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Luxury meets Tradition

A blend of an ancient Indian board game and traditional arts and crafts, this collectible is a piece of luxury designed with the intent of global craft exposure. It would be a result of the collaboration between The Pierre Taj Hotel, New York and the luxury beauty and home décor brand Aerin.* 

This project challenged me to innovate in a completely new market segment - Luxury Product Design

*This is a hypothetical project done as a part of an Academic Course.

Scope

Board Games as Luxury Products

Traditionally a subset of tabletop games, board games today have evolved to include a wide range of themes inspired from real-life events. Associated with 'bonding' and spending time together, board games made out of luxury materials are treated as collectibles and even passed on as family heirlooms. 

Why Aerin?
 

Aerin is a New York based brand that creates fragrance, beauty, home decor and accessories. Aerin Beauty is a part of Estee Lauder Companies.

Building on the founder's (Aerin's) passion of providing a platform for specially curated products from all over the world, it would be a hotel room full of curated products aiding an exquisite experience.

The Pierre Taj Hotel
 

The Pierre, a Taj Hotel, has been revered as both, a quintessential monument to New York City grandeur and an outstanding archetype of service excellence since 1930.

While the iconic hotel has continually evolved through the decades, all updates are made to stay in alignment with their enduring core values of timeless opulence and exceptional hospitality.

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Cultural Fusion
 

This is when brands fuse elements of their origins with the culture and design of new locations. Aerin X The Pierre Taj Hotel would be a nod to the Indian heritage of The Pierre's parent company, Taj Hotels. This unique collaboration would mean creating a niche in the hospitality industry for both the associated brands.

A Visual Glimpse of the Research and Inspiration

The images below give an insight into my inspiration. They highlight the fact that India has had a tradition of board games since centuries, and they were loved by royalty. These board games were made using the local crafts, with minute detailing and expensive luxurious materials. They were favourite gifting items to traders, businessmen and other royals, and eventually the popularity of these games spread to the west. My concept explores something similar - introducing traditional Indian crafts in the west as luxury collectibles, with the help of popular board games.

AERIN x Hospitality

The proposed collaboration (Aerin x The Pierre Taj) will benefit Aerin in the following ways

  • Global reach by venturing into the hospitality industry

  • Following the trend of similar luxury brands collaborating with famed designers from other industries e.g. food x luxury; hence keeping up to date with the trend

  • Adhering to the brand identity of providing an exclusive experience to the customers

  • Creating a niche in the hospitality industry by this unique collaboration

  • Building on the founder's passion of providing a platform for specially curated products from all over the world, it would be a hotel room full of curated products aiding an exquisite experience.

Concept:  A board game as a luxury collectible, designed to showcase the crafts of India globally. 

While this project focuses on Gyan Chaupar and marble inlay work of the Mughal Era, the concept can be extended to multiple other ancient Indian board games like pachisi (ludo), chaturanga/ shatranj (chess)  and crafts like sandalwood carving and bidri work.

Gyan chaupar_3.jpg

The Global Influence of Gyan Chaupar

Gyan Chaupar (Game of Knowledge) is an ancient Indian board game that was widely popular among royals and commoners alike. The simplified, modern version is popularly known as Snakes and Ladders. 

The Hindu and Jain versions of Gyan Chaupar showcase moral virtues; with  iconography of the upper grids depicting divine beings and the heavens.

In the 1890s, the game travelled to England via the British, where it was customised to suit Christian sensibilities. The wide applicability of the game points not only to its immense popularity but also its flexible nature.

Hence, it would not be a completely unfamiliar game, but would be a glimpse of the origins of Snakes and Ladders.

Carved in Stone, Studded with Gems

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