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Interview with Kunal Mehta

Kunal Mehta
Kunal Mehta
Co-founder and Principal Designer
Kanchi by Shobhna and Kunal Mehta
Kanchi by Shobhna and Kunal Mehta

We have created a niche in luxury home fashion textiles
Kanchi is a brand that has evolved since the year 1999 and continues to focus on the extreme design for the home fashion industry. Its Design philosophy reflects on their deep rooted experience in Textiles, Interiors & Art all of which is translated in their collections through classic, mid century & contemporary styles. The brand also curates furniture & accessories designed & sourced from all corners of the world. Their luxury fabrics insist high-quality finishes to deliver a true bespoke experience. In an interview with Fibre2Fashion, the brand’s Co-founder and Principal Designer Kunal Mehta discusses luxury home textiles, biggest projects, clients, and more.

How has the niche for luxury home textiles evolved in the last decade in India and abroad?

Luxury home textiles—including rugs, bed and bath linen, kitchen or home accessories—have seen tremendous growth in the past decade in India and globally. The global home textiles market is projected to grow to $145.05 billion by 2026. Post-pandemic we have seen steady increase in textiles or fabrics made with eco-friendly materials and sustainable practices. Our clientele in India, the US, Italy, France and other parts have shown inclination towards using more linen, woven fabrics with delicate embroidery that are crafted to perfection for both residence and hospitality interiors.
 

Has the pandemic led to a surge in the demand for luxury and customised home furnishings and textiles?

During the pandemic, the luxury industry was highly affected. However, there has been a gradual rise in demand for luxury interior fabrics and home furnishings. Many of our clientele have refurbished their spaces giving them a uber-luxe look. These days, people are well travelled, and they do understand how they would like to create their space. With the new ‘work from home’ culture people have been spending more time at home and they are creating lively spaces with interesting textiles and accents that can lift their spirits. For instance, one can use rugs of different texture to add a pop of colour to their workspace.

What has been your biggest project so far? Can you share a few details?

There have been many, from designing and executing India’s first 2 Starbucks - also the world’s most expensive Starbucks for their interiors, France’s largest 5-star hotel, to re-designing and stylising Taj Mahal Palace & Towers post the 26/11 attacks. However, my biggest and best is Bombay Starbucks! It allowed us to play with a variety of recycled fabrics to create elaborate design details from floor to ceiling.

Which geographies do your clients hail from?

At Kanchi, we have designed some beautiful residential homes and hospitality spaces across the globe like The Taj Chambers in Mumbai, The Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur, Oakton House in Virginia, The Lalit in London, Hotel Du Collectionneur in Paris, amongst others.
As of today, we have been catering to clients through our showrooms and designer stores in France, Italy, Germany, Russia, Middle East, Far East and the US.

What kind of Indian weaves, fabrics and artwork is in demand abroad?

Rich Indian textiles like velvet, jacquard, luxurious silks, and soft natural materials have always been in high demand globally. To accentuate any drapes or living space, a touch of lightly embroidered patterns in neutral tones are in vogue. There is a huge demand for eco-friendly materials such as linen and cotton.

What are the biggest trends in terms of fabric, finish, look and feel, colours, and designs in home furnishings and textiles?

In home décor, bold prints and vibrant drapes can complement white walls, giving the room a fresh chic lift. Kanchi’s work is based on interior fabrics that are woven to perfection using contemporary elegant colours, prints, textures and embroideries. Sorbet colour accents in throw cushions are very much in trend along with soft linen textiles. These two can be usually combined for comfortable yet stylish seating in the living room or bedroom. We have seen prints making a huge comeback in jacquard fabrics and this can be seen in our recent collection ‘The Hidden Animals of Tadoba’. It’s a masterpiece that is intricately woven to depict some of the flora and fauna inspired from the work of wildlife photographer Sudhir Shivaram. You can spot some of the hidden animals and birds like the tiger, langur, spotted deer, kingfisher bird amongst others.

What kind of sustainable fabrics and recycled materials have you incorporated in your styling and designs?

At Kanchi, we use a lot of upcycled fabrics to create bed covers and cushions, which we have sold to our existing clientele, making them contribute towards living a sustainable lifestyle. We work in 100 per cent solar active factory; earlier if our bill was ₹10, now it is only ₹1. Even our left-over pieces are given to a children’s foundation where they learn stitching and tailoring. They are also sent to Smile Foundation in Gujarat where they use it for making bean bags, dresses, quilts, and more.

Do you plan to get into affordable luxury or retailing?

We have created a niche in the luxury home fashion textiles space and at the moment we are not stepping into creating affordable luxury. But, yes, we have been thinking about this. We will be happy to share further details once we have a concrete plan.

What are the plans at Kanchi Designs going forward?

We wish to adopt sustainable design processes in light of the present situation in the world. We have something brewing in Bombay, which will be larger than life for the likes of architects, designers, homeowners and others from the fashion and design fraternity. Stay tuned.
Published on: 05/08/2022

DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.