Rajesh Pratap Singh on PRATAP HOME and the Art of Living With Design

For Rajesh Pratap Singh, design has never been confined to what we wear. Known for his precise tailoring, considered silhouettes and an approach to textiles that places material at the centre of the conversation, the designer has spent 29 years building a language that is distinctly his own. With PRATAP HOME, he takes that language beyond the wardrobe, extending it into the spaces and objects that shape everyday life.

Rather than treating interiors as an entirely new discipline, Singh approaches the collection as a continuation of an existing instinct, allowing material and medium to evolve while the underlying philosophy remains intact.

In conversation with the designer, he shares the thinking behind PRATAP HOME, the unexpected challenges of working with lighting, and why, across clothing and interiors alike, the idea of breathing freely remains central to his work.

After 29 years of clothing, what made this the right moment to bring PRATAP into the home, and was there a particular object or room that set it in motion?

Rajesh: Over the last few years, I have been experimenting with several materials and mediums and putting them in “cold storage”. Experiments with home products were one natural extension, which we are happy to share at this moment. It’s not one particular object or room. It’s just the same language with a different composition, I guess.

You speak of clothing and interiors sharing one material vocabulary. How does a pintuck or a jacquard change in meaning when it moves from a shirt to a quilt or a cushion?

Rajesh: Function, that’s all.

Your clothing is known for clean, contemporary silhouettes without embellishment. How did you decide what PRATAP HOME should include, and what to leave out?

Rajesh: It’s the same instinct, and for the same person that we address. The life and lifestyle of the person who wears our clothes. What they look for, how they feel.

The loungewear carries the same prints, quilting and handwork as the bedding. Is this the most personal part of the collection?

Rajesh: Perhaps, but not in an autobiographical way.

Which crafts were new to you here, whether hand-knotted rugs, block-printed quilts or metalwork for lighting? What did the artisans teach you, or push back on?

Rajesh: I’d say lights. Something one has felt for a very long time, but due to its technical electronics, I did need, and still do need, a lot of education and support. Diwakar Shastri (Murano India) really went out of his way to support me. No pushbacks though, just a perfect partner in crime.

Chandeliers, candle stands and tiles developed with FCML sit far from textiles. How did designing pieces that are sculptural, even architectural, yet fully functional change your thinking?

Rajesh: It’s the same for me, really. We make things. It’s something we are programmed to do. Material and medium come later. We try to make something new every day, and rarely, but sometimes, do succeed.

A garment moves with its wearer, while a rug or a tile stays in place. How did designing for the home rather than the body change your approach to durability, colour and pattern?

Rajesh: Yes, with clothes the key thing is that the shell is in constant touch and moves with the person. It breathes with the person, whilst other home products or buildings are an outer shell around which the movement / the breath exists. But they are still one. Colour and pattern don’t change for me. But to be able to breathe within and with is something extremely important for me. Extremely. I think that is the core of everything I do. It’s been given various names by different people, but it was always the breath. Don’t know if I articulated this thought appropriately, and apologies if it sounds too self-obsessed. But I feel most of our consumers understand this.

“Pure. Rare. Freedom.” closes the collection note. What does freedom mean to you in design today, and where do you hope PRATAP HOME will be?

Rajesh: Freedom for us is a certain amount of stillness in the chaos that engulfs us. It’s to be in a constant state of making without being on a treadmill. The home products will sit next to everything else that has been made so far and will fit into what will come next. That’s what is intended. We only have finite time so let’s see ..