With people spending more time indoors, an appreciation for designer interiors has emerged stronger than ever before. This was the reason why A-Class Marble, a company that has made a name for itself as the largest importers of exclusive marble, stones and architectural surfaces throughout its over 50 year existence, tied up with India’s favourite designer, Tarun Tahiliani. A-Class Marble’s aim has always been to revolutionise India’s interiors space by introducing futuristic design and construction techniques into the industry.
“The impact of design extends from the physical world to our understanding of ideas and their implementation in our day-to-day lives. Design, by its very nature, is interactive and interconnected. Showcasing diversity through a judicious mix of marble and couture has become more important in a post-pandemic scenario, where design is inter-disciplinary and multifaceted,” explains Rakesh Bhandari, Director, A-Class Marble, speaking about the collaboration.
In furtherance of this design vision, the brand has devised an exclusive crossover by pairing natural stones from the A-Class Marble range with the delicate creativity of the ‘Global Indian’ couture collection created by Tahiliani. This unique collaboration attempts to exhibit the dynamism of Indian design through both fabric and stone.
The ‘Global Indian’ collection showcases silhouettes and contemporary fabrics with ombre marbling as one of the techniques. “Our initial intent was to shoot at a quarry in South India. We immediately thought of the beautiful marble, granite and onyx stones at A-Class Marble and approached them for the shoot. The flamboyance of textural natural stone slabs was the perfect backdrop for our muted and majestic couture designer range,” says Tahiliani.
The selection of marble designs for this collaboration highlights nature’s creativity which plays with both texture and colour. These include shades like Cola Onyx, Exotic Matrix, and Lava Gold, which are neutral but vivacious. Similarly, the ‘Global Indian’ couture collection is an amalgamation of modern and traditional silhouettes and drapes with aerodynamic forms.
“Tarun Tahiliani’s ‘Global Indian’ collection is truly remarkable – a melange of modern-traditional fashion documented against the backdrop of vivid marble slabs – a true fusion of Indian techniques and elaborate teamwork. We believe this overlap of pioneering excellence and quality products will glorify the Indian design strata,” shares Bhandari.
On the occasion of the launch of this collection, Bhandari joins Sunday Guardian for an exclusive chat. Excerpts from an edited interview:
Q. What does A-Class Marble stand for as a brand?
A: A-Class Marble represents the exemplary landscape of luxury interiors, architecture, decor and construction in India by offering an exclusive collection of over 550 varieties of marble, stones and other architectural surfaces handpicked from global quarries. For the past 50 years, A-Class Marble has been amalgamating and implementing cutting-edge technologies, innovation, and sustainable techniques that honour the legendary legacy of delivering remarkable products and services. At A-Class Marble, we aim to reinstate India’s glory by engineering the future marvels of the architectural world.
Q. How does this new collaborative collection stand apart from your regular offerings?
A: This collection offers a unique take on the fusion of architectural stone industry with fashion, and that in itself makes it a truly stand-out collection. We believe that this exclusive fusion of the international standards promised by A-Class marbles, and the elaborate traditional aesthetic of Tarun Tahiliani, will take the Indian design strata to greater heights within the global fraternity.
Q. How did the relationship between A-Class Marble and Tarun Tahiliani come about?
A: For his collection, Tarun envisioned a shoot at a quarry in South India. When he thought of this idea, his team approached A-Class Marble because we are known for our beautiful marble, granite, onyx and exotic stones. The flamboyance of our textural natural stone slabs served as the perfect backdrop for the designer’s muted and majestic couture range. The A-Class Marble team developed picturesque textures on large marble slabs that were bespoke, customised and seamlessly spectacular. Both the teams elevated exquisite sets at the fully facilitated A-Class Marble showroom to accomplish a two-day shoot in Delhi.
The marble chosen for this shoot interpreted nature’s creativity and uniqueness through its imbued texture and colour combinations. With a cohesive and creative approach, this collaborative relationship creates a spectacle across the mega design universe, making it multifaceted.
Q. What is the USP of A-Class Marble?
A: A-Class Marble is known for delivering luxurious and exquisite architectural stones and surfaces quarried from over 40 countries, built on the amalgamation of innovation, technology, and craftsmanship. With insightful expertise in the stone industry for over 50 years, the A-Class Marble collection offers a range of unique hues, textures, finishes, shades and sizes. In addition to delivering remarkable products and services, A-Class Marble conscientiously participates in technology advancement, design exchange and media action across all platforms while forging exclusive partnerships to ameliorate the stone industry.
Q. Which are the most popular products at A-Class Marble?
A: The A-Class Marble Collection exhibits a variety of exotic colours, shades and textures for all categories of stones and finishes. Some favourite picks are Dover White, Pink Onyx, Amazonits, Sodalite, Lava Gold, Emerald Quartz and many more. Alongside, we continue to multiply our spectacular plethora in the classic Statuario and Michael Angelo styles through various shades and textural options.
Q. What challenges have you faced in setting up your brand and how did you overcome them?
A: A-Class Marble’s journey has seen challenges and difficulties with respect to locations and strategies. With a motivated approach and optimism, the brand has developed into a multi-faceted and disciplinary name with a pan-Indian presence. Committed to breaking benchmarks and lifting the company’s identity to the top level, the A-Class Marble journey showcases an approach toward research, experimentation, iterations, and innovation.
Q. What is next on the cards for A-Class Marble?
A: The A-Class Marble portfolio has some exciting campaigns and product launches in 2022. The company also has a new experience centre that exhibits the marvels of design, technology and live experience in Delhi, launching in 2023.
Q. How has the reception of the collaboration been so far?
A: We are amazed at the response! The collaboration has been received by the audience with such enthusiasm. Its uniqueness as a collaborative collection was most appreciated.
Q. Who is the ideal A-Class Marble customer?
A: Our customer base ranges from professionals such as architects, interior designers, etc., to aspiring homeowners who want luxury, contemporaneity and bespoke designs. We aspire to deliver magical and monumental collections to people who have a holistic approach towards designing their space. Our ideal customers are those who value the uniqueness and timeliness of imported stones and materials.
Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com.