Dhaba's fifth episode finds Founder & Creative Director at Studio Jag Sihra chatting with Joel Gill FRSA creator of Dhaba

Summary

Jag takes us from that creative spark that often ignites in childhood, but turning that flame into a sustainable career requires courage, persistence, and an unwavering commitment to one's authentic voice. For textile designer and artist Jag Sihra, that journey began at just ten years old, when she discovered the profound contentment that came from drawing and painting.

In this deeply personal conversation, Jag reveals how her passion for colour theory blossomed during her education at St. Martin's and Goldsmiths, where she found joy in mixing paints while her classmates saw it as tedious busywork. This fascination with colour became the foundation of her distinctive style – bold, celebratory, and influenced by her cultural heritage while speaking a universal visual language.

The path from art student to successful studio owner wasn't straightforward. Jag shares candid insights about her time in corporate design roles at British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, where she honed crucial skills in client relationships and project management. Rather than viewing these corporate years as a detour, she integrated these experiences into her creative practice, developing the ability to "get under the skin" of clients while maintaining her artistic integrity. Her work designing Virgin Atlantic's innovative "Loft" social space for their A350 aircraft demonstrates how commercial constraints can spark rather than stifle creativity.

Takeaways

What truly sets Jag Sihra’s story apart is how motherhood became the catalyst for fully embracing her creative calling. After years spent balancing corporate work with family responsibilities, she made the courageous decision to decline what would have been her “dream job” in order to establish Studio Jag Sihra.

• Discovering a love for art at age 10 and recognising how it brought contentment and focus

• Developing colour theory skills at St Martin’s, which became the foundation of her distinctive style

• Balancing corporate design work at British Airways and Virgin Atlantic while maintaining artistic vision

• Making the bold decision to turn down a “dream job” offer to prioritise family and pursue independent creative work

• Creating the “Loft” social space design for Virgin Atlantic’s A350 aircraft

• Designing art eggs for the Elephant Family charity, including a special collaboration with schoolchildren affected by Grenfell

• Establishing Studio Jag Sihra with a focus on bespoke luxury gifts that celebrate brand heritage

• Viewing AI as a tool rather than a threat, believing human artisanship will always be valued for its soul and connection

• Launching a new collaboration with an Indian social enterprise to support artisan families while creating sustainable products

Chapters

0:19 Creative Beginnings

5:36 The Power of Colour Theory

10:12 Commercial Design vs. Personal Art

21:44 The Corporate Creative Journey

34:36 Creating Studio Jag Sihra

48:25 The Elephant Family Charity

1:08:16 Artisan Value in an AI World

1:15:53 The Future of Design Thinking

1:23:47 Social Enterprise Collaboration

Keywords

Studio Jag Sihra, Colour Theory, Artisan Infrastructure, Bespoke Craft, Civic Authorship, Design Refusal, Virgin Atlantic Loft, Grenfell Collaboration, Luxury with Soul, AI and Artisanship, Cultural Heritage, Creative Courage, Founder’s Journey, Design with Consequence, Prestige Rewritten