ICONIC FASHION DESIGNER RITU BERI'S NEW EXPERIENTIAL STORE IN GOA IS A NOD TO LOCAL ARCHITECTURAL ETHOS.

When you cross the threshold with the lion finials and enter the 2,465-square-metre property that's home to Escape, designer Ritu Beri's new retail space in Goa, you unexpectedly end up on top of a staircase. At the end of this sloping laterite stairway lined with trees, fountains and statuettes, you are greeted by an imposing 35-foot Portuguese-style façade in vibrant red and white. If your first response is awe and wonder, Beri believes her mission has been accomplished. “The reception, which looks down at the expanse of the property, was designed to be an experience, where guests feel an immediate sense of wonder, to enter without fully knowing what they were stepping into.”

- KIMI DANGOR

It's this element of surprise that Beri heavily relied on while conceiving, designing and executing this one-of-a- kind destination in the heart of Socorro, a village in north Goa. With a dedicated retail space, bar, restaurant and performance area, Escape, much like its creator, is many things at once. “It's about storytelling, evoking emotions and celebrating creativity in every corner,” says Beri. With a fashion career that has spanned more than three decades, the Delhi- based designer, who holds the distinction of being the first Indian to head ready-to-wear at French label Jean-Louis Scherrer, manages to do just that.