For Lladró, India holds a special place. For a decade, the Spanish brand has added high quality porcelain figurines every year to its Spirit of India line, earning itself a long list of loyal collectors. Brand’s COO spoke to Nidhi Raj Singh about its latest addition, why the brand gives emphasis on religious figurines and its new format store in Hyderabad. Excerpts from the conversation:
Interview | Nikhil Lamba, COO, Lladró India
How has the journey been so far?
2016 marks a decade of our presence in India. It has been a great journey. We have the highest number of company-owned boutiques (eight) in India, much more than any other part of the world.
Where does India stand in Lladró’s global outlook?
It’s not always that the Lladró family picks one market and dedicates its key resources to it, but it is so for India. We’ve an exclusive ‘Spirit of India’ line that takes us a year of ideation and handcrafting in Valencia, Spain. We also add new products each year. Last week, we opened an all-new format store at Taj Krishna in Hyderabad to reach out to collectors on a grand scale. The white interiors are inspired by our New York boutique, designed by Spanish designer Jamie Hayon.
Why the emphasis on religious figurines?
Our ‘Spirit of India’ line has become extremely popular across the world, especially in the US, the UK, Hong Kong and Singapore, so we keep adding to the line.
How many figurines are launched every year?
Around 100 products are launched, spread across two seasons—spring-summer and fall-winter—apart from exclusive festive pieces. This year we have launched the porcelain figure of Shiva, in a limited edition of 720 pieces. We have also introduced Lakshmi figurines.
How was the response to the Mother Teresa figurine?
It received a fantastic response. We are out of stock for the time being and customers have already placed orders in advance for the upcoming shipment.
What’s next?
We are looking forward to giving a new look to our other boutiques, like we have done in Hyderabad.