In 2009 Colette and Yvonne, both with successful careers in advertising and design, walked into an erstwhile printing press to start their own Design and Communications house, C&Y. Months of peeling away aging paint and worn-out plaster revealed lengths of Burma teak and elegant cast iron pillars that now frame the restored space.

The graceful balance between a context to the past and contemporary design sophistication reflects the way C&Y approach design for their growing roster of clients. Chip away at the extraneous till you arrive at the core of what makes a brand strong and start building fresh from there.

THE BIG SMALL PHILOSOPHY

Big brand thinking meets small attention to detail, like the tactile and visual experiences of packaging, product and spaces. C&Y believe that good design goes to work every day. It speaks clearly and boldly to people about the brand it dresses and is integral to its success. Expect the best of big and small in the design process. Big experience, big craftsmanship, big training and the occasional big hug move swiftly with small teams, small turnaround times, flexibility, agility and quality.

OUR CORE TEAM

COLETTE AUSTIN
DESIGN PARTNER

Colette started her career in 1986 working with some leading agencies (FCB ULKA, Trikaya Grey, JWT, Karishma) before a long and final 17-year stint at Lowe Lintas. She has been behind several award winning campaigns on a wide range of clients; including Unilever, HSBC, Premier Automobiles, Cadbury’s, Lakme, Lux, Wrangler, Woodland Shoes, VIP Luggage, The Oberoi & Taj Group of Hotels, Raymond & Park Avenue, Crompton Greaves, Parle, Boots etc. In 2001, she started dCell, a specialized strategic & branding division of Lowe Lintas.

As the President & Design Director, she spearheaded memorable projects for clients across sectors such as Unilever (Red Label Tea, Bru Coffee, Lux, Liril, Hamam etc.) Blow Past, Ergonomics, Croma, Wills Lifestyle and The Mobile Store, Signal Toothpaste (North Africa & The Middle East).

YVONNE SHEKHAWAT
DESIGN PARTNER

Yvonne started her journey with Saatchi and Saatchi followed by a 3-year stint with Enterprise Advertising. In 1991 she moved to Ambience Advertising to embark on an 18 year long career stint. As Executive Creative Director, she headed campaigns across print, film and outdoor on leading Indian Brands; including Lakme Lever, Lakme Fashion Week, Elle 18, P&G, Thumbs Up, Citra, Vadilal Ice cream, Marico Industries, MTDC, TVS, Garden Silk Mills, Welspun, Fantasie Chocolates, Trent-Westside, Shaw Wallace, Reliance India Mobile, Planet M, Sweet Choice, DHL, Park Avenue, Manzoni, Citibank, Diagio, Venkys Chicken, Vazir Sultan Tobacco Industries, Interplaza-Glitterati and Taj Chocolates.

She has won a number of CAG and AD Club awards.

FARAH AHMAD
BUSINESS HEAD

Farah has spent 13 years in Account Management handling clients that span a vast category mix, learning’s of which help in cross category proliferation. Her vast client list includes – P&G, Pantene, Lakme Unilever, Emirates, Tata Tea ?(was part of the conceptualization and role out of the category changing Jaago Re campaign), Deutche Bank (their first foray into retail banking), Croma (launch of the brand entry into the electronic retail space for the first time), VIP luggage, Ginger Hotels (launch of the business first budget hotel in India), Westside, Anne French amongs others.

In 2010, she decided to join the Austin sisters as business head and be a part of their journey.

CLIENTS

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