‘Creative Quirkaholic’ | Verve Magazine
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January 28, 2015

‘Creative Quirkaholic’

Photograph by Ryan Martis. Styling by Priyanka Monga. Make-Up And Hair by Ritu Gandhi

Keen on providing customised design products and solutions, design studio head Anjali Mody’s obsession for perfection finds her a place on The Rose Code

“The fear of failing excites me… almost like an adrenalin rush. The motivation to excel in an area I am unaware of gives me the drive to know and learn more and more each day.”

Currently creative director and founder, Josmo, a boutique design studio that provides design expertise, knowledge and manufacturing for products, furniture and interior design solutions, the 28-year-old Anjali Mody divides her time between Josmo and Skarma, a creative agency founded in 2010 where she is one of the four partners. In 2010, she returned to India from a four-month adventure across Europe and realised she needed to be an integral part of the design revolution as she did not want to remain one of those designers who came from a good education and implemented that knowledge  — she has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design from The Rhode Island School of Design — outside the country. “The personal drive to start a design studio stemmed from the realisation that there was a growing demand for well-designed products but there were very few brands that could cater to a generation that wanted it to be affordable as well. Josmo came into being to provide well-designed, well-made products and solutions that were tailor made for an individualistic requirement.”

Though Skarma started off to offer professional design services for those who couldn’t afford to pay for them and its initial clients came from humble beginnings, the company has now evolved into a niche creative agency that services clients in a very holistic way. Describing herself as a ‘creative quirkaholic’, she says, “New and exciting challenges keep me going. I find it thrilling to take on work that I have no idea how to execute! The fear of failing excites me…almost like an adrenalin rush. The motivation to excel in an area I am unaware of gives me the drive to know and learn more and more each day.”

Legal eagle Zia Mody’s daughter feels her ‘obsession for perfection’ stands her in good stead. Her day starts at 9.30 am with six dogs on her bed and she gets to work by 11 am — after making the necessary calls and checking her mails. Though she says she didn’t face many challenges as an entrepreneur, she admits, “Dealing with a labour force posed an extremely difficult task. As a woman designer who has made furniture with her own hands, it was important for me to correct old techniques and flawed processes in my manufacturing workshop. But, my feedback was frowned upon and not considered strongly. It has taken many years and the right team to overcome this obstacle.”

She believes, “Luxury is a way of life that allows you to feel extravagant yet comfortable at the same,” Anjali loves to travel. “I spend most of my free time moving around, experiencing new energies, climates, foods and people! It’s a great life!”

Describing her personal style as being ‘eclectic’ she values her mom’s old saris. “Priceless and utterly beautiful, they were handed down to my mother from my grandmother and great grandmother.” For Anjali, dressing up for an occasion means ‘trying new combinations and colours every time’. And for her, success is “being happy with yourself and the impact you have had on others.”

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