Ikka Dukka, an exquisite Indian lifestyle store with an Irish twist

Meaning ?rare? in Hindi, Ikka Dukka is the brainchild of Galway man Enda Noone, a fledgling venture that has?aptly launched him on an uncommon adventure. This stylish?boutique store is located in the city of?Gurgaon, some 20 miles south of the Indian capital. Quite the departure from the serene?village of Kilconnell near Ballinasloe where Enda?grew up…?

I met my business partner, Nilisha Kohli, while doing a masters at the Dublin Business School. We both ended up working in London and, after a few years in the corporate world, decided to embark on our entrepreneurial journey. From the very start, we were clear that our new venture would have to be creative. So we threw caution to the wind to do something we’d spoken about since our Dublin days, and follow our passion for creating products that excite us and sourcing finds that we love.

Nilisha is from Lucknow, a lovely old-world Indian city; it used to be known as the ?Paris of the East? in the days of the Nawabs.

We decided to set up in India because of the emergent online space ? we believed there was huge market potential for the type of products we wanted to bring to market. That coupled with the fact some of the world’s best craftsmen and manufacturers are there, it seemed like the perfect place to make our base. It’s been nearly two years now. Time is flying.

Moving to India wasn’t too much of a culture shock. I had visited a few times before on holiday over the previous few years and travelled all around India, so I was used to it. Well, familiar with it – I’m still getting used to it.

Our design aesthetic is fleamarket meets modern contemporary. We work with Indian artisans and craftspeople, but we also source beautiful handmade toys and exquisite hand-crafted jewellery from Europe.

Ikka Dukka’s philosophy is simple: we do not make or curate anything that we would not love to wear ourselves or have in our homes. Our curation is off the beaten path – we focus on items which feel like a ?find?. Our customers are creative, well-travelled and culturally adventurous.

Every day working in India is unique, very special, and also quite challenging. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but it’s all worth it when you see how people there make the impossible possible, especially when it comes to creating delicate details on designs.

My proudest accomplishment to date? To have come so far in such a short amount of time. To have our ideas and designs received so well by those whom we admire in the industry, not least Architectural Digest, who named us ?one of the best-curated websites in India?.

The future is very exciting for Ikka Dukka. We are adding new lines to our own branded ranges as well as teaming up with some other very talented designers to expand and sell the brand internationally. We’ve just launched our Lavery dual leather clutch bags (named after Lady Lavery, muse to Irish artist Sir John Lavery) and will be releasing our laid-back luxury clothing line shortly, plus more exciting homewares …

Do I miss Ireland? Of course I do – home is always home.

Shop Ikka Dukka from Ireland at their official website and avail of free shipping on orders above €80 (below that, a flat rate of €10 applies). Some goods may be subject to import duties. Follow @ikkadukkaonline on Instagram for ideas and special deals.