoots the cover story (pg 88). “The shoot for the Mango issue was the perfect creative experiment,” says Anand. SUNHIL SIPPY PHOTOGRAPHER Sippy has been a director of television commercials for over 25 years. As a photographer, nothing inspires him more than the serendipity of the street, the light and the magical unpredictability of the world around him. In this issue, he captures Pondicherry’s yellow streetscape for AD (pg 104). ASHISH…

taped to the wall

If you are wandering about Mumbai’s bustling Pali Hill district, you are likely to stumble upon a mango taped to a wall. Take a closer look; it is in fact a painting. Titled Not Too Alpha, it is newly commissioned by Ashiesh Shah, the designer behind Joshi House, a soon-to-be-opened restobar that has the great Indian Alphonso at the centre of its identity. Eye-catching and imbued with a sense of fun, wit and wordplay, Not Too Alpha is right in tune with the contemporary moment. The concept is inspired by Italian artist, absurdist and prankster Maurizio Cattelan who famously taped a banana—an everyday, perishable object—to a gallery booth at Art Basel Miami Beach 2019. Referencing art history, from surrealism to Marcel Duchamp’s Dadaism and conceptual art, Cattelan’s act at one of…

arm candy

Inspiration often comes in flashes,” says self-taught jeweller Hanut Singh. For over a decade, Singh has been quietly creating his architectural jewellery that blends old-world glamour with a sharp, modern sensibility, a heady mix that has been worn and loved by the likes of Rihanna, Madonna, Meryl Streep and Beyoncé. His delicately designed, sculptural pieces reveal his obsession with craftsmanship, and his love for rare gems and jewels, a passion he shared with his grandparents, Maharaja Kumar Karamjit Singh and Princess Sita Devi. “I don’t direct collections per se. Instead, I’m always adding pieces to my ever-growing arsenal, as I call it” says Singh of his freewheeling process, which is sparked by moments of inspiration drawn from “architecture, music and nature, the most potent of all inspirations”. Working with fire opals,…

à la chandigarh

Shot at Pierre Jeanneret’s iconic Gandhi Bhawan in Chandigarh, Lovebirds’ campaign for its spring-summer 2021 collection echoes the architecture that surrounds it; the angular lines of the building cast sharp shadows, which in turn underscore the geometric roots of the fashion collection. For Gursi Singh, co-founder of Lovebirds, growing up in Chandigarh—amidst the modernist architecture of Jeanneret and his cousin Le Corbusier—whetted his appetite for design. “One can never get lost here. All the roads are planned. There’s uniformity and control. There’s balance between the concrete and the natural,” says Singh of the city that became both backdrop and inspiration for the collection. Everything from “Jeanneret’s Easy armchair, Le Corbusier’s mammoth pivot doors, and the natural landscapes” found its way into the mood boards, and eventually, into the design of the…

tropical modern

It’s an exciting collaboration between two brands of distinct styles. Nicobar’s effortlessly chic and bohemian vibe and the contemporary elegance of FCML India. “We are delighted to collaborate with FCML for this project,” says Nicobar co-founder and creative director Simran Lal, an opinion echoed by Abhinav Khandelwal, managing director, FCML. “With its modern Indian aesthetic, Nicobar offers a fresh perspective on contemporary interiors.” It’s evident with the collections that come under the Nicobar for FCML capsule. The tropical touch is clear in the motifs and patterns on the tiles inspired by the flora and fauna found along India’s coastline. The design balances the elegant with the quirky. “The wall tiles have been designed to effortlessly spruce up every nook without it needing a complete overhaul. Whether you’re using them indoors…