Tailoring a legacy

D.S Tailors & Readymades has earned local popularity being an age old establishment. The new store, although contemporary in its sensibility, is anchored to its heritage of tailoring values. Design firm Dhiren Chedda Associates (DCA) was appointed to curate the new design. "There had to be an emphasis on tailoring. The store had to reflect the brand value and pay tribute to its history. I understood the brand and the local market mindset and designed the store accordingly. It had to have a contemporary and masculine feel to it,” says Dhiren Chedda, Director, DCA, explaining the design thought process.


The new store extends its range to ready-made's and ethnic collection. This expansion vouches for success of the brand over the years. So the store communication had to be a combination of a contemporary approach and the traditional values associated with the brand legacy.

The store welcomes its customers with an all glass facade which flaunts the store interiors, whose volume speaks of grandeur. The central atrium is where the customer encounters the impact of the store and what immediately catches the eye is the self-lit podium on which mannequins pose donning the latest styles being promoted. This quietly balances the cash counter sitting right there at the center, thus off-setting the functional with the aesthetic.  

The store interiors revolve around the base tone of black, which is used to symbolize richness and masculinity.  Black glass, black mirror and black Corian countertops are all elements that create the final effect. The flooring in checked pattern is another addition to the masculine sensibility being conveyed.  

The ground floor houses the tailoring section of the store and the volume of the store is utilized to create a statement. The wall heights are incorporated with sewing machines placed in niches and sporting the D.S Tailors logo. This feature has been exclusively created for the store and pays tribute to the brand's heritage. The ground floor in fact reflects a deliberate design approach adopted to lay emphasis on the tailoring attitude of the brand and communicate the brand's loyalty to its roots.

The store then extends to the upper ground floor and the basement. The upper ground floor introduces the ready-made section of the store and is done up in contemporary design sensibilities to complement the merchandise it caters to. It sports life size visuals of models donning the clothes, which are in gray scale to sync with the interior language.

At the basement level the focus is on ethnic wear and the interior language here differs a little from that in the rest of the store, though certain features have been maintained to ensure consistency. The flooring and the ceiling style are in accordance with the ground floor. The layout of the space is done such that the merchandise is displayed on the periphery and the central space is devoted to customer convenience. The idea here is that shopping for ethnic wear is a time consuming activity and the space has to be sensitive to that. With the seating spaces thus created, it conveys to the customer that he is welcome to spend as much time as he wants to make his purchase decisions. The furniture designed exclusively for the store and the cut-work steel patterns on the wall heights follow the vocabulary of an ethnic atmosphere. The white walls further contribute towards creating a relaxing environment. Another interesting feature of this space is the ramp in the center, where a customer can try out the garment while feeling the spotlight on him and thus be more inclined towards a purchase decision.

The lighting used in the entire store is warm white, which works well with the merchandise and highlights the black interiors. In the ethnic wear department too, it sets the mood for the garments to be appreciated.

The store in effect sums up aesthetic values, loyalty to legacy and most importantly, attention to customer care. These put together not only meet the expectations of its loyal customers, but also draw in new customers for the brand.