Purple Turtles owner Radeesh R shares lighting fundas

Radeesh R, owner of the store Purple Turtles, shares some lighting fundas with DNA and how he chose the path to create a different light...

How did Purple Turtles start?
A friend of mine was doing up her home. When we wanted to look for lighting options, we realised that there was no destination in Bangalore for stylish and quirky lighting that were friendly on the pockets too. This also meant that designers lacked a platform. That’s what started the idea of Purple Turtles.

What is your trademark/signature, what makes you stand out?
In the Indian context, a majority of the lighting is imported from other countries. The room, therefore, for customisation is very little. Customisation options too are very expensive. This is where we are different. We allow the clients to customise their lighting and we work in tandem with the architect and designer while designing the fixtures. This way, every home, restaurant or office has it own look and character.

Where do you source your designs from?
As a company, we promote only Indian designers. At present, we have 14 designers from Delhi, Chennai, and Bangalore… But it is not so much about where they are from as much as the talent they have to offer. Each designer is unique and has a different element to offer. We also ensure that no two designers working with us use the same material. Over time, we have realised the increasing numbers of young talent who have amazingly creative designs to offer. We provide them with a platform too.

Do you come out with regular collections at intervals?
Our designers come out with their own collections from time to time. I travel through the country extensively and this gives me ideas for new designs. We put these ideas forward, help them acquire new materials and work with new media. Apart from this, new designers and their designs are introduced at the store from time to time. It is a constantly dynamic collection.

What are the different materials used at Purple Turtles?
All the lighting creations here are one of a kind, individually crafted and designed. The materials used are diverse and draw inspiration from unusual sources. Materials used are earthy, like banana fibre, handcrafted paper, wood and jute and also more modern elements like hand-blown glass, beads and shells, wire works and metals like brass and copper are used.