The Shagun Memphis Chair

Rydhima has long been drawn to two very different design languages: the bold colour, playful geometry and sculptural confidence of Memphis Milano, and the layered ornament of Indian craft. The Shagun Memphis Chair is where they meet. Its form is pure sculpture, a piece that works as both art and seat, while its upholstery carries centuries of meaning.

In Indian tradition, shagun is an auspicious blessing: a gift offered at weddings and life’s milestones to wish joy and good fortune. The name honours the textiles that clothe this chair and the story they tell.

The Shagun Memphis Chair is upholstered in Spice Dream, Rubelli’s 2024 collection celebrating the craftsmanship of Indian textiles. Rydhima layered several of its designs to tell one story:

• Phulkari: a geometric lampas inspired by the silk embroidery of Punjab, traditionally gifted to a bride as a symbol of joy
• Wedding Ring: Rubelli’s reinterpretation of Abhla, the hand-applied mirror work of Kutch, rendered as embroidered “mirrors” in a contemporary geometry and central to Gujarati wedding dress
• Lover’s Garden: a figured jacquard of lovers strolling through a garden, drawn from the romance of Mughal miniature painting
• Block Print: a jacquard based on an 18th-century Indian block-printed floral
• Jaipur: a silk jacquard reproducing the architectural motifs of ancient South Indian temples, a meeting point of East and West
• Indira: a silk lampas in relief
• Velvet Jewel: a jacquard velvet on a shimmering metallic ground

Phulkari and Wedding Ring hold the heart of the story: the Punjabi and Gujarati wedding traditions of Rydhima’s own marriage, joined in a single piece. Around them, Mughal romance, temple architecture and block-printed florals layer centuries of Indian craft onto a Memphis Milano silhouette. The Mughal imagery of Lover’s Garden also echoes the regal aesthetics of Hyderabad, Rydhima’s paternal ancestral home.

For Rydhima, a Gujarati married to a Punjabi, Phulkari and Abhla were not just beautiful patterns. They told her own story. She discovered the Rubelli collection at Quintus showroom in Los Angeles, and it gave the chair its final, deeply personal layer: two wedding traditions, joined in one piece.

The Shagun Memphis Chair was upholstered by Mik Hollis of Monte Allen in Los Angeles, whose craftsmanship brought the sculptural silhouette to life. The Spice Dream textiles were sourced from The Rubelli Group through Quintus Los Angeles. Each chair is made to order through R/terior Studio.

The Shagun Memphis Chair was created with The Kaleidoscope Project, an initiative dedicated to supporting artists and designers of colour. The chair debuted at Bergdorf Goodman in New York in 2024, shown alongside works by fellow BIPOC artists and designers. The original Shagun Memphis Chair was acquired by a private collector at Bergdorf Goodman for $10,000.

The Shagun Memphis Chair marks Rydhima Brar’s entry into furniture design and captures the philosophy behind R/terior Studio: culturally intelligent design, where heritage meets contemporary sophistication and every object is as rich in story as it is in style.

To inquire about the Shagun Memphis Chair or commission a one-of-a-kind piece, get in touch with the studio.

From Sketch to Chair
Designed over several months, the Shagun Memphis Chair evolved from pencil sketch to coloured study to digital rendering before being handcrafted in Los Angeles.

Photography: Cheng Lin