Over the course of two decades, Good Earth has become a brand synonymous with modern Indian luxury. We share a love of locally-sourced craft and celebrating the artisans behind it, which led to us partnering for a contribution to the urban regeneration initiative intended to restore glory to Jodhpur's ancient Walled City. The result is a truly unique store in the heart of this historic district, intended more as a cultural experience than just another retail space.
The site of the store is an old multi-storey haveli -- in itself a source of inspiration and starting point for the language of design -- located across from the famed Jodhpur stepwell, which was the defining inspiration behind the display elements within the store (such as the marble niches on Level One, which use a stepwell design to allow for the highlighting of individual pieces of jewellery).
Moreover, each of the haveli’s rooms offers a series of displays which are visual, olfactory, gustatory, auditory and tactile in turn. For instance, the taste section involves extensive tableware, while the visual allows visitors a cinema-like viewing experience, not only of products but also screenings of artisans at work. As visitors move through the space, there is a process of discovery of both products and craft through the five senses, particularly tailored to provide not just consumerist satiation but a leisurely and rewarding experience far removed from run-of-the-mill city stores and shopping.
Moving between the ground level and the upper storeys takes you through an open-air inner courtyard featuring an enchanted forest motif, replete with Rajasthani pichhwai paintings of foliage and animals. Surrounded by Good Earth's signature lanterns and wafting incense aromas, shoppers can indulge in complimentary tea and local snacks.
The store also pays homage to several uniquely Jodhpur elements, such as the city’s annual Sufi Festival -- in the apparel room, Good Earth's popular lehenga skirts showcase the grace of Sufi dancers, whirling from the 20-foot ceiling courtesy suspended motors. The pichhwai paintings were another inspiration; artisans decorated the ceilings and walls using signature Good Earth motifs. Local materials such as white Indian marble and terrazzo (also native to the city) are featured prominently in the interior; it’s worth noting that we were able to restore the original patterned terrazzo flooring surviving in one section of the haveli and work a modern continuation of the material through the rest of the store, albeit in a muted grey tone. And all the furniture and display pieces have an art deco reference prevalent in Jodhpur; the Umaid Bhawan Palace is one such architectural testament.
More than any product, it is the heady story of a souk that this space sells, one which consciously invigorates the five senses. Divided thematically, the haveli houses the brand’s beautifully crafted products -- strategically-placed protagonists of a twenty-year endeavour.
