When we hear the name Tanvi Shah what strikes our mind first? Yes of course, she is a singer but, the Jai Ho acclaimed star also has an artistic side to her. As I entered her vibrant and eye- catching office to interview her, I realized it’s a small storage room which has been converted into a beautiful and compact office. Her entire office, from the table to the floor and the walls are made by her using used and recycled items.
To satisfy her flair for designing and passion to work on creative stuff, she opened a small studio, ‘Tansha studio’ during the month of March last year. Right now Tansha studio designs phone covers, chandeliers, mugs, laptop/tablet sleeves, coffee mug/bottle lights, bags, mouse pads, lampshades and coffee cups. As her parents did not want her to rent a place outside they gave her the storage room to start the studio.
“ I had to come up with something and I was also a bit tight on cash plus that particular year I wanted a rustic villa look for my studio. I mounted a wooden plank on a cycle and created my own table, I used plumbing pipes and created a book shelf, lampshades out of alcohol bottles, fitted bulbs into my mom’s pickle jar, a tree design made out of black insulation tape on my cork wall and the wallpaper was done by me” laughs Tanvi excitedly when we got her talking about Tansha.
The talented singer-designer prefers working on all the products by herself as she has OCD towards her work, but right now, she has a few interns working under her. In fact, she set up the whole studio by herself within 2 to 3 months. All previously made products were custom-made but due to constant urging from close ones to sell and market her own products, Tansha studio has come up with a few designs. Tanvi plans on having a set of designs for every season. This season most of the designs are doodling rather than concrete designs.
“I wouldn’t drop anything. I would just keep both of them because I think I’m very lucky. When I’m singing my hands keep moving and when I’m doodling I sing” says Tanvi when asked when she would have to pick between singing and designing.
“When I’m not travelling I’m here at the studio all the time and it keeps me busy,” adds Tanvi. When asked about the future plans for Tansha studio, she says she wants Tansha to establish itself as a brand for accessories and items which are used by people on an everyday basis. Ideally, she wants to expand Tansha into a warehouse where like-minded people work together. As she also loves to cook, her end goal is to open a café where her designs can be displayed and sold.
Tansha Studio can be found on Facebook and Instagram. Their website is in the making. Their products can be bought online on Facebook and it is also now available at Anokhi and Chamiers café.
“One of my favorite professors in college told me, ‘design is a journey of discovery’. In everything you do, see and feel there is always some kind of design element in it. Music and design are like my religion. I would never like to disrespect it. As of Tansha, it is going good. We are pretty sold out. It’s a new bunch I’m working on. Slowly we are working on expanding Tansha,” says Tanvi as she signs off on a happy note.
