About Shubhra Chadda and Chumbak 

Founded in the year 2010, Chumbak commenced their journey with the creation of souvenirs, specifically fridge magnets. In a span of five years Chumbak has grown and increased their inventory from fridge magnets to bags, wallets, apparel and even home decor. The idea was to give the world something they’d remember to take back from their travels to the country. They starting stocking souvenirs across multi brand outlets but soon expanded to 18 large format stores. 

Shubhra Chadda, co-founder at the company along with her husband Vivek Prabhakar is also the Product and Design Head of Chumbak.

Shubhra Chadda

Shubhra Chadda is a Co-Founder at Chumbak Design Pvt Ltd., a design led lifestyle brand born in India. After a successful career in marketing, Shubhra was determined to be an entrepreneur.

What colour inspires you?

Aquamarine.

Where did/do you see or observe this colour?

The blue colours of the South China Sea on a recent visit to Vietnam.

South China Sea

During a recent visit to Vietnam, she was inspired by the blue hues of the South China Sea. Photograph by Mink Mingle, courtesy Unsplash

Why do you like it?

It’s a fresh, invigorating colour and gives me a happy feeling.

What’s the work that is your design inspiration? 

Stef Delapree is a Canadian artist that runs a gallery in Cambodia and his style of design is a big source of inspiration for me. The figure motifs he creates leave me with a happy feeling after visiting his store and that was a huge source of inspiration for me.

Happy Painting

Stef’s paintings are marked by vivid colours, abundance of flora and a celebration of life itself. Copyright by Stephane Delaprée.

What is your design inspiration? A person, place or studio or any specific element?

It’s a gallery I visited some time ago – Stef’s Happy Cambodia Gallery in Siem Reap.

A little about the Happy Cambodia Gallery

The Happy Cambodia Gallery showcases the paintings of artist Stéphane Delaprée, also recognized as Stef. His paintings represent the everyday life and struggles of Cambodia. Just like the name of his website, ‘Happy Painting’, his work expresses happiness, pleasure and feelings. It was in the year 1992, when he paid a visit to the Crayola kids painting exhibition at New York that he was inspired by the concept of happy painting practiced by the little children.

Stéphane Delaprée

Stef excludes elitism in his paintings and instead describes his work as ‘art democratisation’. He speaks of his art as an open platform that invites people from all walks of life. Copyright by Stephane Delaprée.

If we were to showcase any recent project you’ve worked on, which one would it be? 

I would like to talk about Chumbak’s ‘Wild and Free’ collection. This collection is all about re-inventing and re-designing your look. It is based on the Otomi style of design including a bohemian theme, dream catchers, suzani flowers, greek tiling, cross stitch and various renditions of owls.

Taking back memories

An avid lover of design, she started Chumbak in 2010 with the intent to tap into the untapped souvenir market in India.

Influenced by Otomi aesthetics

The collection borrows from traditional Mexican Otomi embroidery, known for its whimsical floral motifs and bright colours.

This collection is our celebration of Chumbak’s interesting techniques and contemporary prints across all categories.

Wild and Free

Lace, patchwork, pom poms and tassels are commonly seen through the collection.

Bringing saturated colours home

Floral and animal motifs are typical to Otomi embroidery and are also central to the Wild and Free collection`s home decor pieces.

A glimpse of Otomi Embroidery

Hailing from the central Mexican Plateau, Otomi embroidery was revived as a source of income for the Otomi people in the 1960s. After a drought brought the region’s financial stability down, they took to introducing the traditional craft and integrating it into daily living to combat the economic crisis. Characterised by floral and animal motifs and vivid saturated colours, the intricate embroidery successfully blends modern aesthetics with an ancient tradition.

View Chumbak’s Wild and Free collection here. Browse Chumbak’s website here. Learn more about Happy Painting here.

Gifting made easy

Shubhra`s colour inspirations make their way into Chumbak`s collections.