LuxeBook September -2021

good stead, Dandelion was started by Nair in 2015 as a sleepwear label. They launched their first home collection in 2020, during the festive season and a second in the summer of 2021. “Sleep is such a personal choice. We wanted to give those people who buy from us, our community, a choice which was beyond the confines of their bedroom, and yet very intimate,” says Nair of Dandelion Living. Towards Youthful Aesthetics Dandelion’s founder launched her home edit with dream pillows embroidered with words of intent such as ‘gratitude’ and ‘balance’. The pillows were introduced at a time when the world needed a sense of centring. The brand’s second collection has a host of quirky table mats, cocktail napkins and tableware. As Nair puts it: “We wanted it to be young, whimsical and fun.” According to her, what sets Dandelion apart is the personalised offerings— everything from monogrammed napkins to cushions are available on the site. Tribe Amrapali made the transition from jewellery to homes with a collection that encompasses handmade painting by artists in Jaipur, photo frames, and even pen stands made in silver and gold with intricate designs. Festive objects like traditional silver diyas, small Ganesh idols made with silver and semi-precious stones, and antique silver boxes are also part of the home vertical. When it comes to Shivan & Narresh’s home vertical, some of their core products include eclectic rugs, art wallpapers and table linen, and cushions. The collection embodies the spirit of escapism; the Art Wallpapers, in particular, are representative of vivid travel stories and intricate motifs. And Ritu Kumar’s Home offerings has antique kansa vessels, crockery with Indian floral patterns, votive candles, and cushions in typical Ritu Kumar embroidery and colours. The research for Ritu Kumar Home and her fashion label comes from the same place, and both adhere to the same set of aesthetics unique to her brand. Home v/s Couture Amrapali’s Arora talks of the challenges they faced when trying to design home décor vis-à-vis jewellery. Jewellery is a small-scale item, as compared to home décor. The designers at Tribe Home had to take into consideration the weight of the items in the collection. As most items were made with silver, they could get heavy, and also shoot up prices, something the brand consciously tried to avoid. “While designing, I always consider my personal sense of each design,” says Arora. She imagined how the paintings would look in her house or how the decorative objects would look on her coffee table, before approving the final design. Nair of Dandelion concurs, “I think the ideating process is completely different and more visual.” When one buys a garment, they might wear it for a day or two and perhaps forget about it for a while. But buying prints for one’s home is a whole different ballgame altogether – they must stand the test of time, at least to a considerable extent. Durability then becomes as important as aesthetic considerations. Dandelion and Tribe Amrapali agree that a major challenge was getting consumers to see the brand as more than its established identity in sleepwear and jewellery. “For us, we had our Bagh Wallpaper, Ritu Kumar Peacock Parrot Filigree Antique Silver Box Shiv Parivar Handmade Painting Amrish Kumar, Managing and Creative Director, Ritu Kumar Akanksha Arora, CEO, Tribe Amrapali 10| L U X E B O O K | S E P T E MB E R 2 0 2 1 S E P T E MB E R 2 0 2 1 | L U X E B O O K | 1 1