Latest news with #Collage
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Chennai: 5 heritage structures reborn
Chennai's architectural landscape breathes like a living entity. The cityscape is dotted with Indo-Saracenic, colonial, and Art Deco landmarks, their presence a strong representation of Madras, and now Chennai's layered culture, history, and design language. But the past few years have seen a revived interest in restoring older structures, especially as the awareness in conservation has grown. There are scores of examples, from the 73-year-old Art Deco building in Rutland Gate that now houses the multi-designer boutique, Collage, and The Woodhouse Coffee & Cocoa Co, to The Entrance Cafe in Kilpauk, which is housed in an old colonial house. The cafe's updates includes a koi pond and a massive 10-ft. wooden door, courtesy architect Faisal Manzur. A stroll around town manifests in many such chance encounters — each heritage building, once a grand period residence, now embraces a new chapter, and thus adaptive reuse showcases its inherent potential and lore. Una Villa, Nungambakkam J. Rafiq Ahmed, managing director of Kothari Industrial Corporation Limited (KICL), has long championed the culinary arts. Una Villa marked a significant milestone in that trajectory, a space that Ahmed envisioned would foster intimate, high-quality dining experiences. And what ensued was a spatial sleight of hand, courtesy Anisha Murali and Denver Pereira, principal architects at u:i:make, a Chennai and Mumbai-based practice. Ahmed's frequent commutes along Uthamar Gandhi Road got him interested in a 1960s home and this soon evolved into a deep commitment for him and his wife, Basheera. 'I was immensely drawn to its high ceilings, large windows, and symmetrical façade. I knew I didn't want to rebuild; the structure needed to be restored,' he says. Set within a domestic garden, the 2,500 venue rests on a 6,300 land parcel. 'With a deep respect for context, materiality, and everyday life, we approach spaces as a hopeful exploration. Una Villa transforms one of the area's few remaining mid-century houses into a restaurant and bakery after years of vacancy,' highlights Murali. In Murali and Pereira's rendition, the bungalow's original flow remains intact. The load-bearing walls were stripped back to the plaster beneath, revealing worn surfaces and layered colour. Pereira says, 'A textured border runs along the bottom of the walls, colored to match the earth outside.' The stairwell defines circulation, its glorious form updated with only a fresh coat of lime plaster and brass handles. Surface-mounted wiring and copper conduits make their way across the walls and ceiling, introducing ingrained movement. 'Rather than erasing the past, the design builds upon it, allowing the abode's history to shape its quiet transformation into a public space,' observes Murali. Primrose 131, Mylapore Mylapore's veins thrum with an ancient rhythm, courtesy the vivid gopurams, and the fragrance of temple flowers. Tucked in a leafy enclave is Primrose 131, an ancestral dwelling from the mid-1950s, in the care of producer Archana Kalpathi and her husband. 'This was my husband's family home. The house is synonymous with their happiest memories; every anecdote unfolds under the shade of the mighty mango tree. We wanted to extend the warmth of our home towards meaningful celebration. And that is how its adaptation into a versatile event space transpired,' recalls Kalpathi. The motivation to breathe new life into its strong bones led the homeowners to Sruthi Reddy, principal architect at Chennai's Ceebros Designworks. Reddy shares, 'Our portfolio is a testament to the lasting legacies we craft. Each design is deeply rooted in its context, the overarching story, and the artisanship that enlivens it.' Spanning 9,600 the bungalow's identity was reconfigured by Reddy and her team, comprising Priyanka and Santhanam, in 2021. 'The magnificent mango tree was our muse! Traditionally, all gatherings unfolded around the home's courtyard and its resident tree. We wanted to evoke that atmosphere through design, creating a bridge between indoor and outdoor spaces,' Reddy adds. The building's architecture lent itself instinctively to a reprised take on Art Deco. A monolith in white, the structure is accented in bold strokes of black — in jambs, the staircase, and lighting. The alfresco space is sheathed in a fresh white terrazzo variety by Facilini Design Lab, and flows into the verandah's harlequin-style floors. 'The staircase makes for the most loved insert. The balustrade's gently curved form and its colour against the all-white backdrop make for a stunning vignette,' says Reddy. The interior features expansive spaces supported by slender metal columns, replacing the original floor plan's compact rooms while preserving the building's Madras terrace roof. 