A decade ago, homes witnessed an exciting and somewhat fundamental transformation. The drawing rooms gave way to living rooms. While living rooms were being used to flaunt quirky items from trips abroad, bedrooms’ status was reduced to a second-class citizen. For a place of refuge, rest and love, everyone paid little or no attention to build a snug corner. Bedsheet spreads with matching pillows and heavy duvets with colour-coordinated curtains became the order of the day. “Things have changed for good. Bedrooms are in focus again,” says Arun Garg, president of brand Maishaa. He points to home linen brands and fashion designers who’re working to give a much-needed punch to the long-ignored corner of the house. While Rohit Bal, Varun Bahl and JJ Valaya have their own décor brands, others have tied up with linen brands to launch exclusive collections. Maishaa, on the other hand, has taken an international route. In August, it brought English brand Clarke & Clarke to India.
Clarke & Clarke, the brand that specializes in decorative drapery and upholstery fabrics, unveiled a floral collection with pieces made with a blend of fabrics such as cotton, rayon, linen, polyester, viscose and silk. As prints take the centre stage, birds, flowers and leaves adorn pastel pink and peach coloured upholstered chairs, curtains, cushion covers and blinds. “Clarke & Clarke’s design sense and play of colours will connect well with Indian décor aesthetics,” says Garg. Designed and manufactured in Haslingden in Britain, the collection is available at Maishaa’s showrooms across India. And once you’ve felt the finesse of fabrics and understood its uniqueness, the price ranging between `2,200 and `13,000 (per metre) doesn’t seem like a surprising proposition.
Maishaa has, since its beginning in 2007, brought international brands to India. Its first international tie-up was with a German textile brand Nya Nordiska that was launched in India in the summers of 2008. The company has since then collaborated with Spanish brand Revert in 2010 and Turkish brand Persan early this year. “Collaborating with global brands is just one aspect of our brand. Innovation is our mainstay,” Garg explains. Even their first bedding collection, Softmante, was made of a blend of cotton and a superior micro-fibre called sofin created by a Japanese company Toray and is known for its superior softness, hygiene and durability. The resulting product was four times finer than silk and eight times lighter than cotton. Even the thread count—650 per 10 sq cm—was higher than the ones found in the hotel linen. Today, the brand launches several collections in a year depending on the latest trends in home décor.
Garg, who played a major role in establishing Magpie—a steel accessory brand owned by his family—sources all the raw materials such as fabrics from Thailand known for their unmatchable quality. In fact, his team of designers, craftsmen and manufacturing experts work at Maishaa’s associate production unit in Thailand. Once the designs are finalized, prototypes are made for each collection and are put into final production at the same unit.
The luxury bed linen collections, towels and wide range of furnishing fabrics are retailed from its showrooms in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Surat as well as from multi-brand outlets like Home Stop and Home Centre and a network of over 80 furnishing stores across India.
As the brand prepares to unveil a new collection in October, it has plans to launch three more stores by the end of next year. Watch this space. Or, might we suggest, just sleep on it.
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