Objects of Affection

Architect Rooshad Shroff has attended the Salone del Mobile several times over the course of his career, but that didn't curb his enthusiasm for exploring the 11 new items that had been added to Louis Vuitton's annual Objets Nomades collection.

- CRISTINA KIRAN PIOTTI

I first ran into Rooshad Shroff in Milan during a Design Week (I can't remember how many years ago; after the fourth edition, everything starts to overlap). He was introduced to me as a rising star by a talented architect from Delhi who was a mutual acquaintance. She was right, of course, and we've met several times since. When I asked him to accompany or rather, guide-me to one of the Milanese week's most important events, Louis Vuitton's Objets Nomades at the historic Palazzo Serbelloni, he accepted with a kind smile. After all, he is the 'local muse' for the luxury fashion house's soon-to-open flagship boutique in Mumbai. "Every time I come to Salone, I always make sure that I see the Louis Vuitton set-up," he confided. The 17th-century Palazzo, with its neoclassical rigour and cycles of frescoes, set off a circle of harmonies and contrasted with Objets Nomades, Louis Vuitton's annual collection of travel-inspired furniture and objects created in collaboration with globally renowned designers. "I love that the idea of the collection is related to travel but is not just about beautiful pieces," said Shroff, highlighting that Objets Nomades doesn't simply explore the idea of nomadism literally, but also in terms of items that transcend time and space.