Nandita Thirani: A designer's den

Nandita Thirani, the Kolkata based fashion designer recently unveiled her flagship store in the city called Nandita Thirani & Company at AJC Bose Road. The store's grey tone juxtaposes with gold, and the design concept comes alive from its massive logo, which faces Lansdowne Road, one of the busiest streets in Kolkata, and continues with branding, window display and interior design.
 
According to Anuradha Thirani, who conceptualised the decor and a young fashion designer, "The store itself is meant to make a customer realize that she is now entering what we call a'designer's den'. Hence the space shows that the designer's aesthetic extends beyond clothing and can be seen through sophisticated yet incredibly unique interiors, a mix of ambient/ upbeat music, beautiful packaging and striking visual merchandising.  We believe that uniquely designed clothing calls for a unique store, and therefore several elements are subtly put together to complement each other harmoniously.”
 
Spread over an area of 1,000 sq ft, the store consists of two levels, where most of the ground level can be seen through the large window frontage. The ground level includes a gorgeous selection of evening wear including gowns, dresses, skirts, ball skirts, cropped tops, draped jackets and tunics with a modern, elegant, street chic aesthetic, some of which come with a traditional touch and some with a slight edge. Designer Esha Sethi and Anuradha Thirani (under the Nandita Thirani Label) showcase their work along with costume jewellery and accessories collection by their newly launched label Funk & Co.
 
Anuradha also adds, "Innovative displays including gold chains are used to hang all the garments on an almost mini runway like ramp that stands in the middle of the store which gives a to hint to the elegance and the charm of  the clothing displayed. Also, the threaded wall is a major highlight of the store: it is a brick wall which is one of the store's best features, where each and every brick is covered with grey and gold thread meant to make the customer realize that creativity and inspiration can be better understood while observing the details.”
 
The second level houses high-end couture label for traditional Indian garments with a modern sensibility, which invites shoppers with an intriguing look with jewelleries clipped on clip boards placed on the wall of the stairs. The main feature of this level is a French mirror glass window surrounded by a bookshelf displaying meticulously embroidered accessories such as belts, necklaces and bangles.
 
Nandita Thirani shares, "We are emphasising on Funk & Co here, which with its bright pink and green branding, along with jewellery and accessories mostly sourced from U.S and Singapore is adding to the experience, and attracting the eyes of younger audience. We have strong plans to expand this brand and make it available in all metros and larger towns. Also I sell my couture through many of the MBO's in different malls across Mumbai and Delhi as well and soon I am planning to go online with my label.”
 
On the couture Nandita adds, "I am targeting an age group from 18-75 as I believe in making garments which are timeless. Thus, anyone who is wearing my designer garment will feel comfortable and it will be an experience in itself.”