Furniture designer Gunjan Gupta takes her collectible tableware online, while Design Miami/ Shop supports artists from 52 galleries
ikkis.in
After expanding their international reach with Italian design platform, WallpaperSTORE*, and the Asia website of Design Anthology, this New Delhi-based lifestyle brand has now launched their own e-commerce site. Designer Gunjan Gupta’s Ikkis (‘21’ in Hindi) focusses on using indigenous materials to give traditional objects a contemporary form.
The home page gives a clear idea of the kind of products to expect, with well-shot photographs. If you have a slow internet connection, however, the page may take some time to load. The site navigation is simple and easy, with two categories — Limited and Unlimited — to shop from. The former includes collaborations with master craftsmen across India, which Gupta first curated for the Revelations Fine Craft Biennial in Paris last May.
Kangan, a terracotta/ceramic line, draws inspiration from the women’s wrist accessory of the same name, and is created by National awardee Prithviraj Singh Deo from Orissa. Shatranj features bidriware (pure silver inlay on a metal alloy) combined with miniature terracotta pottery. This fusion is best seen in a bidri chessboard with clay pieces. Meanwhile, Chuha showcases the tale of Hindu Goddess Karni Mata of Bikaner, Rajasthan, who transformed into a rat after her death. The hand-carved marble rats can be found on drinking bowls. The limited editions of 21 pieces each are price on request.
The Unlimited collection of drinkware, serveware and décor reimagines chai glasses with a stem, brass bowls that stack up to form a matka or lota, and a damroo (percussion instrument) designed as a stool with copper mesh. Scrolling over (or single tap on mobile) shows the name of each product, but pricing is not visible unless you go to the page. With a minimal number of products, this option would make the shopping experience quicker.
From ₹1,850 onwards
Up next: Gift cards and wrapping options for the festive season.
shop.designmiami.com
“Collectible historic and contemporary furniture, lighting, objets d’art and more,” promises the new e-store from Design Miami. The online marketplace, launched in late June, showcases over 800 collectibles from 52 international galleries — necklaces to table lamps and ceramics to notebooks.
The annual Art Basel on Miami Beach, slated to take place in December, has been cancelled because of the pandemic. With a $16 million economic impact annually, the organisers aim to support artists across the world by contributing sales proceeds to the GlobalGiving Coronavirus Relief Fund.
Filter by category (jewellery, sculptures, textiles, etc) or galleries. Or choose from curated categories of Brutalist, French Mid-Century or Post-Modern styles. Bestsellers include French product designer Fabien Cappello’s Lampara de Frutas de Bronce, a Francesca Torzo ottoman and Le Corbusier Pierre Jeanneret Chandigarh, India book, published by the Galerie Patrick Seguin. Pieces start from as little as $22.50 (approximately ₹1,700) for an art show catalogue from Milan’s Studio Vedèt and go up to $15,00,000 (approximately ₹11.16 crore) for French architect Jean Prouvé’s Demountable House.
The site’s quick view format offers information such as gallery, product name, price and availability at a glance. All sales inquiries are routed through the respective galleries, so there is no direct purchase on the site. An option to add to cart and buy immediately would perhaps help move things along quicker.
