Robb Report 2020
ROBB REPORT is an exclusive guide to affluent living for individuals who have a passion for celebrating life and success, it is considered to be the leading authority on luxury in the world. Showcasing the good life, products and services available from the most prestigious luxury brands around the globe and publishes the most unique and exciting experiences the world has to offer. It encompasses all facets of luxurious living: autos, yachting, aircraft, real estate, style, jewellery, watches, art décor, culture, travel, sports and the epicurean world.
Design High
A lifestyle and tailored goods business offers bespoke interior solutions that showcase Indian craftsmanship in a strikingly contemporary design and win a global appeal.
Think Design, be local, and go global. This is the mantra at LOCO Design, a design business that blends refined Indian craftmanship with cutting-edge technology to offer clients a taste of sheer luxury.
Co-founded by Parminder Pal Singh in 2011, the business specialises in product and design solutions anchored by craftmanship, innovation, heritage and personalised service.
To cater to a wide-ranging clientele with varying tastes, the business has founded three brands- Madheke, Pintark and Taamaa, each distinct yet with a shared vision, they operate across tailored luxury, interiors and retail lifestyle.
While Madheke blends crafted excellence with modern luxury and provides lifestyle goods reflecting the finest in craftmanship, innovation and heritage, Pintark showcases the crafting and material expertise by way of producing traditional and technology-led crafting for interior solutions across surfaces and artworks. Taamaa specialises in décor, furniture and accessories for modern living. It caters to a much younger clientele, those living in upscale apartments, whose choice of home interiors includes a designerly aesthetic as a part of their lifestyle.
”LOCO Design’s core philosophy is to enhance the aspiration of everyone involved, be it the team, client or the audience. We want to bring recognition and an understanding of Indian craftmanship to audience worldwide, through intelligent, refined and innovative contemporary design,” says Singh, a NIFT-graduate, whose design background and sensibilities find echo in every creation. His passion for meticulous detailing, bridging traditional craftmanship and new technologies, can be seen in the work for a number of well-recognised global luxury lifestyle brands. In fact, to commemorate 100 years of Bentley Motors, LOCO Design was commissioned by St James’s House to design a memento for the RREC (Rolls=Royce Enthusiasts’ Club, the international club for the iconic brands), to celebrate the vision and journey of Bentley.
They created the 3L Shatranj chess set, inspired by the original Bentley 3-Litre that was launched at the Bentley 100 Celebration, Exploring the Extraordinary, in London 2019. This year, LOCO Design has received Indian’s Best Design Awards 2020 for its textile innovations, Perla and Pyramis.
”We also collaborate with architects and designers to create private residences, hotels and entertainment spaces,” informs Sing. The Raymond office at Bangalore, CaratLane retail outlets across the country, part of the ‘Piramals’ residence in Mumbai and the new Porsche showroom in Delhi are a case in point.
Having been in the business since 1997, Singh has been tapping the powerhouse of the Indian craftsmen and women and their fine skills to create products with a contemporary appeal and with global aesthetics.
Be it crafted metals, rare skins, carbon fibre, fibre glass, resin or textiles, the sheer range of textures and materials that they play with, taps into the skills of a varied range of crafts from across the country. These fine handmade products seamlessly meet high-performance materials and tectonic detailing to create a new lexicon in contemporary design inspired by the old-world tradition.
”Our design is the key to a steady clientele and the last six months have given us the time and space to realign ourselves, relook and focus on design even more minutely. With business growing by 15-20 per cent (by year-end), it endorses the fact that we are on the right path,” says Singh.
LOCO Design is already surging ahead and plans to expand the manufacturing facility, from its current 2,10,000 sq. ft. space. Also, the LOCO Design showroom art Gurugram will see an extended facility from its present 6,000 sq. ft. to 12,000 sq. ft. It bodes well for the crafts communities as this will lead to a 20-30 per cent growth i employment in the coming months.
Recent innovations by way of introducing the concept of 3-D and laser technology into the creation of products are forward thinking ways of using technology to accentuate the design of the end-product to suit modern-day sensibilities. This will definitely lend a new dimension to the concept of luxury.
“Luxury is as aspirational as the product is,” signs off Singh.