'The space is looked after like a regular, functioning home. Housekeeping services, close assessment of details, maintenance of floors, and paint touch-ups are administered per requirement,' shares Kalpathi. Malligai - Raw Mango, Cenotaph Road Anchored along Cenotaph Road is Malligai. Raw Mango's Chennai location bears witness to the city's rich history and its quiet march towards modernity. The story comes alive in a 5,400 residence with overlapping architectural styles, a space rejuvenated by Sanjay Garg, founder of Raw Mango, in collaboration with Delhi-based design studio Squadron 14, spearheaded by Adityan Melekalam. 'Akin to all our stores, the Chennai outlet also conjures an experience for our clients. We envisioned a gallery that showcases the brand's textile offerings and fascinations. The store is inspired by the context of the building, and at the same time, we are not too burdened by it,' Garg states. A diligent pursuit spanning over 50 residences landed Garg an encounter with the property that is now a sanctuary for connoisseurs of Indian handloom. The interior houses elements that are almost as delectable as the design house's offerings — a sculptural staircase, mosaic floors, ornate mullions, and gently curved cornices. Garg's curatorial prowess is apparent — the store hosts antiques collected over the years, finds from India and the world. 'The project was not about imposing a new identity but revealing the preexisting layers. The bungalow sports faint Art Deco influences and vernacular traces, but as with most things in Chennai, it's a confluence — neither strictly traditional nor entirely modern,' notes Melekalam. For Garg, the appeal lay in the inhabited home's distinctive architecture, which reflected the residing family's aspirations. The challenge? 'Maintaining the built form's character and integrity to lend a design aesthetic that resonated with our manifesto,' suggests Garg. Deconstructing the spatial layout, Melekalam elaborates, 'We reconfigured the flow between rooms to make the experience more fluid. The materials and hues respond to the space's quirks, like the original flooring. We designed most elements in-house. The museum-esque glass displays, for example, are inspired by vitrines from the turn of the 20th century.' Holding a mirror to Raw Mango's work, the adaptive reuse strategy embraces contradictions — treating the space as a container for ideas while absorbing myriad influences. KUP Budan House, Alwarpet Memory serves as a relentless compass, guiding one's journey towards the destination their heart has always sought. 'I recall a visit to veteran actor Sivaji Ganesan's home. The breezy thinnai, a signature of traditional Tamil homes, never quite left my mind. KUP Budan House was a serendipitous find, an ode to my upbringing in Madras and this childhood memory,' Jivesh Goenka, founder of KUP Coffee Roasters, shares. Building on successful operations in Nungambakkam, Goenka's keen eye for design and business potential drew him to an 80-year-old, 4,000 home in Alwarpet, where the café opened its doors in 2024. He relies on inspiration gathered over his travels abroad, 'There is a remarkable presence of adaptive reuse overseas. It was a challenge I posed to myself. I wished to recreate this — give my city a landmark!' Crafted in collaboration with Roaish Architecture + Design and Orange Elephant Interiors, the space is alive with KUP's electric DNA. The structure's sweeping form is unmistakable, its ivory façade animated by bold grey streaks that flow into the columns. Hand-painted lettering echoes signage from past decades, bridging different eras. The design language flows through the restored space, in step with its past. The layout is a collage of various seating options — the airy verandah, private dining rooms, the restored backyard configured around the mango tree, peripheral seats gazing at the frangipani trees, and the popular coffee bar, which was once a derelict garage. 'Community-building is central to KUP's ethos. The variety of spaces available at Budan House strengthens events where patrons from diverse backgrounds come together to interact and converse. Each visitor finds a nook that feels like their own,' says Vidya Vijay, brand head – KUP. 'White, black, brown, grey, and orange manifest across the café, representing KUP's visual identity. Polished mosaic floors, refurbished I-beams, Bakelite switches, exposed conduit lighting, and louvred windows speak of the site's history,' says Goenka. Lessons in legacy Preserve existing trees on site whenever possible. Choose furniture that resonates with the home's history. Retain original materials wherever possible. Brick, timber, and terrazzo are key examples. Engage structural consultants and design professionals while undertaking the overhaul of heritage structures. Survey rising road levels, waterlogging zones, and invasive root networks. Audit old plumbing and check for wood decay. Maintain the space like a lived-in home with regular housekeeping. The writer is an architect and design specialist.
