Simran Lal talks to Ayesha Venkataraman about how

FASHION & LIFESTYLE
Earthwoman
Simran Lal talks to Ayesha
Venkataraman about how she
helped revive and modernise the
Indian aesthetic at Goodearth.
ANURAG BANERJEE
Simran Lal likes to be in the thick of things. Since joining Goodearth,
the lifestyle retail chain, in 2002, she has played a key role in both the
creative and business faces of the company, seamlessly moving to
where she’s most needed – no matter how unfamiliar the territory.
“I wanted to know the business and every aspect of the [entire]
company. So after I [worked with] sourcing, I became the retail head.
But I remained a part of the creative team on many levels.” Now helming
the company as CEO, Lal’s dogged commitment shines through as she
spends her days shuffling between the product development team
in Delhi and making trips to their nine stores (distributed between
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FASHION & LIFESTYLE
THE BIG 10
William Bissell
Managing director of Fabindia, William
is the son of John Bissell, founder of
the store that, in a sense, reversed the
colonisation of Indian fashion. William
has expanded the business to 169
stores in India and abroad since he
took charge in 1999.
Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore) for retail
assessments. Her efforts paid off: 2012 (her sophomore year at the
top) was the first time Goodearth was profitable in its 17-year history.
But then again, it was never about the money. Lal’s visionary mother,
Anita felt compelled to start the store, finding a dearth of places that
sold well-made, contemporary products with an Indian aesthetic. “My
mother always felt that we have been aping the West for so many years.
And while the West has a lot of wonderful things it also looked to us
for so much, which we used to deny,” said Lal. Intent on reversing this
trend, the Lal women have focused on designing products that revive
forgotten craft traditions and celebrate the best of India, without being
kitschy. While 80 per cent of the designs are created by Goodearth’s
own design team, they are also increasingly involved with local
craftspeople. Lal is quick to recite a laundry list of traditional products
that are wildly popular including dhuna (incense), kansa (copper and
tin alloyed tableware) and dohars (thin muslin blankets). “Indians
particularly love these because at the end of the day, they bring back
certain memories and evoke a feeling of connectedness to our rich
heritage”, she said “But they do so in a modern way.” That is exactly the
kind of deft product development, with a keen eye towards the needs
of contemporary Indian culture that has transformed Goodearth from a
small store in Mumbai’s Kemps Corner to the niche network of high-end
retail outlets it is today.
In an ink blue salwar and a gauzy Chikankari dupatta offset by slightly
aged silver accessories, Lal embodies the understated elegance that
has become synonymous with the Goodearth brand. She’s a mother of
two, who once lived in New York, Boston, Bengaluru, Mumbai and now
Delhi, moving where her many interests (archaeology, ancient cultures,
history and anthropology) took her. Describing herself as “a perennial
student,” she got a Master’s degree in Art History before moving to New
York’s Fashion Institute of Technology to study product development
for the home, and then opting for other programmes as diverse as
museum design. So it’s no stretch of her imagination to understand
the varied interests and global worldview that defines her urban, upper
middle-class customer. When asked about the high price tag that often
accompanies a Goodearth product, her honesty is bracing. “I will never
say that we are inexpensive. We are definitely not. But I would like to
believe that in general, we are value for money. We offer original, wellpackaged designs, in an atmosphere where it’s pleasurable to shop.”
Lal’s family brand is growing exponentially with an upcoming
e-commerce site that helps deliver goods to most earthly latitudes
and a bespoke interior design service (they are currently revamping
the Hotel Rajmahal Palace in Jaipur). “We are constantly trying to do
more and better,” said Lal, before checking her enthusiasm slightly.
“Although we don’t consider ourselves hugely ambitious, I think we’re
ambitious in just being the best in what we can.” Passionate about
boosting interest in the craft techniques and aesthetic of ancient
Asian cultures, but not without a contemporary twist, Lal’s ambition is
undoubtedly huge, and needed.
Anita Dongre
A pioneer in organic clothing and
affordable fashion. She’s the name
behind AND, the high street western
label; Global Desi, an ethnic high street
label and her signature brand, Anita
Dongre.
Shahnaz Husain
CEO of Shahnaz Herbals Inc, Husain is
the beauty entrepreneur best known for
her eponymous brand of cosmetics.
Meera Kulkarni
Founder of the 12-year-old Ayurvedic
brand, Forest Essentials, which
manufactures a line of high-end organic
skin and hair care products.
Krsna Mehta
Known for his signature home designs.
His businesses include The Elephant
Company which is a joint venture with
The Bombay Store, his own lifestyle
website, India Circus and the interiors
and style brand, Krsna Mehta.
Sabyasachi Mukherjee
Famous for his bold and ethnic designs
and the revival of handloom saris.
Aman Nath and Francis Wacziarg
The duo behind the pioneering
boutique hotel chain Neemrana,
Nath and Wacziarg are credited with
restoring and transforming Indian
heritage buildings into boutique hotels.
Atul Ruia
Managing director of Phoenix Mills
and the man responsible for the
development of High Street Phoenix,
one of Mumbai’s successful mall
stories, and later the Phoenix
Marketplace brand.
Gurpreet Sidhu and Orijit Sen
Started People Tree, a tiny New Delhi
shop that is a confluence of coolness,
art and commerce.
Laila Tyabji
Current chairperson and co-founder
of Dastkar, an organisation that was
founded in 1981 and has since worked
on the preservation of Indian crafts.
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