In January 2015, I was participating in an international forum, and one of the speakers put up a slide showing all the countries that had significantly contributed to the world of design and luxury. As I looked at the slide, I was confronted with the reality that, despite its array of timeless arts and crafts, India does not find any mention in the global world of luxury and design.
“That can’t be true!” I thought to myself. Despite India’s rich heritage, its precious jewels, luxury textiles and magnificent history, the arts and crafts of the country remain underrated. I realised that what was required was an appropriate branding of India and its “luxury”. It was then that I decided to take it upon myself and launched The Luxury League (TLL) in October 2015.
But little did I know of the headwinds I would face. In a low-income country like India, where many people struggle for subsistence, the word “luxury” is synonymous with decadence and expensiveness. Everyone shied away from associating with TLL. Some government officials, whose support was important for the success of this venture, refused to support TLL and its initiatives. I knew that I had to change perceptions and mindsets and I had to do it quickly. I recognised very early on that the reason Indian arts and craft did not find global recognition was the way they were packaged, marketed and branded.
In a conversation I had with Patrick Thomas, the CEO of the world’s premier luxury brand Hermes, I realised that people perceived the quality of Indian products with the shabby way in which they were packaged. Patrick told me about his fascination with the incense sticks sold by Indian vendors in Paris. He said he was shocked that a product as luxurious as that was sold for only 2 Euros. “If Hermes was selling it, we would package it as a luxury product and sell it for 100 Euros”, he said.
I immediately recognised the problem and the opportunity it presented. I developed a forum where top luxury brands of the world could interact with decision-makers, artisans, craftsmen, corporate global brands, consumers, as well as Indian government officials, to re-imagine the connotations of luxury in an Indian context.
TLL was formed, as a not-for-profit foundation, with the mission to create an environment conducive to creative thinking through dialogue and exchange of ideas among like-minded people, purveyors of luxury, global decision-makers and government officials.
The goals of TLL are to enhance brand India globally, through its arts, crafts and brands, and by reflecting all that is distinctly Indian and authentically unique.