Voyage into the extraordinary homes of 5 prolific fashion designers in India

In the world of fashion, travelling around the globe to seek inspiration is an inevitable supplement. A portrayal of fashion designers’ finest qualities, personal art and artefact collections are a definitive statement. From store designs to personal abodes, these fashion designers employ the distinctiveness of their craft through an array of tangible and intangible forms of display and design. Experience this uniqueness through a dive into the homes of these fashion designers.

Ruchika Sachdev

The living room is where Sachdeva goes to recoup and recharge—in the centre is a Naga coffee table; on the side table is a sculpture by Chandigarh-based artist Gurjeet Singh. A new book by Vivek Vadoliya; a book on Odhanis (veils) from the Calico Museum, Ahmedabad; and an old camera Sachdeva bought while studying in London sit on the shelf above. The vintage towel stand below now acts as a display for a Comme des Garçons scarf—which Sachdeva bought from Dover Street Market—made of scraps from Rei Kawakubo’s atelier, an antique vase from Kochi, and a paper lamp from Hay, Copenhagen.

Tenzing Dakpa

The studio—on the left is a collection rack featuring samples and prototypes from ongoing collections; on the right is a dresser that operates as an organizing desk for projects and collections.

Tenzing Dakpa

Founder of fashion label Bodice, Ruchika Sachdev’s Delhi farmhouse “is a mood, a state of mind, a slice of life, as well as a thoughtfully crafted fashion label,” as said by Akanksha Kamath. A lush and quiet oasis steeped in classic modernism, simplicity is central to the charm of the space. The filtered sunlight presents a sacred glow from the one-acre garden to the interior space. Sachdeva’s love for Bodice is spotted across the house through moments where her label’s fabric intertwines within the quaint sanctuary in the form of artwork and furniture. “My goal was always to have a beautiful green space in which I could survive, thrive, live, and create. And now I have it,” says Sachdeva.

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Nimish Shah

Nimish shah has decorated his home in New Delhi to perfectly express his aesthetic, using a mix of objects he’s acquired over the years and objects created by his own team at Shift Home. The lobby looks into the dining space, with a large framed photo of a 2007 Chloé show in paris; the study is on the right.

Avani Rai

The dining area features a table that Shah designed himself and paired with chairs he acquired from a flea market. The artwork is by Vikram Kushwah, an Indian-born artist now based in England.

Avani Rai

A distinct personal flair and a meticulous eye is what describes Nimish Shah’s home, founder of Shift and creative director of Bhaane. Located in Delhi, this house is a simple and sentimental museum of Shah’s furniture creations. Curated with a mix of objects he’s acquired over the years, and objects created by his own team at Shift Home, Meher Varma says that one must “acknowledge the thoughtfulness the man puts into everything, even naughtiness.” Surrounded by a front garden and a private back garden, an overgrown rubber tree carved with the initial of his name is the highlighted element of serendipity.

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Nandita Mahtani

Expansive windows at each landing let plenty of light into the stairway. The chandeliers are from a concept store in Le Marais, Paris.

Suleiman Merchant

The dining room brings together bespoke furniture as well as centerpieces collected during Mahtani’s travels.

Suleiman Merchant

Wound up within a tropical atmosphere, fashion designer Nandita Mahtani’s home is an Alibag retreat. Designed as a practical abode, dual toned chequered flooring flanks Mahtani’s favourite palette. “My eyes always go first towards black and white,” she says. Designed over a decade ago, the house features French doors that open out from every side, and direct views of the ocean. Mahtani’s travel pursuits are displayed in the form of art and artefacts across the house. For Mahtani, Miami is a great source of inspiration. She says, “Miami has so much creativity—from the way they use fabrics to the use of materials to the interplay of light with space, it gets my brain working in overdrive.”  This three storeyed poolside house is “a modern, classical space that could be used year-round.”

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Mayyur Girotra

Girotra’s love for Gond art is evident in his huge collection of the art form.

Avesh Gaur

These Sachin Sagare pieces are among Mayyur’s oldest possessions.

Avesh Gaur

Bold, flavorful, and quirky define designer Mayyur Girotra’s house. Populated by antiques and collectibles from all around the world, and stunning carefully picked artworks, the house’s neutral toned walls are never left with a bland corner. Swanked with objects bought from a vendor by the highway, to objects brought all the way from Cappadocia, Girotra says that “In my home, just like in my work, there are no rules or definitions. Whatever I feel belongs here, I bring home, and, in the end, everything comes together as a whole.” As Anubhuti Krishna says, the house is “punctuated with a riot of colours through art.” The entire house is tied by a common thread of art. It boasts of a mix of exquisite Indian art forms like Pichwai and Gond, artists like M.F. Hussain and Thota Vaikuntam, and Indian artists like Debashish Paul, Pradipta Chakraborty, and Srikanta Paul.