Shades of India marks National Handloom Day with the launch of its 4,500-square-foot Bespoke Textile Design Studio in Sultanpur, New Delhi, conceived as a counterpoint to a conventional showroom. Co-founders Mandeep and David Housego create an immersive, home-like environment where textiles, art, furniture and everyday inspirations converge, allowing clients to experience craft, texture and scale in context.
On the National Handloom Day (August 7), Shades of India honoured the occasion with the celebration of textile artistry and boundless creative possibility: the launch of its first dedicated Bespoke Textile Design Studio, a vision brought to life by its founders, Mandeep N. Housego and David Housego.
This one-of-its kind space welcomed its patrons, art connoisseurs and people from the industry into the world of infinite creativity and immersive experiences, celebrating nature, craftsmanship, and materiality in harmony. The inaugural day at the studio was brought to life with hand-crafted creations that inspired the mind and soul and stimulated curious observations and artsy conversations. The elements of nature took centre-stage and blended in beautifully with textile installations, natural fibres, sculptural forms, crafted furniture, and richly textured furnishings. Every work was full of character and mirrored the founders’ personal sensibility.
At the heart of it, the space offers an insight into the way Shades of India observes, creates, and brings ideas to life. Interestingly, the imagination and creativity was not solely restricted to textile but the evening revealed how a single source of inspiration can evolve across craft, cuisine, and design. Overall, there came a subtle reminder that limitless possibilities can be imagined and created with simple things around us.
Located in Sultanpur, New Delhi, the 4,500-square-foot studio has been conceived as a counterpoint to a conventional showroom. To get transported to a different world — one that draws attention to the nuances of detail, encourages experimentation, and seeks to translate ideas into tangible experiences — one must visit it personally. Guided by their philosophy of texture, textile and timelessness, the studio adds a feather to their sustained commitment to adapting Indian craft traditions and nuanced understanding of textile processes and craft traditions.
Mandeep elaborates: “The studio is an extension of the way David [Housego] and I have always lived, bringing together textiles, art, furniture and collected objects in an instinctive, unconventional way. Alongside our own textile installations, the space features handpicked pieces from across the country, including sculptures by Lalit Bhartiya, furniture by Vann and art by Stuart Robertson, creating an environment that feels more like a home than a conventional showroom.”
Be it a textured bark, the layered skin of an onion, the geometry of a seed pod, or the changing colours of a market, for Shades of India, these everyday encounters have been a wellspring of inspiration, translated into handcrafted textiles.
Shades of India first established its international presence 34 years ago, followed by a foray into the Indian domestic market—one that continues to spread it wings across fashion, home, and living. The Chairman David Housego, a dedicated textile collector and craft connoisseur, and Creative Director Mandeep N. Housego, hold on to a distinct, rich and vibrant Indian design language rooted in deep material understanding, technical mastery, and thoughtful design thinking.
Together, they have lent warmth and distinction to the homes of the elites and have defined the character of esteemed hospitality destinations, including the Taj Aravalli in Udaipur, the Park Hotel in Delhi, and the Lotte New York Palace Hotel in Manhattan. Keen observation, meticulous craftsmanship, and an unending curiosity for material exploration had led Shades of India towards several milestones in the global recognition of contemporary Indian design.
Here, Mandeep answers some questions for RR.
Mandeep Nagi (MN): The Shades of India’s Bespoke Textile Studio is a space where textiles can be experienced in context, rather than simply viewed as products displayed on a shelf. For us, it is a place where the scale, texture and character of a textile can be understood in relation to the architecture and the space it will eventually inhabit. It allows the process to be more personal and considered, with each curtain, bed linen, and cushion developed specifically for the project it belongs to.
MN: We felt there was a need for a space where our textiles could be seen and understood in the way they deserve to be. These are not textiles that can simply be displayed as running yardage on a shelf; there is a great deal of detail, technique and thought behind them, and they need to be experienced. Our work at Shades of India involves a great attention to detail that is best understood up close and in person.
We also wanted to create a space where everyone involved in a project could come together in one central place and immerse themselves in the world of Shades of India Home. Architects, designers and clients can experience the textiles, materials and possibilities firsthand, and make decisions based on what they see, touch and experience, rather than through a catalogue or swatch book.
The Sultanpur space seemed to do justice to the idea. A warehouse was transformed into a space where the textiles could take on a larger presence, while still retaining the warmth and informality of a home.
MN: The process was very much about imagining what the space could become and then allowing the materials and ideas to shape it. We knew from the beginning that we didn't want a conventional showroom. It had to feel like an extension of our home. The site itself was originally a warehouse with two sheds, so it had to be completely transformed. We deliberately kept the architecture minimal with clean walls, a restrained Tandur stone flooring and a simple backdrop that allows the textiles to take centre stage. The furniture was commissioned in Ahmedabad, using repurposed teak, and the layout was designed to remain flexible so the studio can function both as a working space, a gathering space, and as a place for people to experience the world of Shades of India.
For me, that is where much of the joy of the studio lies: looking inward at what is around us, finding inspiration in the everyday, and asking what else it can become.
The studio offers a more immersive way of experiencing textiles, allowing texture, colour, pattern and technique to be understood in relation to an entire space rather than viewed individually.