Minimal and yet strikingly statement-y. That’s Satya Paul’s new concept store at Khan Market, New Delhi. An ‘ode to the eponymous designer, Satya Paul’, the store has white and pink marble stone, glass and metal. There’s sunlight streaming in from the open skylight, adding a fresh vibe to the interiors. With the store, they have also launched a sub-brand: Satya Paul home, with table runners, napkins and a new wallpaper range. With international aesthetics, the collection can fit in anywhere in the world. Rajesh Pratap Singh, creative director, Satya Paul, tells us more about the Satya Paul way of living and why physical stores continue to be relevant.
The store looks beautiful...
It is basically a temple for the brand, a place where we can put the whole universe of the brand together. It’s more of a proper experience centre. This is for a high-street market, a separate stand-alone store.
How has the concept of living spaces changed in your mind?
All of us had a lot of time to spend at home, but that’s not the reason why we got into home. It’s basically an extension of the Satya Paul language and universe. We generate a lot of beautiful artworks and we make some exceptional textiles. So, this is something which was a natural progression. It completes the vocabulary. The customer who understands this language will also, we assume, like it.
It’s (your home) something you paid attention to, made it more comfortable and removed things which weren’t required. And the joy of living, you focused on that... what is important. You revisited those.
As the world opens up, we will go out much more than in the last two years, but what do you think will not change when it comes to living spaces?
We got a crash course in working out of home. We also rediscovered our homes, so to say, in a lot of ways. We focused on what was important. I feel smaller, intimate occasions will become more and more important rather than the larger-than-life crazy, excessive lifestyle that we had. A quiet dinner with friends will become more important. I see a discerning eye on everything we do, focusing on the smaller things and doing it in a better way. That’s where how your home looks and how you curate it becomes important.
How have you married the two aesthetics in the decor space?
We are using Satya Paul artworks, prints, colours... it’s that love for life. Mr Paul used to do a small curated home line which he showed in markets outside India, for a few years. Colour becomes an important thing. Even if we are doing black and white, there has to be a sense of quirk and humour in it. It is international, like you said, it could be anywhere in the world, but still out of India, which is really important for us as product designers.
Have you done home before?
I have been doing it over the years for international markets. In India, we have done a few projects, which are not for retail. It’s an idea we like and is close to our hearts. Fashion is not just clothes. It’s a whole lifestyle project.
How will retail change in the next few years? What is the plan going forward?
What is important for us is to do things correctly. When we started out, Darshan (Mehta), who heads Reliance Brands, it was his vision to shrink the business, get the product right, the stores right and then have a completely new revival for the brand. Each and every store we are doing has to speak the same language. It doesn’t have to be designed in the same way, but it has to be true to the core values of Satya Paul. It has to be one of the finest brands out of India. Each and every detail has to be thought out. For example, this store, which has been designed by Few Steps Ahead, a lot went into it. While the digital space has become important for people to actually buy, physical stores are not going to become irrelevant. We see them becoming more and more curated. A balance of the two will be the key. Brick and mortar has become important to represent the brand in a perfect way.
