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"Design is…a way of life…It is inherent in one’s environment, part of everything one perceives,” believes architect, aesthete and designer Rooshad Shroff. "While not everyone is acutely conscious of design, a degree of awareness, when it comes to your surroundings, is a positive trait… Every object has a design…everything that has form and function, that is,” he told us over coffee on June 26, 2023 at the "gallery” of his eponymous firm in the Sir H. C. Dinshaw Building that dates to the 1870s. Large windows overlook the expanse of Horniman Circle Gardens, crowned by the Town Hall. Alluring objects surround us — lamps, lights, artistically designed chairs, lounge chairs with embroidered upholstery, eye-catching wall plates and hangings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The firm, Rooshad Shroff, undertakes design of products and furniture, architectural projects, art installations and interiors for homes and commercial spaces. "We are also into visual merchandising,” stated Shroff. This is the practice in the retail industry of presenting of products and services to better highlight their features and benefits, for instance in show windows. The firm’s client list includes luxury retailers Christian Louboutin and Hermes; infrastructure companies Dosti Realty, Oberoi Realty and Lodha Realty; retailers Godrej and Good Earth; the Reliance Group and diva Sonam Kapoor among others.
Walking to his office, the Parsiana representative spotted the show windows of luxury retailer Hermes in an adjacent building with designs that looked familiar. They were from the architect’s rich and colorful social media page being followed for background material! Shroff later told us that the retailer has been their client for nearly a decade. Showcasing Hermes’ products teamed with everyday objects like alarm clocks, sewing machines and luggage, the design is themed around "astonishment,” he told us. "Like an x-ray, the window encourages you to see things that are hidden.” As he states on Instagram, "Infused with a touch of magic, these windows transcend the mundane, captivating viewers by showcasing the unseen.”
While the firm has a definite focus on the retail space, Shroff says, "It has been a conscious choice to accept work across the spectrum… We are believers in the philosophy of integrated design, and have worked on projects ranging from architecture to bespoke furniture, exhibits and even social events… When it comes to our work in the private sector, we are sometimes constrained via clients’ wishes or non-disclosure agreements to refrain from publication.” According to the designer, retail projects, on the other hand, "end up broadcasting to a much wider audience through the media.” Shroff stated that "It’s fortunate that the firm has not been pigeon-holed as excelling in only one particular avenue of the industry,” adding, "I love everything I do.”
So what does he believe is good design? A design has to "adequately address both function and requirement…While aesthetically it may involve striking the right balance of color, proportions, or then pushing the boundaries of a particular technique, it also needs to provide a clever solution.” Take for instance the two somewhat futuristic looking chairs, with seats that look like they were made from macramé, that greet a client entering their gallery. Dubbed the C-Chair on account of its shape, Shroff described it as "cantilevered… with no screws, metal fasteners and handcrafted individual segments.” Each chair features embroidery in layers, on a radial grid.
Many of his designs are not dictated by customer requirement or client’s vision. The architect in him believes it is the "purest form of research” that makes him "push the boundaries in related fields like the crafts,” pointing to the marble inlaid lamps.
Exhibiting trends
The designer was part of the team that developed and designed India in Fashion, the inaugural show at Bandra Kurla Complex’s Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre that opened on March 31. The exhibition spanned 10 areas, each bringing together a genre of textiles, silhouettes, embroidery or brands, and featured costumes from iconic brands such as Chanel and Dior and key historic pieces dating as far back as the 18th century. 
"The curator, Hamish Bowles (English fashion designer and global editor of Vogue magazine), set the tone of the fashion exhibit by organizing the displays in a manner similar to his book by the same name (India in Fashion: The Impact of Indian Dress and Textiles on the Fashionable Imagination). As the designers, Patrick Kinmoth and I sought to weave a larger narrative around his text, and we worked on different elements of the exhibit independently before putting them together,” stated Shroff, who worked on this project off and on for two-and-a-half years, after being "contacted by the (Ambani) family, having done a number of projects with them.” As states the Centre’s press note, "The India-inspired pieces have been sourced from some of the biggest museums and unseen personal collections from around the globe.”
The designers wanted to make people proud of India’s contribution to world fashion, with the hope it would take people away from the image of stereotypical "sweatshops, embroidery and textiles.” This was visible in the unusual silhouettes, drapes and motifs that visitors saw, said Shroff. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giving Gyaan
"From its very commencement, my practice has centered around the implementation and revival of Indian handicrafts across the design spectrum. That in itself, I can safely say, has been the most challenging and satisfying aspect of my work.” Convinced that India is rapidly losing its wealth of artisanry dating back hundreds of years, Shroff said he would like to "contribute meaningfully to its survival in any way… that will mean more to me than the largest commercial project.”
Proud of the The Gyaan Project implemented to fund the construction of the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School of Jaisalmer in an area where literacy levels are very low, Shroff narrated that 12 visual artists including couturier Sabyasachi Mukherjee, artist Atul Dodiya, visualist Tanya Goel and celebrity designer Sussanne Khan sent in 18” x 18” designs for a limited edition of marble inlay plates, the sales of which partially funded the School. Pointing to samples on the wall under which we were sitting, Shroff stated that the project kicked off in late 2019 which fortuitously sustained the artisans in Agra during the pandemic.    
His installation Elephant Parade was conceptualized as part of the 2017 UK-India Year of Culture. It was a portion of a large public art event organized by conservation project Elephant Family, retailer Good Earth and the Wildlife Trust of India. The campaign sought to raise awareness about the endangered Asian elephant. Designers including Shroff created 101 individual elephant sculptures which were displayed in various cities, in Bombay at the Gateway of  India, and later auctioned online. The proceeds were used to secure 101 elephant corridors across the country to ease migrations of the pachyderm.
As states his elegant, elaborate website, Shroff "collaborates with artisans from Jaipur for marble carving, New Delhi for woodwork, and Bombay and Lucknow for embroidery, re-honing their crafts and techniques rooted in India into a modern aesthetic.”
Having set up his practice in Bombay in 2011, Shroff has since been voted one of GQ’s Most Influential Young Indians 2017, and has been named one of Hello! magazine’s Most Powerful Young Indians 2020. Of all the accolades he has collected, Shroff values most The Michael Rapuano Memorial Distinction in Design Award that he received as a student at Cornell in 2006. "It was an early recognition of my work, paving the way to the right internships and opportunities.”

