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Time Travel at Sabyasachi's new flagship store in Mumbai

By Nabamita Chatterjee | Vjmedia Works | August 04, 2014

Mystery, intrigue, nostalgia, and hidden dollops of street humour set the mood in ace designer's larger-than-life outlet

"Living is like tearing through a museum. Not until later you really start absorbing what you saw, thinking about it, looking it up in a book and remembering - because you can't take it all in at once”,  said once the famous British actress and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn.

One may exactly feel the same as one steps into the new Sabyasachi flagship store located in the heart of Mumbai's fine-art precinct, Kala Ghoda in Fort Mumbai. The graceful facade of the heritage building of Ador House on 6 K Dubash Marg is now abode to the world of Sabyasachi. Spread over 8,500 square feet and two levels connected with a stairwell, the store is like an overview of Sabyasachi's vision of Indian luxury.


The store has been intricately designed by Sabyasachi himself with elegant props spread across the space. Twenty two vintage hand-painted chandeliers by the designer, Chinese porcelain plates collected from the antique markets, a vintage Iranian carpet, 400'ittar' bottles painstakingly collected from the bylanes of Hyderabad and Lucknow, 52 antique rugs literally adorn the place. A multitude of beautifully framed period calendar art from the 1920s, Chintz curtains block printed on 200 count khadi, a group of hand wound clocks, courtyard pillars from Gujarat and recycled colonial furniture, this store is surely going to give an experience of time travel.

The Burma teak and brass stairwell, big and small carpets cut, shaped and resized to create a patchwork runner with brass beading, from imposing historical pieces to modern quirk like the Amul book, cluttered romance of Parsi and Bengali homes, to regimented structure of cantonment bungalows, the store has it all.

The commercial sections of the store are well lit but the rest of the space is left sepia and has a tinted rose shade.  The entrance corridor is clad in antique tiles and in the shiny bridal section the small pug lampshade from the 1920s with a Bakelite switch adds an eclectic charm to the whole area. Even the trial rooms are like the vestibules of a luxury train.


The flagship outlet is home to Sabyasachi's much desired wedding collectibles, ready to wear saris, Indian and western formal and casual clothes. There is a dedicated section of menswear which is becoming quite popular with discerning men seeking out cultured Indian clothing. The quirky'Sabyasachi by Sabyasachi' ready-to-wear line and his extremely popular fashion accessories will soon find their way into the store.

The store also introduces bespoke bridal jewellery, for the first time which is designed by Kishan Das and Co of Hyderabad, heritage jewellers since 1870 and curated by Sabyasachi. Hence, the destination becomes a one-stop-shop for brides and grooms and everyone else looking for Indian clothing and jewellery solutions.

One may browse through a world detached from reality, where time stands still having a cup of hand-pressed coffee, in a tropical cactus garden where over 270 indoor plants are kept, or pick up a book from a great collection scattered all over the store and sit back and enjoy the world of Sabya. In his own words, "I want people to enjoy the spaces I create. Buying clothes is only incidental”.
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