Pratishtha Rana
Silence, solitude, stillness and peace of mind; everything enveloped together is how the last few months at home have felt like. It has been rewarding as much as it has been challenging. Good Earth, the luxury home and lifestyle brand has tapped into this sentiment rightly, by launching its latest collection Still.
This line-up of fuss-free clothing and aesthetic home linen is rooted in handcrafted, subtle embroideries and the sparkling charm of colours like ivory, white, pops of pink, red and blue.
Read: The twilight sky is woven into handloom luxury house, Ekaya Banaras’ collection Heavenly Creatures
LuxeBook speaks to Shalini Sethi, Creative Head of Good Earth’s apparel line, who talks about the collection and the exclusive artist collaborations on Instagram under the label’s project Still.
Tell us about the latest collection and the inspiration behind it.
Still is inspired by the moments of stillness and quietude. Focusing on the adventures of going nowhere. The designers at Good Earth have created a line of apparel and home linen that captures the unhurried slowness of the season.
Chaya, the apparel collection which falls under Sustain (Good Earth’s clothing label) features classic silhouettes and loungewear. One would find easy kurtas, farshi pants, chogas and kaftans in soothing whites crafted in diaphanous Chanderis and soft handloom cotton. Complementing it is a range of breezy loungewear for everyday comfort and time largely spent indoors, designed in muslin with delicate jamdani motifs woven into the fabric.
Chand Bagh is our all-white bed collection, crafted from fine linen and cotton, and highlighted with tonal embroidery in a floral jaal pattern, to create the perfect vision of the season along with a few bright prints. Overall, Still is about traditional ensembles that are contemporised by the touch of modern silhouettes, pleating, scalloped sleeves, crochet and lace detailing.
Was any part of Still executed digitally, considering that the collection launched during the lockdown?
Looking at the current shifting scenario, where the audience is mostly interacting with us through digital mediums, we curated three exclusive Instagram experiences for them by collaborating with artists from diverse fields to explore stillness, through their individual craft.
Could you elaborate on the collaboration?
Through this series of collaborations, we brought design and art together and worked with three prolific personalities – fashion designer and a talented writer Pranav Misra, watercolour artist Joya Mukherjee and dancer Shivani Verma. They interpreted what stillness means to them for Good Earth. This interaction through Instagram also meant a wider reach for the brand.
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Read: Fashion designer Rahul Mishra’s F/W’21 collection Butterfly People is an ode to craftsmen
How has the pandemic impacted Good Earth, its sub-brands and the whole retail experience?
The experience of shopping and retail has changed completely over the last few months. At Good Earth, we feel equally responsible for the safety of our patrons and employees and the craft community.
We are strongly encouraging customers to shop from the comforts of their home. They can place orders through our web boutique, or even via WhatsApp and calls. Our team of personal shoppers and customer care executives are available in assisting buyers with product selection, order placements and even facilitating contactless payments and home deliveries.
What lessons have you learnt during the lockdown?
Perhaps a time like this, which has compelled us to be where we are and adapt to a slower pace, reminds us that we don’t always need to worry about being somewhere. This pause has given us the time to be still and discovering hidden harmony. I feel we are lucky to have this time where we can choose to enjoy life at a slower pace and cherish simple everyday pleasures.
How has luxury consumption for buyers changed in the past few months?
We, at Good Earth, believe that fashion need not be frenetic and ever-changing with a constant demand for newness, which creates inevitable redundancy and wastage. With so much time to reflect, consumers will reset and re-evaluate their priorities. There will be more demand for versatile clothes; something that can take you from morning to evening with just a few simple tweaks in accessories.
In light of the current situation, do you plan to implement new strategies in the business model?
I think the future of retail will be largely driven by technology and innovation, and for Good Earth, e-commerce has always been a point of focus.
With this change in the market scenario, Good Earth is looking at bringing an omnichannel experience and working towards making the website more interactive, engaging, and user-friendly. The team is curating products keeping in mind what our shoppers may need during this time.
