⦁ Natural
⦁ Organic
⦁ Sustainable
⦁ Luxury
⦁ Boutique
⦁ Contemporary with an Indian Edge
⦁ Handmade
⦁ Eclectic
What does Mirador the brand symbolize?
Every country has a contemporary style be it Scandavian; French, Italian, Japanese …Indian style has still not evolved beyond the very traditional dark heritage or antique look or a very kitschy bohemian look. Our main line should blend with our heritage pieces or work wonderfully on its own and yet look designer and contemporary.
Mirador should attempt to bring into India all natural organic wood, jute, water hyacinth, and wicker products. All sustainable organic products, which are eco friendly and breathe life into our homes keeping in mind our weather and tropical climate. A modern home does not mean modular/ chrome and glass etc nor does it mean we live with truck art or cheap ethnic reproductions . Modern can be woody, rustic, organic. It is the lines that define it. Being contemporary does not mean we loose our Indian edge to a style that has no meaning, no character and at complete odds with our lifestyle.
Fab India has tried a contemporary style which is wooden and comparatively cheaper in the luxury segment however it is mass produced and they have pretty much taken an Ikea like style with no character but at a way higher pricing with Indian wood i.e. Mango wood and Sheesham.
Why Indonesia?
The reason for outsourcing our material from Indonesia is because their workmanship and the finish of products is way superior. The washes that are available and workmanship in Indonesian wood cannot be done here yet. In India the shabby look is a painted look in Indonesia it is a wash where the grains can be seen. Also all the wood we obtain is sustainable ( I hope !)
We should try also try and accessorize with Indian looks be it in the hardware or the fabric. So a wonderful symbiosis can happen between two cultures…making the product a truly unique one.
However very few of our products should be run of the mill pieces which can be found in every street corner in Bali or Ubud. Each piece should be customized or value added so that it becomes a uniquely Mirador piece until we can have our own factory line!
As the store evolves the look also evolves further in pushing the edge towards uniqueness.
Brands I want to emulate
The brand I really would want Mirador to be mix of “ Anthropologie” and “Pottery Barn “. I want to give it the rustic appeal and pricing of Pottery Barn but the Anthropologie edge i.e. all their products are unique and full of character.
Why should customers come to Mirador?
⦁ Quality
⦁ Hand Curated product -No one else will have that product
⦁ Pricing
⦁ Helping the Indian home market to evolve into a design space…i.e. a modern Indian décor or mixing old and new/ mixing different styles.
⦁ Sustainable Luxury
Target audience
⦁ Well educated, well travelled and having a global taste upper middle class. It is the large middle class that I want to attract…the very rich want branded goods and it may take some time to get them. Hence the product, quality and the pricing is crucial at the moment to attract them from the Urban ladders and Pepper Fry’s.
⦁ Expats
⦁ The young 30s love my look but find it too expensive so need the brand to become aspirational.
⦁ Architects, interior designers , resort owners etc- bulk buyers
Mirador in the coming year
⦁ A brand of contemporary handmade furniture organic in texture and style mixed with a Indian tropical and colonial style .
⦁ However India also does not avail of different styles of furniture we have Indian designer goods which is your guilded gold look and a lot of leather, Malaysian products and even Indonesian style furniture along with our typical Indian “antique” look. I also want to bring in other styles that can be mixed with our look… French Provencial, English country, Reclaimed and shabby, Tribal eclectic and some amount of mid century modern, etc.
⦁ Sustainable luxury is huge worldwide but is slowly coming to India as well. Good Earth uses this as their tag line I don’t know why but it has worked for them amongst other things though only a few of their products fall in this category. I would like to use our products and push this idea a bit more.(Anthropologie a big example )
⦁ Need pictures and videos of people working, weaving etc…the story behind each product !
Problem area noticed over the last year.
⦁ One of our biggest advantage (also a drawback) is a real store where you can touch and feel…but Pepper Fry has also just started a real brick and mortar store down the road from me in Indranagar. So the only advantage now is uniqueness of products.
⦁ Quality control ie wood cracking, wobbliness/gaps between doors etc.
⦁ Am yet to find the right pricing for my TA
⦁ Dimensions of products vis a vis their ability to be transported…some products are too bulky to be transported.
Advantage
1. Customer is always right policy . The advantage we have here is that I am always around to advice, discuss and help. I am not a sales person …I am first a decorator and always there to assist/help/consult.
2. Our unique products and washes
3. Sustainable and reclaimed wood and other organic material
