Christian Louboutin, Olympia Le-Tan, and More Are Selling Beautiful, Handmade Plates for a Wonderful Cause 

Needless to say, the pieces are much too pretty to use as anything but decor: Each one was hand-made in Agra, where a family of artisans employed by Shroff dutifully inlaid lapis lazuli, malachite, and other semi-precious stones. In the two motifs designed by Louboutin, bheslana-black stilettos—some with tell-tale red soles—dance before geometric white, green, and cream backdrops; while the fashion designer Anamika Khanna’s mosaic-like plate is an explosion of artfully mismatched patterns and tones.

Creating one of Anamika Khanna's plates.

Photo: Rooshad Shroff 

Others see a tiger prowling the façade of the Taj Mahal (care of designer Sabyasachi Mukherji); and a pair of eyes gazing curiously from a stark, white ground (by architect and professor Bijoy Jain). The marble inlay technique used, sometimes known as pietra dura, has existed in Agra since at least the 17th century, when it entered Asia from Italy.

The designer plate conceit was developed by Shroff, who has worked with marble inlay in his own work for years and endeavored to support CITTA’s efforts “through design and craft.” “Being an architect and designer, my strength is working with the materials and crafts of India,” he says. “The project not only helps raise funds for CITTA, but it also created employment for over a year for my artisans in Agra.” A worthy cause indeed.