We focus on the integrity of design: Sunita and Niharika Shekhawat

Sunita Shekhawat, founder of Sunita Shekhawat Jaipur and Niharika Shekhawat, creative director for Sunita Shekhawat Jaipur recently joined NewsX for an exclusive conversation as a part of NewsX India A-List. Talking about her brand Sunita Shekhawat Jaipur, Sunita said, “First of all, a lot of credit goes to the city itself, the city, Jaipur has been an inspiration for so many designers and so many best karigars since the Mughal era. Moreover, Jaipur is known as the emerald city of Asia. We have access to all the coloured stones, the best karigars, and the city is so colourful. So, colours inspired me to get into designing, and then I got into manufacturing. I honestly owe a lot to Jaipur itself and hence, the name Sunita Shekhawat Jaipur.”

Niharika pitched in, “There are two ways I look into inspiration. One is by working at the brand and the second is how I push myself constantly. For the brand, my mom takes over everything and I think the regeneration is by her. Taking the legacy forward, I have learned a lot from her and it organically became a part of my childhood. I am not a part of the whole designing product process so when something is getting created, I do observe that in stages and finally when the product or that piece is there on the table and we see it. I just really overwhelmed thinking what best I could do to create that experience with that piece and how do I take the brand forward. So, that inspiration is a great piece of art because it has been created by a designer, and my mom heading it. That in itself is a superb inspiration, and definitely when people just come and say we love what you do.”

When asked about the USP of their brand, Sunita said, “The most important thing is there are very few design houses who focus a lot on the integrity of the design. Everything is under one roof. From design, manufacturing to retail space, we don’t source anything from outside. You can call it a design house. So, we design from farm to market. A lot of time, it is architecture, travel gives you lots of creative ideas and as Niharika has put up, it’s art and craft. Whether it is textile, handicraft, or a piece of furniture, as a designer anything creative inspires me. Even a designer carpet inspires me. I was in Azerbaijan two years ago and those patterns are still there at the back of my mind and while I was doing some beautiful combination of Meenakari and suddenly those carpets propped in my mind and changed the pattern.”

Expressing her views on adapting to change, Sunita said, “Keeping up with the digital age, last year we had a lot of bridal appointments on a Zoom call since the brand already has a legacy, the trust value is there, and people love what we make. We gave them the liberty to decide over a Zoom call so that was very convenient for all of us including the team. That was a new way of working and we adapted to the change.”

All praises for her mom, Niharika, on a concluding note, said, “For me, my mom is a constant teacher, a mentor, a friend. I learn everything that I do at work, and, personally speaking, it makes a sweet mix working with your parents who are apparently your bosses too. I learned how to go gather like whatever things happen with work she is a hardcore believer in Geeta so, we had learned one thing, i.e work hard.”

When asked about the learnings from her daughter Niharika, Sunita responded, “A lot of things and I think the new age that crispness whether it’s in terms of communication, creating a piece of jewellery, travel, work or adapting to the new ways of working, I have learnt several things because of Niharika. The newness, the little tadka is all because of her.”