Labelled With Minimalistic Grandeur, The Label Life, Mumbai

Be it 1 million social media followers or style tips coming from Bollywood’s stylish ladies Malaika Arora, Bipasha Basu and Sussanne Khan – the Label Life has always created a quintessential space in modern urban women’s wardrobes. What looked like a natural procession, like any other celebrated online fashion brand, was its debut in brick-and-mortar space.

In less than 800sq ft, at Mumbai’s popular locale Bandra, the ‘The Label Life’ store reflects the brand’s ethos of “elevated essentials” split across two floors. Minimalism thus plays a crucial role in the entire scheme and chain of thoughts which led to the final design outcome to bring about a space that breathes freshness and is bathed in a glow of warmth and good vibes. The subtle overlay of ‘Art Deco’ styling over the minimalist concept, was a nudge towards the brand’s home city, Mumbai.

The store is enveloped in a white lacquered glass cladded façade, with chamfered arches opening up the store’s interiors to the high street. The reflective finish paired with the simplicity of the design makes the store stand out bold and confident at the corner of the busy crossroad.

Black and white mosaic tile bed plays the stepping stone inside the store. The entire space has been rendered in white, giving it a soft and bright ambience, coupled with a muted oak textured flooring, which adds warmth to the overall space. The arched grille that mirrors the opening on the longer façade is another visual treat, owing to its simplicity and neutrality in terms of design essence and is a minimal take on the Deco-Saracenic style. The ground floor showcases the apparel, accessories and shoes. All the display units for the apparels are finished in a mirror gold coating which perfectly complements the soft look of the bare space and amplifies the store’s visuals.

Devansh Das, architect from 02 June Design Studios, said, “The shoe display section was a rather tough nut to crack. The very sight of this element had to mesmerize and leave customers spell bound. The semi-circular arch, a timeless design feature, coupled with the edge-lit marble back and glass shelves, did exactly that and imparted an intense visual impact to the store. It was hence nick named ‘The Dream Shoe wall’.”

The basement houses a pair of lavish changing rooms, complemented with a cosy lounge that also showcases the home décor products from the brand’s inventory. The double-spiral staircase in satin white finish paired with the marble treads, gives it the visual qualities equivalent to a sculpture. The balusters are another design element that draw inspiration from the city’s colonial past and serve it up in a contemporary vocabulary. The changing rooms are equipped with massive gold rimmed mirrors which replicate the chamfered arches on the façade as well as the entrances to the changing rooms themselves. The basement walls receive another dose of Art Deco styling, with patterns made with mouldings, giving the space a contemporary chic feel 

Preeta Sukhtankar, Founder & CEO, The Label Life

"E-commerce has made buying more efficient, but discovery less meaningful. Our engagement with customers through pop-ins countrywide since 2016 has inspired and empowered us to believe in the much debated brick and mortar strategy. This breadth of human connection and celebration of personal choice is essential to who we are, and something we want to further develop through varied platforms and all our customer touchpoints. So here we are, launching our first store.

Sankalp Sahu, Founder, 02June Design Studios

The city’s architectural heritage was considered for developing the brand’s spatial character, due to its visual appeal and notability. However, defining the balance between Art Deco and minimalism was challenging, as we dabbled with elements invoking nostalgia yet needed to create something that was unique and contemporary.

Design: 02June Design Studio

Store fixtures: Yash Interiors

Lighting Fixtures: Gardler Lighting India Pvt Ltd

Sound Systems: Bosch