What does the virtual avatar of the hottest party of the design fraternity look like? AD Design Show, this year in its third edition, has stylishly moved into the digital fast lane. Running from August to November 2021, it lives on a digital platform, showcasing over 80+ brands that pretty much define the design landscape of the country as well as some of the finest international players.
Furniture, carpets, antiques, lighting, paints, flooring, kitchens and baths—AD Design Show captures an entire universe of interiors. Asian Paints, India’s leading home decor brand, continues to be the title partner and a solid support for the design industry at large.
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To launch AD Design Show, the AD team curated a set of house tours and conversations ranging from larger-than-life, Pritzker Prize–winning architects Frank Gehry and BV Doshi talking to each other over Zoom, from Los Angeles and Ahmedabad respectively, to capturing micro narratives of cities, their architectural legacies, public spaces and cultural characteristics. With a series of hyperlocal, city-based panels, AD addresses the diversity of its audience, offering something for everyone. And in classic AD style, the favourite home tours series has returned, and we’ve opened doors to private homes in London, Delhi and Mumbai.
Day One
On Saturday, 14 August, AD Design Show Virtual launched with a special welcome from Alex Kuruvilla, the managing director of Condé Nast India and Amit Syngle, managing director and CEO of Asian Paints. The day began with a spotlight on Bangalore, as architects Sandeep Khosla, Bijoy Ramachandran, Soumitro Ghosh, and interior designer Vinita Chaitanya took the conversation from Whitefield to Freedom Park to the Bangalore International Centre and the Tract and Book Society building—an insider peek into the architectural and cultural landscape of the cantonment town.
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After that, interior designer Iqrup Dhamija opened the doors to her charming farmhouse in Delhi and showed AD audiences a home that holds some fascinating history and craftsmanship. Next, we travelled to Chandigarh with textile expert Mayank Mansingh Kaul who talked about Le Corbusier’s tapestries inside the Capitol Complex—the lesser-known jewels of India’s first modern city. Photographer Edmund Sumner and architect Noor Dasmesh Singh each provided their own unique viewpoints on the Corbusian architecture of the historic city. In the evening, day one was wrapped up with the legends BV Doshi and Frank Gehry, who logged in from their respective homes in Ahmedabad and Los Angeles. Thrilled to see each other after years, even if virtually, their 50-minute-long conversation was marked by nostalgia, wisdom, and an inspirational vision that continues to live on in a fast changing world. The conversation was moderated by architectural academic, curator and author Martha Thorne, formerly the executive director of the Pritzker Prize jury and currently the dean of the IE School of Design in Madrid.
Day Two
On Sunday, 15 August, AD Design Show Virtual travelled to London, New York City, Mumbai and Goa. We started with interior designer Shalini Misra’s London home—a gorgeous 200-year-old Victorian villa brimming with art, antiques and mid-century modern furniture, then moved back to Mumbai, to Pavitra Rajaram’s eclectic, affectionately curated apartment, which featured art and craft from around India.
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Another insightful session was by New York–based architect Diana Kellogg who revealed her personal anecdotes from the making of the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School in Jaisalmer, a project that was awarded the AD Building of the Year. A foreign woman, building in a remote desert in India, across language and cultural barriers, during a raging pandemic, Kellogg’s story is captivating and inspiring.
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In the final session, we decided to go to Goa, along with photographer Bharath Ramamrutham, architect Meetu Akali, interior designer Ritu Nanda, and fashion designer Savio Jon who spoke to designer Anjali Mody, moderator for the session, about the design community’s move to Goa and how they can give back.
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Title Partner of AD Design Show Virtual
Asian Paints continues to be the title partner for AD Design Show, even in its virtual form. In a year marked with challenges, the company has continued to build upon its legacy, and expanded its portfolio, first with Adôr, a range of furniture, decorative lights and furnishings, and six months later, released three more collections, The Pure Concept for Nilaya, PURE–Royale and finally, the pièce de résistance, Sabyasachi for Nilaya. The collection, designed by Sabyasachi, comprises a range of wallpapers and soft furnishings that showcase the illustrious designer's aesthetic that’s immediately modern and yet drenched in old-world romance.
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Exhibit of Leading Indian and International Brands
AD Design Show Virtual brings together the hottest lndian and international brands. Discover them now: