EMPIRE OF THE CRAFTS

As luxury design Maison Good Earth celebrates its 25th anniversary, Bazaar India speaks with its Founder Anita Lal about craft and the artisans behind it, creating beauty in the home, and new fashion lines that reinterpret ancient techniques, and sustainability.

-  Priya Kumari Rana

Indian craft is everywhere. From the humble earthen tea cup and the ubiquitous straw mats, copper vessels, and cane muddas, to the Rajasthani Kalbelia women’s patchwork lehengas. It manifests itself into objects of our homes—and our wardrobes. But it took one person with one vision to turn the craft experience into one of luxury, where the expertise of artisans from all over India would result in sleek, modern products with an international appeal.

New Delhi-based Anita Lal, Founder and Creative Director of Good Earth, began her mission 25 years ago, when she opened her very first store in Kemps Corner, Mumbai, in January 1996. “I wanted to create beautiful things for everyday living, and elevate artisanal products to their original level of luxury,” she says. As a studio potter back in the day, Anita Lal noticed a gap between the dying, ancient art of India’s village potters and the urban consumer looking for high-quality home products, such as planters.