Bombay is a special city, the city I was born and raised in. This is where every sight and sound evokes nostalgia- memories from my childhood, layered upon the stories lived and re-lived by the millions who have called this city home over millennia. It is only in Bombay that Victorian, Modernist and Survival architectures thrive in each other's company, where trees grow on cricket fields and flowers bloom beside industrial hubs- Bombay is my birth and muse. This is the city I called home for the best part of my childhood, the city I said goodbye to twenty-two years ago to make someone of myself. But Bombay is a generous mother, she filled my shoes with sand and my mind with memories, having every crashing sea I encountered whisper in my ears that her arms are always open for me.
It’s been a dream of mine to open a store in the fashion capital of India, the home of Bollywood- Mumbai, but it's Bombay with her crash of waves, where past meets future, I thirst for. And so it is with immense joy that I announce the opening of my flagship store in Mumbai in BEST Marg, Colaba. This experiential store is steeped in culture and history against a soundtrack of the ocean's shifting moods.
The store is inspired by Bombay’s sea, sand and breeze. The open layout of the space and iridescent textiles used for décor reflects the city’s lights over its vast ocean as it changes colour between dusk and dawn. The dark grey matte floors, metallic grey walls and sandy concrete furniture accents the inspiration of sand giving the space a modern language. We designed the store to have no sharp edges, the walls have smooth curves and custom-built amorphous furniture bringing in the lightness of a cool breeze.
This store is the story of my return to Mumbai and the objectification of this moment is the central installation that showcases a school of amorphous creatures all unique, yet in perfect sync floating with each other to form a whole. In designing this space I have used signature textiles including metallic polymers and remnant metallic piping, a homage to the old and evolved city I return to after 22 years. The store will house signature classics made with unique and experimental textiles, couture, pret-a-couture, ready to wear and menswear collections.
Text Amit Aggarwal
Date 13-12-2021
Text Amit Aggarwal
Date 13-12-2021
