ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST JANUARY-FEBR UARY 2026 INDIA ₹ 300 THE M OST BE AUTIFUL H OMES IN THE WORLD K E L L Y W E A R S T L E R A E Q U O X AND THE MASTER ARTISANS OF INDIA AND THE MASTER ARTISANS OF INDIA S U B S C R I B E R C O P Y ISSN 2277–9868 RNI. No.: MAHENG/2012/43454 A C O N D É N AST I N D I A P U B L I CAT I O N VO LU M E 1 4 I S S U E 6 A R C H IT ECT U R A L D I G EST J A N UA RY- F E B R UA RY 2 02 6 E EL L L L 1 6 0 A D A R C H I T E C T U R A L D I G E S T J A N - F E B 2 0 2 6 Writer Nuriyah Johar Photographer Bikramjit Bose Stylist Priyanka Kapadia Production Harshita Nayyar Hair Umang Thapa Make-up Kritika Gill in Alibag, a coastal town south of the city, Wearstler, in her cool, inimitable way, pursues the possibilities of artisanal wealth that designers have access to in this country. Based in Los Angeles, California, and an icon of design, particularly in the United States, Wearstler’s first foray into India is the result of a three-way collaboration between aequo; artisans specialising in carpentry, enamel work and metal casting; and her eponymous design practice. The result, titled Lahar, meaning “wave” in Hindi, is a 12-piece collection that includes a console table, a bar cabinet, a low centre table, and smaller objects like trays, vases and wall sconces; and a limited-edition set of three burnt teak wood seats. Each enamel piece of the Lahar collection is of its own unique measure—all chiselled and crafted by hand. Wearstler’s and aequo’s coming together with the artisans of India is a beautiful case study for explorations in contemporary craft. earstler is in earstler is in a state a state of flow. In the white of flow. In the white cube gallery of collectible design cube gallery of collectible design called aequō in Mumbai or in the sun-dappled called aequō in Mumbai or in the sun-dappled carpentry workshop of master craftsman Jeevaram Suthar carpentry workshop of master craftsman Jeevaram Suthar J A N - F E B 2 0 2 6 A D A R C H I T E C T U R A L D I G E S T 1 6 1 1 6 2 A D A R C H I T E C T U R A L D I G E S T J A N - F E B 2 0 2 6 ABOVE : PRAKASH SAWANT, A FIRST- GENERATION MASTER CRAFTSMAN, AT HIS FOUNDRY IN MUMBAI’S KUMBHARWADA METAL INDUSTRY AREA, WHERE THE PIECES FROM KELLY WEARSTLER’S COLLABORATION WITH AEQUŌ GALLERY HAVE BEEN CAST IN A BRONZE-ALUMINIUM ALLOY. BELOW : DAMBAR, OR COAL TAR, WHICH COVERS THE FLOOR OF THE FOUNDRY, IS USED TO CREATE THE MOULDS INTO WHICH THE MOLTEN ALLOY IS POURED. FACING PAGE: THE MOLTEN BRONZE-ALUMINIUM ALLOY BEING POURED INTO A MOULD TO SET. J A N - F E B 2 0 2 6 A D A R C H I T E C T U R A L D I G E S T 1 6 3 ABOVE : SANJAY PATIL’S ENAMEL WORK SHOP IN ALIBAG, WHERE STEP TWO OF THE PROCESS TAKES PLACE. TINY COPPER SHEETS ARE LAYERED WITH PIGMENTED ENAMEL POWDER AND FIRED TO CREATE COLOURFUL ENAMELLED SQUARES THAT ARE THEN FITTED INTO THE CAST METAL FRAMEWORK. LEFT : PATIL GRINDING DOWN THE EDGES OF A COPPER SHEET TO ENSURE THE PERFECT FIT. FACING PAGE, TOP: PATIL’S SON, VIKRANT, LAYERING THE ENAMEL POWDER WITH A PRACTISED HAND ONTO THE COPPER SHEET. BOTTOM, FROM LEFT: MANY OF THE ENAMEL COLOURS FOR THE LAHAR COLLECTION HAVE BEEN CUSTOMISED TO ACHIEVE THE PERFECT SHADE—VIKRANT RECALLS HOW IT TOOK 20 SAMPLES TO PERFECT A SINGLE SHADE OF TURQUOISE; SOFT GREY VASES FROM THE LAHAR COLLECTION. 