Bold and beautiful works of the India-based Klove Lighting Studio

A look at the bold and beautiful works of the India-based Klove Lighting Studio, which now hopes to become a leading light in Dubai's growing design industry

Ancient Indian sages always believed that light was the vibrating energy of life - and Delhi-based Klove Lighting Studio is using this idea for its designs. Klove comes to Dubai for the first time next month and proves that "Made in India" can really be about taking the traditional and turning it into something modern, fantastical and unique. Klove recently received the Elle Décor International Design Award in India for designer of the year and has become a leading name in design in India; and now they hope to shine some of their very dynamic and creative light over Dubai as they come here for Downtown Dubai  (the region's only quality-driven design fair) next month.

Today, Klove - started by Gautam Seth and Prateek Jain a decade ago out of Prateek's garage - is a 100-people strong studio, and is a name to be reckoned with in India. Its works can be found in fashion designer Manish Arora's Paris store and the Christian Louboutin store in Mumbai. These boys knew they wanted to add spice to the design industry from the time they started. Says Prateek, "We called our brand Klove as it resonates with our work and how we want our audience to perceive us. Clove, as a spice, is sharp and therapeutic; it is also essentially Indian. Most of our work is deeply rooted in India. We were born and brought up here, our influences are Indian but our outlook is international." Both Prateek and Gautam enjoy, and spend a lot of their time, travelling - and they believe this is what keeps their inspirations so diverse. With installations named chakra, peacock and nathwara - the Indian connect is evident. But the look is clean, contemporary and confident. Glass is their main medium and they work hard with craftsmen to keep the skill of glassmaking alive in India, yet relevant to a young audience that has exposure to the best in global design. Unlike many other materials, glass can be blown into whatever size or shape these boys imagine. Their peacock installation has become the talking point of the new Mumbai international airport, Chhatraprati Shivaji Terminal 2, which is home to over an estimated 7,000 exhibits. The Klove piece occupies pride of place in the first class lounge. India's national bird is recreated using blown glass and beaten metal, and the fanned feathers are made of 48 thin glass stems that remind you of laboratory equipment; it is these kinds of juxtapositions that make Klove's designs stand out. There is a feeling of the unexpected when you look at any Klove design - be it their artichoke pendant light or the deer chandelier and wall-lights.
They started with smaller products such as vases and candle stands, though today they are known for scale. One of their most recent projects is the "Mandapam", and this limited edition wedding canopy - based on the traditional Hindu mandap, with 44,000 Swarovski crystals - shows how Klove is able to adapt to the market.
Interestingly, neither of the brand's owners studied design: Gautam studied chemical engineering and Prateek studied business before working in his father's civil construction company. And perhaps it's because they have no training that they are able to think so outside the box. 
Though design and decor are probably not crafts you associate with India, they have a long history. Prateek says, "India has always had an amazing resource centre for skilled artisans. Unfortunately, not many people from India have made a mark in design." But the Klove boys feel this perception is slowly changing.
Now, Prateek and Gautam feel like they're ready to make their story international. They have shows at international events in Paris and Frankfurt, but feel next month's Downtown Design is their first major international outing. Klove has done a few projects in the region already and believe Dubai is the natural next step for a brand that has already gained momentum in India.
And since Dubai is known for its love of scale, something that is a specialty for the Klove boys, they are happy to bring their installations here. Says Gautam, "Our collection always starts with a feeling. We look at our work as an experience. An aspiration. We want our audience to buy that aspiration. So we want the customer who walks into our show or our studio to take back that memory with them. We work on that feeling with great detail. The music, the visual, the taste, the smell - everything should remind you of the time spent looking at our work."
sujata@khaleejtimes.com
 

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