Ogaan To The Oberoi Group: How Saher Sahni Built One Of Experiential Design's Most Compelling Cross-Continental Careers

Saher Sahni's career in design began after she graduated architecture school not with a brief or a brand deck, but with a bungalow. As the creative force behind the interiors of Ogaan - one of India's most revered multi-designer luxury retail destinations. Sahni encountered a design challenge that would define her entire practice: how to create a cohesive, quietly opulent environment capable of holding multiple distinct designer aesthetics without overwhelming any of them.

Her answer came from a spatial philosophy with restraint. While refurbishing the dilapidated bungalow she walked into the site and was inspired by washed textures of patina walls and aged wood, nudging her to create a new language of materials that included natural kota stone, vintage patina finishes, Italian mosaic tile floors, and a range of bespoke display systems crafted for Ogaan. She stayed on site during early morning hours to late evening which allowed Sahni to study both the quality of light and motion and use these elements to zone the space in such a way that naturally lit areas doubled as informal and formal seating spaces for clients while areas that got diffused light became transitional spaces for clothing display.

That conviction followed her to New York, where she completed a Master of Arts in Exhibition and Experience Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). Her graduate thesis - "Hautecraft by House of Khadi," now archived in FIT's Gladys Marcus Library explored the democratization of luxury through sustainable design, repositioning Khadi, India's traditional hand-spun cotton and linen textile, as a globally relevant, environmentally conscious luxury material.

This research culminated with a fully realized exhibit concept at the Park Avenue Armory that demonstrated three themes: the bridging of craftsmanship, cultural heritage, and sustainability; creating a bridge between Eastern & Western views on authentic luxury through case studies of Louis Vuitton & Loro Piana and validated through prototypes & audience testing.

After attending FIT, Sahni worked at MKG Experiential Marketing, one of the leading agencies in the industry with an impressive client list, including Spotify, Google, The New York Times, Netflix, Nike, and Target. As part of her role there, she was responsible for developing spatial design and strategy for activations.

For an activation designed for Spotify named “The Forbid-Inn” to promote the romantasy audiobook genre, Sahni created a fully immersive, Gothic environment at The Bowery Hotel. The activation included a themed bar, a fireplace installation designed with the Spotify brand in mind, as well as a guest journey based on enchanted keys and a narrative quest.

The BÉIS x GAP activation that Sahni created in Times Square, one of the most heavily trafficked parts of the world, resulted in an increase in store traffic of 25 to 35%, as well as an increase in average dwell time of 20%. Metrics like these are not an accident, and demonstrate that Sahni approaches every spatial design decision through the dual lens of experience and performance.

Today, Sahni serves as Experiential Creative Director at Bhartiya International Urban, where she leads the design direction for two luxury wellness hospitality developments in Kabini and Coorg, in collaboration with the Oberoi Hospitality Group. She holds the reins of experiential strategy and design, collaborating with many international design studios across architecture, interiors and landscape like Luxury Frontiers, and the internationally acclaimed interior studio MBDS. At the center of this work is SNE, a new brand framework she helped author, built around the principles of Surrender, Nurture, and Evolve.

Sahni is a member of both the Experiential Designers and Producers Association (EDPA) and the Society for Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD), and has collaborated with the Rubin Museum of Art, Gallagher & Associates, and the nonprofit Gotham Park.

Across multiple projects, from the world of agency brand activations entailing smaller Pop Up installations across America to the luxury hospitality industry entailing brand development on masterplanning level of multiple resorts and residences, the same thread continues of shaping human emotions through the art of authentic narrative framing.