Business Upturn
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Upturn
Collage Group Unveils New Growth Audience Innovations that Give Brands an Unparalleled Advantage in Building Relevance while Achieving Higher Media Efficiency
Bethesda, MD, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Collage Group, the leading cultural intelligence engine, today announced the release of new data-rich culturally centric enhanced Audience Profiles, empowering brands to identify, reach, and build cultural relevance with America's most influential and fastest-growing consumer segments. These new tech tools and insights help brands act with clarity and purpose from the start with marketing strategy and throughout the creative and media execution. The Size of an Unmissable Market Opportunity The economic influence of Multicultural Americans is accelerating faster than ever. Hispanic consumers alone are projected to wield $2.8 trillion in buying power by 2026 (source: UGA, The Multicultural Economy). Over half of Gen Z is multicultural, and by 2029 their spending power will surpass that of Boomers. Gen Alpha—more than 44 million strong and growing—is already shaping household spend and brand choices, with 73% of parents saying their kids are the first ones to tell them about new or popular things. These segments are driving the increases in buyer power across nearly every category, making them an imperative for growth. Brand Growth with a Stronger ROI Collage's first of its kind Audience Profiles leverage deep cultural data and insights to help brands identify and understand their unique growth opportunities. Unlike traditional audience providers who just start with media targeting and add psychographics as an afterthought, Collage makes Audiences more actionable—by uncovering what actually drives consumer decisions. With the size of each segment (bi-demographic, culturally relevant, or custom to a brand), these profiles start with values and beliefs and expand to culturally grounded psychographics, passion points, fandom, brand love, behaviors, and demographics. In addition, the new data on both Index and Reach allow insights and marketing professionals to size both the total opportunity and differences between segments. 'In the midst of increased American consumer fragmentation and polarization, diverse audiences continue to drive category growth across most industries,' said David Wellisch, CEO and Co-Founder of Collage Group. 'As a result, brands need to rely on culturally fluent understanding of their target audiences to effectively and efficiently resonate and win the hearts and minds of American consumers. These are not future trends—they are today's reality. Our approach, grounded first in cultural insight rather than just media behavior, gives marketers the actionable intelligence they need to unlock their full growth with speed and confidence.' Actionable Brand-specific Growth Opportunities Collage's Audience Profiles include bi-demographic Audiences, Culturally Relevant Audiences, and Brand Opportunity segments—audiences with positive brand favorability and clear purchase intent. These Audiences are curated to surface high-potential incremental new targets. Collage helps marketers prioritize exactly where to invest for maximum impact. This unique approach empowers brands to build stronger relevance with the consumers who matter most while achieving higher media efficiency and driving measurable ROI. Brands can also build and explore any Custom Audience they want by combining traits, behaviors, or intent signals from Collage's 26 billion proprietary data points. Each Audience Profile includes complete insight to all the audience traits and behaviors, sortable by Index or Reach, so users can instantly see which attributes are most distinctive or widely shared. This flexibility helps marketers tailor messaging, prioritize activations, and identify opportunities that align with either precision targeting or broad appeal. Media habits including audio, video, streaming, and social are integrated into each profile as well, with differences highlighted so marketers can optimize their media spend. Best in Class Data Visualization and Portability All of Collage's research is available in Spark, cut by extensive filters including multicultural, generational, gender and sexuality demographic data—as well as geo-location, urbanicity, HH size and income, disability, political views, veteran status, and more. New Spark tools and data visualization now allow users to rebase and change chart views—as well as easily export and share insights for their teams and stakeholders. The data portability benefits also are available in for all the brand and audience profile views, maximizing the impact of bringing the actionable insights to life. Cultural Shifts Shaping the Future Collage's cultural intelligence engine is always on, constantly updated, and refreshed real-time. Its proprietary data on evolving consumer behaviors and purchase influences of multicultural, generational, gender and sexuality, and parenting segments, including new research on the Gen Alpha segment, is curated into actionable insights on growth opportunities for each brand. Collage's new insights, data, and Audience Profiles help marketers decode what this means for their brand positioning, creative campaigns, hyper-focused media targeting, and product innovation. As spending power accelerates for growing these segments, Collage continues to innovate, providing the world's