 

 

 

  Show window for luxury goods retailer Photo: Shroff’s Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
"Doing it for passion”
"It’s certainly a challenging field,” stated 41-year-old Shroff who is single. "Today every second individual is looking to venture into design… It’s an extremely competitive field and it takes years of experience and hard work to get anywhere in terms of a career, leave alone making a mark in the industry.” But he is all for young Parsis entering the profession: "If you firmly believe in yourself and your aesthetic, my advice is, don’t let anyone discourage you… Just make sure that you’re doing it for passion and not purely in pursuit of money, or you’ll be disappointed!”
Rooshad’s father Rumi is a practicing architect. Mother Shernaz is an interior designer, but doesn’t practice anymore. Brother Kayzad and his wife Maria Jiminez Leon are also architects, and run their own firm SHROFFLeON together in Bombay. Rooshad collaborated with Kayzad and Maria’s firm for the Elephant Parade project. With Rumi, whose practice is mostly architectural, Rooshad "brainstorms, discusses obstacles, how you detail things, how you deal with clients...
"Growing up, the exposure to the field (of architecture) and its varied facets cultivated an acute interest in both my brother and me…We were fortunate in that we had the opportunity to travel at a young age, visiting museums, exhibitions and art galleries with our parents… Our choice, therefore, of following in their footsteps seemed like a natural progression.” In fact, both parents hoped that at least one of the brothers would opt for another career, he shared. "We probably talk shop a tad more than the average Parsi family enjoying their Sunday dhansak! And they also end up becoming your biggest critics!”
An undergraduate in architecture from Cornell University, Rooshad qualified with a master’s in the same discipline from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design in 2011. While pursuing his master’s, he served as teaching assistant to Spanish architect Inaki Abalos. Rooshad’s work was exhibited at the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2010, as well as the Spanish Pavilion Expo 2010 Shanghai China. Gathering work experience at acclaimed architects OMA/REX in New York and Zaha Hadid Architects, London, the stints enabled him to work on the designs for the Dubai Opera House, a residential complex in Singapore, a performing arts center in Dallas, Texas among others. The designer sits on the advisory board of Lucknow’s Kalhath Institute, which seeks to recognize, promote and sustain craft excellence, and is an external juror at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, CEPT University Ahmedabad, and the Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies.
The soft-spoken, creative professional says his work comes first, "but I do try and make time for things I enjoy… working out and going to the theater.” Rooshad says he is happy with his own company. "I am not a people person.”
The firm has 15 employees. The pandemic was a time to reflect, develop new designs. The revamped website is a lockdown initiative, he told us.
"I consider myself a pragmatist,” stated Rooshad when Parsiana queried him about his thoughts on Zoroastrianism and whether he is a traditionalist or a modernist. "I think one’s religion is best practiced in an individual capacity, without foisting one’s personal beliefs on others… Who one chooses to marry and fall in love with is strictly the business of the person in question, and the same goes for anyone who opts for any kind of method when it comes to their own funeral rites,” stated Rooshad. He added a tongue-in-cheek parting shot while seeing us out: "Haven’t I given you diplomatic answers on this?”