‘We’ve changed. A whole lot!’ – Letter from the Editor
As the world around us changes every minute, we decided to give ourselves a bit of a change as well. Presenting Design Pataki 2.0; we’ve come out slick. Aside from our new look, we also launched DP Cult – a cutting edge platform that provides exclusive access to virtual showrooms of the finest design brands in India, editorial deep dives, and a podcast that deconstructs the design world with leading industry experts.
The Design Pataki Podcast has touched a gamut of interesting topics, with insightful learnings and takeaways from each one; from the incredible journey of sustainable luxury in hospitality design with ‘starchitect’ Bill Bensley, to tricks of the trade with interior designer Vinita Chaitanya who answered some very prevalent questions on plagiarism, photoshopping, and over-styling (“A true coup”, as Iram Sultan, designer extraordinaire from Delhi called it). Dr Miniya Chatterji broke down the term ‘Sustainability’ for us, covering everything from biodegradable plastic to greenwashing, and giving us an insight into the cardboard beds she designed for the makeshift quarantine centers. I had a heart to heart with Cindy Allen, editor in chief for the last 20 years at Interior Design Magazine, New York about advice to talented designers on getting published globally. Cindy’s mother lived in India and helped the underprivileged, therefore a part of Cindy’s heart lies in India.
DP Showhouse has been a roller coaster to conceptualize and execute, to say the least! Showcasing these incredible brands from all across India has opened even my eyes to the sea of local talent available in the country, as cliche as that may sound. From Luv Rohra’s playful Pacman inspired series, to Shailesh Rajput Singh’s elegant fish light installation – our aim has been to champion the thoroughly diverse range of creative sensibilities that exist with India’s contemporary design landscape. Keerti Tunmala, a powerhouse out of Hyderabad, is breaking both barriers and glass ceilings with her wholesale furniture model at Sage Living, while architect Priyanka Narula ushers the humble techniques of cane weaving into the age of parametric design at The Wicker Story. The response to DP Showhouse has been incredible with the stalwarts I’ve always looked up to supporting it, validating all my anxieties about going live with this unique model.
With Pro Editorial, we’ve created a niche for industry insights, through thoroughly researched pieces that dive deep into the design world. The topics covered in Pro Editorial range from case studies on setting up sustainable businesses to our latest piece that talks about the art of identifying antiques from reproductions (From Chor Bazaar to Sothebys)! Presenting authentic, incisive stories on design, art and architecture, these are must-reads for the true design aficionado. A special shout out to Yashesh Virkar, a perfectionist at heart, for making the most incredible sculptural resin pieces for our DP Cult launch!
In an endeavour to bring forth varied perspectives on design, unearth unique spaces from across the globe and create a platform for cross-cultural collaboration, we also launched Design Trails. This curated page of editorial features on design, art, and architecture from international design publications, features compelling stories flavoured with region-specific creativity. We have kick started this collaboration with Design Diffusion, Italy, and Luxury Pret A Porter, Italy, and hope to add in more publications soon, to bridge the gap between Indian and International design.
Our effort to become a global resource for design in India, has and continues to be quite a journey, and we truly hope that you’re always with us for the ride. We hope to be able to travel again soon, so we can bring you the latest from across the globe! Until then stay safe, stay inspired!
