The Cornerstone of Design

Arguably one of the most coveted and hotly awaited design events in the country, the 10th-anniversary edition of India Design, or ID 2022, is back in Delhi this month and brings together both, Indian and international design, décor, and architecture under one roof. The five-day event—which takes place from May 12-15—will showcase the works of 135-plus exhibitors and designers from the world of interior design, architecture, and space aesthetics. We speak to Kamna Malik, Content Director and Head of India Design about the journey so far and what to expect this year.

How has the last decade been?

The last decade has been full of growth and learning. India Design started with one pavilion and just the ID Symposium. Today, it has five pavilions and over 120-plus Indian and international brands. Our speakers come in from all over the world and are the biggest names in the design industry. In the last three years, we have grown in scale and have started doing exclusive architect-designer collaborations and have actively worked towards increasing the scale of the show year on year.

What was the turning point in the entire journey?

The turning point came when we started doing architect-designer collaborations for the show and started creating our own design narratives. Over the years, we have collaborated and done some very unique things with various established names in the design fraternity. Whether it was Sanjay Puri creating a fuschia walkway one year, Sandeep and Tania Khosla discovering stories behind projects last year or Rooshad Shroff putting together the ID Design Factory this year—these collaborations add a new flavour to the show.

How different is India Design 2022?

This year ID celebrates 10 years and that’s the most special thing for us. However, in terms of curation, apart from ID Exhibit and ID Symposium, we have two very special initiatives. There is the ID Design Factory by Rooshad Shroff, where architect-interior designer Rooshad Shroff selects 15-plus decor objects from very young decor brands that narrate a story of their own.

The core principle of the ID Design Factory is to provide unparalleled visibility to the young designer and their product. The curated platform showcases a diverse selection of design expressions and materials that young home-grown talent in the country has implemented in designing and creating furniture pieces. There there is ID 10 Collab (ID Collaborations), where 75-plus architects and interior designers from around the country have created one-of-a-kind unique art pieces using construction waste that are up for sale and proceeds raised from this will be donated to Dastkar, an NGO that works towards the upliftment of artisans.

Tell us about the four verticals this year.

ID Exhibit will host the best in home décor and design with more than 120-plus Indian and international décor brands in furniture, lighting, kitchens, accessories, flooring and home technology. ID Symposium—our creative platform—will witness 25-plus Indian and international minds all coming together for a wonderful three-day conference. ID Honours will continue to celebrate the decade of design in a new form where we will acknowledge 50 architects and interior designers who have changed the face of residential design in India. And, of course, the ID Collaborations, we spoke of earlier.

Could you elaborate on the ID Symposium and the ID Honours?

We have 35-plus amazing creatives speaking at the ID Symposium this year. And it’s not just architects and interior designers. We have everyone from fashion designers, and food enthusiasts to sneaker-heads and art patrons gracing our most coveted platform. We also have some very interesting international speakers. There’s multitalented and multidisciplinary UK-based designer Bethan Laura Wood, we have TEDx speaker and eminent NYC architect Vishaan Chakrabarti, recent RIBA winner Gurmeet Sian and one of Sri Lanka’s most popular architects Palinda Kannangra. ID Honours will continue to celebrate the decade of design in a new form where we will acknowledge 50 architects and interior designers that have changed the face of residential design in India

India Design has had longstanding relationships with partners and other brands. Your views.

Our partners have been very deeply engaged with us for the last decade and have been instrumental in shaping ID to what it stands for today. Our two very important partners are Asian Paints and Kohler who have been actively working with us in changing the face of ID. Asian Paints is our title sponsor and each year launches the Colour of the Year with us along with four design trends that are derived from research and scientific methods. Kohler, on the other hand, is our ID Symposium sponsor and works with us on initiating new design conversations and collaborations that give a new character to ID.

Tell us more about the project that sees India Design associate with 75-plus architects and interior designers from around the country to design one-of-a-kind special art objects.

ID 10 Collab is a special endeavour by India Design to bring together sustainability, design and a social cause. To commemorate our tenth milestone year, and also pay an ode to recycled design, 75-plus architects and interior designers from across India have come together to create one-of-a-kind special art collectables. These unique mementoes have been made using construction waste materials gathered by individual architects, interior designers and their teams from their respective sites. Distinct and unique in style, each collectable has a story to tell. They not only represent and celebrate the versatility of design but also stand as good examples of meaningful tribute. While the bigger idea was to celebrate ID’s 10 years of design excellence, we wanted to do it with a little more thought. Hence, we decided to make this initiative our means of giving back to society. All the object d’arts displayed in this area are up for sale. Each collectable is priced at Rs 10,000 and proceeds raised from this will be donated to Dastkar, an NGO that works towards the upliftment of artisans and craftsmen.