Can Jamavar be used to create a rug? The Obeetee X Valaya collab proves so

Rudra Chatterjee of Obeetee and designer JJ Valaya decode their collaboration and how it’s never been a better time for the “home” industry

When 2020 saw an entire population retreat into their houses, it also marked the beginning of many of us spending much more time indoors than we perhaps ever did. Buoyed by this, doing up homes was never more important, which has, in turn, resulted in the flourishing of the home business. While this might have been the reason behind many unsuspecting parties entering the space, the natural progression for a company such as legacy carpet-makers Obeetee has also been to tap into this growing domestic retail space with Indian collaborations.

The culture of collaboration

Chancing upon a conversation with a customer who wanted the design of Turkish flowers to be translated onto a rug made Obeetee chairman Rudra Chatterjee wonder how the wide variety of Indian flora could instead be used as design templates for the company’s products. That conversation has today led to their ‘Proud to be Indian’ collaboration, which sees Obeetee work with some of India’s top designers on collections that translate the region’s craft and motifs onto luxurious carpets. In its fifth collaboration, Obeetee has partnered with couturier JJ Valaya to translate his maximalist sartorial style onto 14 luxury designs of silk carpets in the form of Kapurthala.

“It was never about marketing but I always wondered why Indian motifs such as the Jamavar could not find a place on carpets,” says Chatterjee, who heads the over-100-year-old company. Valaya’s collaboration is a three-part series, with this one following the journey of the Jamavar from Kashmir to Marseille. “The intricacy of the Jamavar has never been seen on a floor carpet and I was speechless when I saw some of the swatches while working on the collection,” shares Valaya, who had launched World of Valaya–his foray into home, alongside his fashion venture–earlier this year.

Business matters

Historically, carpet-making was introduced to India by the Persians and is now a generational craft rooted in places such as Mirzapur, where the Obeetee factory is located. Exports were the main contributor to the carpet business in India until the domestic demand ensured that retailing in the country also became economically viable. Though the ‘Proud to be Indian’ collaboration was started about seven years ago and has seen names such as Tarun Tahiliani, Raghavendra Rathore and Abraham & Thakore partner with them, Obeetee’s foray into the Indian retail market is fairly recent.

However, within the short span of time, this collaboration has gone on to make up 20 per cent of their manufacturing at present, with the company predicting that it will soon contribute more to their profits. In fact, Kapurthala also came on the heels of the launch of Obeetee’s flagship store in New Delhi’s Sultanpur, which is their third store in India.

The aesthetics of Kapurthala

But for Chatterjee, the decision to collaborate was based more on cultural aspects than business. “As compared to the beiges and slates [colours] that we make for the international market, it is amazing to see saturated colours in this collection. While there are muted ones too, the richness of the colours demanded the best of material in silk and wool. After the period of isolation that we have all had, the collection reminds me of spring and freshness,” says Chatterjee.

Scale and symmetry are elements that have been played around with, in this collection to achieve the objective of making the Jamavar reach everyone’s houses. Talking about the weavers interpreting the designs, Chatterjee says, “I think they are so amazing at interpreting that you actually sometimes see significant improvement in the balance because that's how good the weavers are. Our processes of manufacturing are also very detail-oriented and quality is of utmost importance.”

Changing patterns of demand

Having entered the retail space about three years ago, Chatterjee is happy with their performance. “Some might say that it took us only about a hundred years to enter into retailing within India, but when we did, we realised that many people knew of us. And while it is great to sell outside India, it feels different to sell at home. We don’t have to second-guess the cultures and traditions here and the demand has significantly increased in the domestic market,” says Chatterjee.

Stakeholders in the home space seem to agree. Take, for example, Sarah Sham of Essajees Atelier. An interior design expert, Mumbai-based Sham says, “I think it has been very interesting to see so many designers creating their own lines in the home space. It is adding fresh and different elements to the designs, making spaces feel much more versatile.” Speaking about why rugs are becoming a design element of choice for Indian home-owners, Sham, who is known for doing up urban homes across the country, shares: “I think they visually demarcate the space. What we often do is have very neutral interiors and then add a pop of colour via the rug.”

While ‘Proud to be Indian’ has, in Chatterjee’s words, become the “mainstay” of Obeetee’s retail business, Valaya also vouches for the urban Indian home-owner’s renewed interest in their residences. “Sure, we were house-proud but the pandemic has changed how we view our homes. We want to invest more in making our living spaces look good and, therefore, it is no better time than now to venture into the home space,” concludes Valaya.

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