When Vakr Studio launched its Lehar series four years ago, the team wasn’t sure how the market would respond. The collection was unlike anything people had seen—tables and furniture crafted from Indian cane (rattan), interpreted in sleek, contemporary forms. “I was skipping heartbeats,” recalls co-founder and principal designer Devyani Gupta. “Would it work in a colonial setting? Would it hold its own in a modern home? Those questions kept me on edge.”
As it turned out, the gamble worked. Lehar not only sparked conversations but also presented Indian craft in a new light—modern, elegant, and globally relevant. Building on that success, Vakr has now introduced the ‘Compact Series’ within Lehar. The new series—set to be showcased at the upcoming India Design ID Mumbai on September 26-27—distils Vakr’s design ethos into smaller, versatile pieces: coffee tables, side tables, standing tables, and beds that can adapt to shifting spaces and moods. “People want our furniture, but many don’t have the space for larger pieces,” Gupta explains. “With compact designs, you can move them around, set them up differently depending on the day, the gathering, or even a renovation.”
At its heart, Vakr’s work is about reinterpreting traditional materials for contemporary life. Rattan, once dismissed as an everyday utility, is now positioned as a premium, luxury element. “We want people to look at our furniture and start a conversation about Indian craft,” she says. The exhibition is described as exploring the ‘quiet dialect of design.’ For Vakr, this phrase reflects a philosophy of balance–between mechanisation and handcraft, as well as tradition and modernity.
This balance, however, has not been easy to achieve. Artisans long accustomed to traditional methods often resist new approaches, and persuading them can take years. “Each product takes about five years to develop. But when artisans see the final work, the glow in their eyes makes it worth it,” she smiles. Plans to expand into textiles are also underway. But growth, says Gupta, will remain fluid, guided by market response and a spirit of experimentation.
Ultimately, Vakr’s collections are not just objects of utility but carriers of stories—of revival, reinvention, and resilience. They embody a design language that is modern yet rooted, quiet yet powerful.