In the December issue of Manifest, we spoke with Amy Astley, global editorial director and editor-in-chief, Architectural Digest (USA), and Sandeep Lodha, managing director, Condé Nast India, about India’s growing design influence, luxury trends, and Condé Nast’s expansion in the country.

Highlighting the uniqueness of Indian luxury design, Astley opened the conversation by noting, “What really differentiates India is the handcraft element - the artisans, the craftsmanship, the reverence for the history, and the handwork.”

She added that while innovation and new materials are emerging, it is India’s handmade, one-of-a-kind creations that attract global attention. The post-pandemic era, she observed, has amplified interest in home design, as people increasingly value personalised and distinctive interiors.

“The level of sophistication where people want things that aren't the same as what everybody else has keeps growing every year quite rapidly,” she stated.

Lodha elaborated on Condé Nast India’s strategy, emphasising the focus on luxury audiences and regional expansion. “It’s very important to understand that at a very high level, all our brands are targeting luxury lifestyle customers - the ultra HNIs and HNIs,” he said, explaining how each brand addresses specific lifestyle interests while engaging overlapping affluent audiences.

Stressing the growing importance of print in luxury media, Lodha observed, “Today, what is happening is that a lot of advertisers want people to feel the advertisements because, digitally, one comes and goes, but in print, people are flipping pages, and they can actually see the nuances of what product it is.”

This conversation first appeared in our December issue. Click here to buy the copy and unlock the whole conversation.