Arpita Mehta and Jo Malone London’s collaboration is a festive first for India

Ahead, Sneha Parikh, brand director, fragrance division, Estée Lauder India and designer Arpita Mehta reveal how fashion and fragrance came together to create the very best of Diwali gifting.

Vogue India: What was your vision going into this collaboration?

Sneha Parikh: When I first started thinking about Diwali, I kept going back to the feeling I have when I walk into a Jo Malone store. Each time, I’m transported to another world. It evokes such joy and exuberance—that’s what we wanted our consumers to experience this year. Our vision was to create a gift that felt like a collectable. And we wanted it to be rooted in Indian tradition.

Arpita Mehta: When this collaboration came along, I was super excited. I’ve been using Jo Malone products for so long, it felt like two different worlds coming together for me. The idea was to create something that really captures the spirit of Diwali. It is the ultimate time for gifting; people want to create special memories, so we wanted to help them do that.

Vogue India: Why did this feel like the right time to step into the Indian market in such a big way?

SP: We’re at such an exciting moment where Indian culture and craftsmanship are finally getting the visibility they deserve, internationally. It’s important not just to participate in this moment, but to actively celebrate it. This collaboration was imagined as an ‘India-first’ story and we can’t wait for it to travel to our stores across the world. It’s a real moment of pride for us, to see a campaign conceptualised and crafted in India to be taken to the global stage

Vogue India: What made Arpita the right choice for this collaboration?

SP: When I first experienced Amber Labdanum, our new Cologne Intense, I had almost a visceral reaction—the scent had such evocative, powerful notes. We wanted a collaborator whose values aligned with ours and Arpita was our first and only choice. She has a remarkable ability to marry modern aesthetics with traditional Indian design. Plus, she’s already a loyal friend of the brand, which made the partnership feel natural.

Courtesy of the brand