Leaders

Women are increasingly braving their feet to breathe life into ideas and marching their way to become successful businesswomen, in a largely male-dominated world. No industry is out of their reach today and no quantum of success is too tough for them to achieve. AanchalGoel is one such dynamic woman who has not only embarked on the entrepreneurial journey but also gained new heights of success while exploring a novel avenue. An ace designer with a keen eye for detail, as the founder of Objectry she has successfully been experimenting with form and material while exploring different techniques to create exquisite pieces for modern homes.

As a young girl, she was always inclined towards art and subsequently enrolled in the School of Design, Pune where she studied furniture design. While working at a reputed firm, she also studied graphic design deeply. Aanchal then took a one year break and utilised the time for learning ceramics. Never shy of taking up new material and figuring a way about it, a few years later Aanchal started her own venture called Objectry, continuing to challenge the potential and conventional aesthetics of materials, form and space.

In an interview with the Women Entrepreneur team, Aanchal celebrates her journey of leading Objectry and shares with us her thoughts on the craft. Here are a few snippets from the conversation.

Throw some light on the various roles and responsibilities that your current role as a Founder entails at Objectry.

Running the brand for about six years now, the creative process of designing products comes naturally to me.

With Objectry, I’ve explored my way to newness – what I find interesting for myself, I feel confident in offering to others. Starting with smaller, handcrafted products, we’ve now expanded the catalog to furniture. Living between Delhi and Mumbai has allowed me to better understand spaces - the luxury and the constraints of it. The first-hand experience of living in Mumbai came in very handy when designing furniture for compact places. Besides being functional, these pieces are characteristically striking and fit well within the space.

We started with an ensemble of interesting objects, which expanded into micro collections and has now grown into holistic offering for spaces across various categories like Decor, Furniture and Table Accessories.

Running an organisation requires one to be a Jack of all trades, which has allowed me to take on different roles as and when required. Right from designing to execution, hiring relevant resources, running a business has various attributes that I learn as I go.

As an entrepreneur what have been some of the most challenging aspects of leading Objectry?

Getting the right resource on board, in the recent history has been a challenge. Today’s dynamics require people to bring multiple dimensions to the table or have a versatile skillset. The idea of being a part of an independent business allows you to learn, experiment, grow and adapt. We often struggle with finding the right assets that share a similar mindset.

Tell us about your areas of expertise as a designer. What are some of the major influences that reflect in your designs? How do you keep yourself well aligned with the periodic revolutions occurring within your respective industry and the tech world?

I admire so many great artists and designers across history who have grown modern design to what it is today, that it is difficult to list them. The fierce experiments of Frank Gehry to the subtlety of Lou Kahn. There is never a dearth of materials and people to be inspired from.

“The need is to promote conscious consumerism, which is why we believe in buy less, buy good, buy for keep”

Our customers identify with our products uniquely because of the geometric aesthetic. Our native materials and crafts make it culturally relevant for the audience. A play of geometry and textures make it a good fit for the Modern Indian homes.

Technology has been incorporated in product making, marketing/sales/social media and for sustainability. The idea is to stay open, collaborate, learn and unlearn but stay true and authentic. It’s important to not fall into the traps of trends, marketing, peer pressure and forced marketing. If anything, the need is to promote conscious consumerism, which is why we believe in - buy less, buy good, buy for keep.

What is your vision for Objectry and what plans lay in store for the organisation?

I intend to amplify Objectry’s customer base going forward, by increasing touch points and thereby the market reach. To achieve the same, our focus will be to increase our offerings on e-commerce stores to increase audience reach. Additionally, we are working on collaborations and select B2B customisations.

As a successful business leader, what would your advice be to young women aspiring to become business leaders and entrepreneurs in the future?

We are fortunate to be among a changing bent of mind, that is driven by heart and conviction in doing the things they love and things that will make a difference to the world; as opposed to being driven by herd mentality, paychecks, climbing ladders or blind ambition. We hope we can foster and promote a culture around encouraging young people to learn about and be sensitive to art. With that in mind, our advice would be to stay curious, stay conscious. The world needs brands driven by the heart.

Aanchal Goel, Founder & Creative Head, Objectry

A passionate entrepreneur who loves to experiment with form and material while exploring different techniques. As alumnus of School of Design, Pune, she creates exquisite designs that are functional too.