leading brands with the ROI-focused insights they need to translate cultural understanding into measurable brand growth. About Collage Collage is the only cultural intelligence engine that fuses consumer, industry, and brand data to provide brands with insights on the why behind consumers' behaviors—so they can act quickly to fuel growth. The company's data science engine provides unrivaled depth of cultural insight from 26 billion primary data points. With access to head-to-head brand, category, and industry competitive assessments plus original, consumer-driven studies and weekly additions, the world's leading brands rely on Collage to get a deep understanding of how to drive brand love and business growth by tapping into culture. The curated, always-on, easy-to-use digital access is flexible and cost-efficient for business needs. Founded in 2009, Collage has always held culture at the company's core. Collage is a National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) certified minority-owned small business. Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Collage Unveils Groundbreaking Gen Alpha Insights to Decode the Future of Influence and Purchase Behavior
Bethesda, MD, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Collage, the leader in cultural intelligence, today released a first-of-its-kind research, unlocking what drives Gen Alpha – their values, behaviors, and digital fluency. Representing the future of consumer behavior and household influence, Gen Alpha is the youngest, most diverse, and most digitally connected generation in U.S. history. Collage's new research delivers the deepest cultural insights available on this generation, grounded in proprietary data, in-culture expertise, and more than a decade of experience helping brands create their competitive advantage. Born after 2013, Gen Alpha may be young, but their influence is already reshaping key consumer categories, including food, personal care, fashion, media, and entertainment. As true digital natives, they are growing up in an era marked by cultural fluidity, identity exploration, and rapidly evolving content consumption. To remain relevant and drive long-term growth, brands must begin building authentic connections with Gen Alpha today. Over 44 million strong, and growing, Gen Alpha already influences household spend and brand choices in food, fashion, and personal care purchases today: 73% of parents of this generation say their kids are the first ones to tell them about new or popular things. 'Winning with Gen Alpha requires more than demographic snapshots,' said David Wellisch, CEO of Collage. 'It demands deep, culturally grounded insight into how they think, what shapes their preferences, and how they're already influencing the marketplace. This is where Collage offers an unmatched advantage.' With Collage's Gen Alpha insights, brands can uncover powerful opportunities to drive both immediate impact and long-term loyalty. The research reveals Gen Alpha's content preferences, media consumption patterns, shopping behaviors, and cultural influences - all offering marketers a clear path to grow share in categories where these young consumers already play a role in household decisions. It also surfaces unmet needs, values, and trend signals that will define Gen Alpha's purchasing behavior in the years ahead. In an increasingly fragmented media landscape, Collage helps brands identify the platforms Gen Alpha engages with most, enabling smarter media investments and more effective messaging. Ultimately, this intelligence empowers brands to future-proof their portfolios by building early trust with a generation that is already shaping cultural norms and consumer expectations. Collage's Gen Alpha research is now available on its Insights Hub, giving brands immediate access to culturally grounded data and activation-ready insights. Audience Profiles for Parents of Gen Alpha are also available in Collage's app, helping brands target the buyers most efficiently. In collaboration with Insights Association, on June 10, Collage will present a webinar, "New Gen Alpha Trends: Tap Into the Drivers for Media, Entertainment, and Personal Care." The presentation will highlight new research on offering marketers practical guidance on engaging Gen Alpha and unlocking brand growth through culturally fluent strategy. About Collage Collage is the only cultural intelligence engine that fuses consumer, industry, and brand data to provide brands with insights on the why behind consumers' behaviors – so they can act quickly to fuel growth. The company's data science engine provides unrivaled depth of cultural insight from 26 billion primary data points. With access to head-to-head brand, category, and industry competitive assessments plus original, consumer-driven studies and weekly additions, the world's leading brands rely on Collage to get a deep understanding of how to drive brand love and business growth by tapping into culture. The curated, always-on, easy-to-use digital access is flexible and cost-efficient for your business needs. Founded in 2009, culture has always been at the company's core. Collage is a National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) certified minority-owned small business. CONTACT: Quintin Simmons Collage Group qsimmons@ in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
4 Ways Retailers Are Preying on Your Tariff Anxieties and Making You Spend More
