The moment Varun Jain is proudest of happened in London at the Serpentine Summer Party when Smoke Lab and its sister brand, Mohulo, were introduced to an international audience. “Proving that Indian spirits and innovation can stand confidently on the global stage,” he elaborates. For Sanya, it was about that conviction finally being made visible. “Luxury [made] in India can be internationally relevant,” she says. In 2019, they founded Smoke Lab on the belief that there was room for something more considered. The vodka they built—India’s first homegrown premium vodka—has since moved well beyond its domestic context, and the experience centre they are now building reflects how the founders think about luxury at its most elemental. For Varun, it is multi-sensory. “It starts with the look and feel of the bottle, moves to the sound of the pour, the aroma, and finally the taste on your palate,” he says.
The brands they each return to reflect those instincts. Sanya says it’s Dior under Jonathan Anderson, Chanel under Matthieu Blazy, Givenchy under Sarah Burton, Schiaparelli under Daniel Roseberry, and Balenciaga under Pierpaolo Piccioli. Varun’s preferences move across categories. “Ferrari has mastered the art of exclusivity. Uniqlo represents everyday luxury, and Loro Piana is the perfect example of understated luxury,” he says. As returning RR Circle members, Varun would like the space used more to spotlight ventures carrying the ‘Made in India’ story forward. Sanya wants the same energy directed at discovery—emerging designers and brands that are “creating a meaningful cultural impact.” The ask is less for validation of what already exists and more for what is becoming visible.