1 6 4 A D A R C H I T E C T U R A L D I G E S T J A N F E B 2 0 2 6 J A N - F E B 2 0 2 6 A D A R C H I T E C T U R A L D I G E S T 1 6 5 1 6 6 A D A R C H I T E C T U R A L D I G E S T J A N - F E B 2 0 2 6 WEARSTLER, ALONG WITH ADWAIT BHALE, PRODUCTION LEAD AT AEQUŌ, AT JEEVARAM’S SPRAWLING CARPENTRY WORKSHOP ON A 1.5-ACRE PLOT IN ALIBAG. JEEVARAM (RIGHT) SHOWS WEARSTLER A FEW SAMPLES FROM HER COLLABORATION WITH THE GALLERY. A THREE-PIECE WOOD COLLECTION, AS WELL AS THE BAR CABINET AND CHINAWARE CABINET FROM THE LAHAR COLLECTION, HAVE BEEN CRAFTED BY HIS ARTISANS. BELOW RIGHT : INSIDE THE WORKSHOP. BOTTOM RIGHT : A CHAIR FROM WEARSTLER’S WOOD COLLECTION, CRAFTED IN BURNT TEAK WOOD WITH CAST BRONZE RIMS. J A N - F E B 2 0 2 6 A D A R C H I T E C T U R A L D I G E S T 1 6 7 1 6 8 A D A R C H I T E C T U R A L D I G E S T J A N - F E B 2 0 2 6 PIECES FROM THE COLLECTION, AT THE AEQUŌ GALLERY IN COLABA, MUMBAI. CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: THE LOW CENTRE TABLE, BURNT TEAK WOOD CHAIR, DRINKS END TABLE, CONSOLE TABLE AND ( FACING PAGE ) BAR CABINET. TALKING ABOUT THE COLLABORATION, TARINI JINDAL HANDA, FOUNDER OF AEQUŌ, SAYS, “WE’VE WORKED WITH THESE WORKSHOPS MANY TIMES, BUT WE’VE NEVER BROUGHT MULTIPLE CRAFT FORMS TOGETHER LIKE THIS. I THINK IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING FOR THE CARPENTER TEAM TO INTERACT WITH THE METAL CASTERS, TO INTERACT WITH THE ENAMEL WORKSHOP. THEY’VE COLLABORATED, TOO, SO IT WAS TRULY REWARDING TO SEE THE FINAL RESULT.” J A N - F E B 2 0 2 6 A D A R C H I T E C T U R A L D I G E S T 1 6 9 Kelly Wearstler is in animated conversation with Jeevaram— the owner, who comes from a generational suthar (carpenter) family—over his suggestion to use a more sophisticated hinge for one of her cabinets. Rather, she’s in conversation with Jeevaram’s son, who is playing the role of translator, given the linguistic gap. A five-minute proposition, supported by visual demonstrations on a product sample, and Wearstler is convinced on the hinge. She promptly moves on to the next order of business, and it is made clear that despite their language barrier, they communicate perfectly. In a remote Maharashtrian workshop, some 15,000 kilometres from her home in Los Angeles, Wearstler appears to be right at home. This is the American designer’s first trip to the subcon- tinent, though her connection to India was forged a couple of years ago, when she met Florence Louisy, the creative director, and Tarini Jindal Handa, the founder, of aequ0 in Paris. Since its launch in 2022, aequo has been a champion of contemporary craft in the country, through collaborations with both Indian and international designers, realised by the gallery’s extensive network of artisans. “We connected with Kelly and there was this natural feeling that, at some point, doing something together could be genuinely exciting. Nothing formal, just a shared curiosity,” Louisy says. “The second time we met was in Miami, and that is really when things started to take shape. Kelly told us she wanted to explore colour and texture in a very expressive, almost physical way, something with presence and energy.” The gallery approaches collaboration in a very particular way. “When we create this cultural matchmaking between a designer and a workshop, the designer must begin by understanding the context of the atelier—its rhythm, its tools, what can be pushed and what must be respected,” Louisy explains. “Our role is first to transmit our fascination for a craft and give the designer that same excitement. We create the right encounter between a designer’s world and the world of a workshop. Once the project begins, we guide the process, and make sure the designer and the artisan stay aligned.” For Wearstler, this special methodology hit all the right notes. Over the past 30 years, the multi-hyphenate has built one of the most recognisable luxury interior and product design practices, securing her a spot in the coveted American AD100 Hall of Fame. She has released