Americans have gone on a money-spending spree this spring — and not because they feel rich. Quite the opposite, with the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index falling nearly 30% since January. Already, 72% of consumers have changed their shopping habits per a Collage study, with many stockpiling goods and even 'doom spending.' And retailers have played an active role in stoking those tariff anxieties — below are some examples of how. Trending Now: For You: The most obvious way that retailers have spurred more spending is simply saying 'Price hikes are coming.' Quynh Mai, founder of retailer PR agency Qulture, explained how effective the strategy has been. 'Retailers from Walmart to Amazon have already warned their customers about rising prices and the media has been showing pictures of empty shelves. Customers, who remember scrambling for toilet paper, get the subliminal message and are pre-shopping before prices skyrocket, especially on high-ticket items like iPhones.' Read Next: A sneakier tactic involves retailers hiking prices now, before tariffs have hit their wholesale costs and then announcing discounts and sales. 'For example, say a flooring company paid $1.50 a square foot and they normally sell for $2.50 a square foot,' explained Melanie Musson, finance expert with 'Then they increase pricing to $3.50 a square foot and offer you a 10% 'pre-tariff discount,' you're going to pay over $3 a square foot. The buyer feels like they got a deal, but they didn't.' Retailers have banged the tariff drum on earnings calls, loudly and repeatedly. In fact, FactSet reported that 91% of the S&P 500 companies who have reported first quarter earnings mentioned tariffs. They beat out artificial intelligence (AI) as the new corporate buzzword. By doing so, retailers lay the groundwork for future earnings misses while simultaneously fueling inflation fears and doom spending. Mai, who works with fashion retail brands, said many have grown aggressive in how they message tariff risks. 'Many brands, afraid of the future of their businesses, are pushing outrageous sales and speaking publicly about possibly closing their businesses, prompting a hoarding mentality amongst their customers.' Will tariffs send consumer prices through the roof? Maybe. In the meantime, retailers are doing some stockpiling of their own: profits. More From GOBankingRates 8 Dollar Tree Items Retirees Need To Buy Ahead of Summer 2025 How Far $750K Plus Social Security Goes in Retirement in Every US Region 4 Affordable Car Brands You Won't Regret Buying in 2025 This article originally appeared on 4 Ways Retailers Are Preying on Your Tariff Anxieties and Making You Spend More Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
4 Ways Retailers Are Preying on Your Tariff Anxieties and Making You Spend More
Americans have gone on a money-spending spree this spring — and not because they feel rich. Quite the opposite, with the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index falling nearly 30% since January. Already, 72% of consumers have changed their shopping habits per a Collage study, with many stockpiling goods and even 'doom spending.' And retailers have played an active role in stoking those tariff anxieties — below are some examples of how. Trending Now: For You: The most obvious way that retailers have spurred more spending is simply saying 'Price hikes are coming.' Quynh Mai, founder of retailer PR agency Qulture, explained how effective the strategy has been. 'Retailers from Walmart to Amazon have already warned their customers about rising prices and the media has been showing pictures of empty shelves. Customers, who remember scrambling for toilet paper, get the subliminal message and are pre-shopping before prices skyrocket, especially on high-ticket items like iPhones.' Read Next: A sneakier tactic involves retailers hiking prices now, before tariffs have hit their wholesale costs and then announcing discounts and sales. 'For example, say a flooring company paid $1.50 a square foot and they normally sell for $2.50 a square foot,' explained Melanie Musson, finance expert with 'Then they increase pricing to $3.50 a square foot and offer you a 10% 'pre-tariff discount,' you're going to pay over $3 a square foot. The buyer feels like they got a deal, but they didn't.' Retailers have banged the tariff drum on earnings calls, loudly and repeatedly. In fact, FactSet reported that 91% of the S&P 500 companies who have reported first quarter earnings mentioned tariffs. They beat out artificial intelligence (AI) as the new corporate buzzword. By doing so, retailers lay the groundwork for future earnings misses while simultaneously fueling inflation fears and doom spending. Mai, who works with fashion retail brands, said many have grown aggressive in how they message tariff risks. 'Many brands, afraid of the future of their businesses, are pushing outrageous sales and speaking publicly about possibly closing their businesses, prompting a hoarding mentality amongst their customers.' Will tariffs send consumer prices through the roof? Maybe. In the meantime, retailers are doing some stockpiling of their own: profits. More From GOBankingRates 8 Dollar Tree Items Retirees Need To Buy Ahead of Summer 2025 How Far $750K Plus Social Security Goes in Retirement in Every US Region 4 Affordable Car Brands You Won't Regret Buying in 2025 This article originally appeared on 4 Ways Retailers Are Preying on Your Tariff Anxieties and Making You Spend More Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
