Tusker sculpture (left) | Theyyam Vase (right)
Before anyone else, Prateek Jain and Gautam Seth had a vision to transform spatial design into surreal dimensions and sought to redefine the way luxury lighting is designed and produced in India. The duo that started Klove back in 2009 have always broken new ground with experimentation. Their products, which range from table lamps to totem lights, are not just functional objects, but artworks that express their personal journey to explore the relationship with light.
Their latest venture is a new store of collectibles, made of the same aesthetic of their much-loved brand, Klove. The store which opened its door in Delhi very recently, showcases their diverse and eclectic range of products, such as candle holders, vases, decanters, and sculptures, all made from handblown glass. It is designed to reflect their philosophy of playing with objects and light and exploring their form in different dimensions. It also marks their debut foray into the retail space, as they aim to reach a wider audience and share their passion for glass art.
In this interview, Prateek Jain talks about the aesthetics of the store and how it represents their creative vision. He also shares the challenges and opportunities of entering the retail space and their future plans for expanding their brand.
Pebble Table Lamp (left) | Tusker Dhoop Diffuser (right)
Can you share the journey of transitioning from expansive designs to creating intricate collectibles?When did this evolution begin and what inspired it?
The sweet thing is that actually when we started Klove in 2005, we started with collectibles. It was for smaller accessories and then we gradually transitioned over a period of time as we became good and more comfortable with doing lighting installations and then got into the realm of doing larger light installations. Just the practice was such that we kind of left this aspect behind and moved into doing the installations. And about two years back, we wanted to revisit—doing more smaller home accessories and a range of collectibles. It took us some time to get into this, and we sort of decided to bifurcate the brand into two; Klove, which already existed, and then create another brand called collektklove, which was going to be about the gifts and collectibles.
Shankh sculpture (left) | Tusker Vase (right)
As this is your first foray into the retail space, what were the initial conversations around the vision for the store’s aesthetic?
This is our first time. A model that is completely retail and very different from what we have doing over the year but we wanted to carry forward the aesthetic of our gallery in Green Park and into this space. So that there is a DNA of the brand that remains the same and took this large space that looks like a blank canvas. A large space but with small products and one big installation. Basically, it’s a pitch roof with the patch on the ceiling and is semi inspired from a barn like space along with the minimalism of Japanese interior.
What inspired the decision to adopt a Japanese interior style for your store?
We decided to do that to bring in the bareness of the space. We wanted the people to come in and for them to be able to appreciate the objects more than the interiors because we are more about the objects rather than the interior space.
Shankh vase (left) | Theyyam Table Lamp (right)
Could you provide insights into the collection currently showcased at your store?
Actually, as designers we have always looked into rituals and indigenous cultures and this connection that cultures and indigenous people had with nature and explore that in our work. That is pretty much what we have always been interested in exploring. We’ve got about six collections right now showing at the store; one of them is the Theyyam collection. We’ve recently launched it on social media and is inspired by a festival down south in Kerela. We’ve done these masks inspired products. We’ve got table lamps and vases at the moment.
Words Hansika Lohani
Date 11.03.2024