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DESIGN · SOURCE · CONNECT · MAKERS · PRODUCE · IN INDIA
02 – HELLO JI
Hello Ji
In India, “Ji” is a small word with a deep meaning of respect, added after a word or name. It felt like the most natural way to welcome you into my world.
I’m originally from Amsterdam, but my interest in India started long before it became part of my work. I was already fascinated by its spiritual side when I was offered my first assignment. It felt like a great opportunity to finally experience the country I had been so curious about. I had no idea then how much India would eventually become part of my life.
Three decades have given me much more than experience alone. India brought me closer to myself and changed the way I look at life. It has become so familiar that I no longer feel I’m moving between two separate worlds. This is where I feel whole.
That is why working between the West and India feels so natural to me. I understand both cultures and have seen many times how easily an idea can be misunderstood. What seems obvious on one side isn’t always obvious on the other. Bringing those two sides together, making sure they understand each other and keeping the original idea clear, that is where my strength lies.
I still look at things with a Western eye. I notice details, quality and when something needs correcting. At the same time, I know how people work in India and how things happen here. Being on the ground means I can stay close to the people and the process when it matters, whether an idea is travelling from West to India or the other way around.
When I look back, I mostly feel grateful for the people I’ve met, the trust I’ve been given and everything I’ve been able to experience.
I know my way through India with my eyes closed, but I’d rather keep them open to explore.
03 – INDIA WITHIN
India Within
I’ve travelled across the country, met beautiful people and discovered a world of skills, materials and craftsmanship that continues to fascinate me. Every journey reveals something new, whether it’s a traditional technique, a conversation or simply a different way of looking at life.
I’ve never really separated work from my personal interests. I love what I do, so they tend to mix.
I’m constantly taking things in here, without even thinking about it. I love spending extra time in Rajasthan, travelling into the Himalayas or going south, including time at temples, gurudwaras and ashrams. I can spend hours exploring ancient forts and palaces, architecture and carved stone. I enjoy exhibitions of heritage art, miniature paintings, jewellery and costumes, or wandering through little lanes looking for vintage shops. There is rarely a clear line between being here for work and being here for myself.
Some of my favourite moments are spent with artisans. I enjoy watching ideas take shape, but just as much the conversations, their knowledge and humour, sitting together and sharing a cup of elaichi chai. I’ve been welcomed into homes and local communities many times, and that closeness has always felt very natural to me.
I’ve also seen India change a great deal. When I first came to Delhi there was no metro and none of the expressways there are today. Of course, much of that change has made life easier, but I sometimes miss what has disappeared along the way. More is made by machine and less by hand. Even the beautiful hand-painted advertisements I used to see everywhere have largely been replaced by printed sheets. I miss the human touch and authenticity that is disappearing with it.
This is why the crafts and the people behind them mean so much to me. There is knowledge in those hands that has been passed from one generation to the next, and for many families it is also their livelihood. Contributing to a future where these skills can continue and still have a place in what we make today means a great deal to me.
04 – PROJECTS
Projects
05 – UP CLOSE
Up Close
My role is never exactly the same.
A project can start with a conversation, an idea, a sketch, a finished design or something that already exists and needs another look. Sometimes I’m asked to find the right people to make it, sometimes I’m involved from the very beginning and stay with it all the way through.
I like working that way. I love the variety and never quite knowing what comes next. One day I may be developing a collection, the next I’m explaining a Western moodboard to a design team or working through the details of a product. For an interior or styling project, I might be out looking for completely different products, new, vintage, antique or just something I come across that catches my eye and feels right.
Then there are the samples. It often takes more than one to get there and I always look at the inside first. That’s where you really see how something has been made. If something isn’t right, I sit down with the people making it, explain what needs changing and we work through it together. When samples have to travel back and forth to Europe, even a small change can take weeks. Being here, we can often sort it out together within a few hours.
Once the sample is right, I give the go-ahead for production. But I don’t stop checking there. Making one good sample is one thing; making the same product well in quantity is another. I stay close to the process and keep in touch with trusted people I work with across India, so we can follow things together through production, packing and shipping until everything has reached its final destination.
Over the years, I’ve built a network of people I know, trust and work closely with. Some of those relationships go back decades and some have become friendships along the way.
Together we bring ideas to life.
06 – BIGGER PICTURE
Bigger Picture
Over the years, one creative direction has led to another. I never really planned it that way. Somewhere along the way, all those different disciplines started to connect.
I can be working on an interior and find myself thinking about the textiles, furniture or objects that belong in it. With a collection, my mind may already be going to how it will be presented, photographed or shown in a space. A product can start with a sketch and take me all the way through material, colour, construction, packaging and presentation. I find it difficult to look at one part without seeing what surrounds it.
That’s probably why I’ve never felt the need to stay within one discipline. I enjoy moving between them. Sometimes a project needs only one part of what I do, while another brings several things together.
I see the bigger picture through the way different parts connect.
01
CREATE
Thinking about developing a new idea, product or collection?
Creative Direction · Concept Design · Product Development · Collection Curation
02
SOURCE
Searching for materials, objects or makers you haven’t found yet?
Materials · Textiles · Furniture & Objects · Makers
03
MAKE
Need help getting something made?
Tech Packs · Sampling · Production + Quality Control · Logistics
04
SPACE
Planning a new space or bringing an existing one back to life?
Interior Design · Residential & Commercial · Interior Editing · Retail & Showrooms
05
VISUAL
Wondering how to present your product, collection or space?
Art Direction · Photo Styling · Visual Merchandising · Exhibition & Fair Concepts
06
CONNECT
Looking for someone who understands both the West and India?
Design Translation · Western Perspective · Coordination · On the Ground
07 – YOUR STORY
Your story
I’d like to meet your idea.
It doesn’t have to be completely worked out. It can be a first thought, something already taking shape or a project ready to move forward.
You can pick and choose from what I do, depending on what your project needs.
I like to start with a conversation and hear what you have in mind. From there, we can see what’s needed and where I can help. Once we know that, I’ll put together a quotation for the project.
You’re always welcome to get in touch.
Tanja