five books and one fashion line, and is the first interior designer to be part of the MasterClass series. Her newest venture, a curatorial platform called Side Hustle, is a manifestation of her collaborative nature. Through it all, her brand is consistent. The Wearstler visual code is colourful, material-driven and wholly seductive. Her creative alliance with aequ0 spans 15 collectibles across two lines. The first, Lahar, is a 12-piece collection of design accessories and furniture. A sinuous vector motif cast in a bronze-aluminium alloy forms the frame of the objects, fitted with enamel panels. “I’ve always been intrigued by ena- melling,” Wearstler says. “I collect enamelled dishes and jewellery, and I’m drawn to the colour, variation and perma- nence of bronze paired with the nuance of enamel.” She adds, “Because the pieces are dynamic and timeless, we wanted the colour to be a secondary sensibility—bone, a deep green, ebony and a beautiful soft grey.” The second line, Tarang, a curved wood collection of two chairs and a bench, is crafted in reclaimed burnt teak wood with patinated cast bronze rims. “There’s a beautiful movement and soul in the timber, and the shape is fluid, giving the pieces a quiet, sculptural presence.” The collections were created in partnership with work- shops across Mumbai and Alibag that are part of aequo’s rare roster of craftspeople across India. In the tapering lanes of Mumbai’s Kumbharwada metal industry area, Prakash Sawant takes us through the process of metal casting. He has worked with aequo on several projects, but this is among his larger commissions. At Sanjay Patil’s 40-year-old enamel workshop in Alibag, the walls are lined with decorative plates and other samples. Colourful enamel squares, that will find their way onto Wearstler’s pieces, are laid out on the table. Twenty minutes away, Jeevaram’s space, home to 250 artisans, feels like a repository of the finest woodwork. Wearstler’s astute conversations with the master artisan offer an insight into how hands-on she is. With a genuine reverence for craftsmanship, she refers to this as a three-way collaboration— between her studio, the gallery and the artisans. “The skill these artists have is incredible,” she says. “Even the first samples had such mastery. We refined details, of course, but the execution was exceptional from the very beginning.” While we may wax lyrical about India’s craft potential, the sentiment is empty until the craftspeople are recognised as collaborators as opposed to being invisible hands. Jindal Handa puts it best when she says, “We do not want to just be nostalgic about craftsmanship as heritage. We want to collaborate and innovate with artisans. The designer, the artisan and the gallery—without one of them, this is not possible. It’s in the coming together of all creative energies, without any hierarchies, that a thing of beauty is born.” We are in Alibag on a warm afternoon, at a carpentry workshop surrounded by lush greens on all four sides. 1 7 0 A D A R C H I T E C T U R A L D I G E S T J A N - F E B 2 0 2 6 WEARSTLER (LEFT) WITH TARINI JINDAL HANDA (RIGHT) AND FLORENCE LOUISY (CENTRE) OF MUMBAI-BASED COLLECTIBLE DESIGN GALLERY AEQUŌ. ON THE COVER: KELLY WEARSTLER IS WEARING MAISON MARGIELA, BANGLES BY AMRAPALI, RINGS AND CUFF BY THE GEM PALACE. OPENING PAGE: CROPPED BLAZER BY RAW MANGO, PANTS BY ASHISH, PEARL NECKLACE AS BELT BY THE GEM PALACE, EARRINGS BY HANUT SINGH, SHOES BY SAINT LAURENT. THIS PAGE: CROPPED TOP AND TROUSERS BY RAW MANGO, NECKLACE AND RINGS FROM THE GEM PALACE, A CUFF FROM AMRAPALI AND THE SHOES ARE SAINT LAURENT. J A N - F E B 2 0 2 6 A D A R C H I T E C T U R A L D I G E S T 1 7 1