The Reign of Sabyasachi

The designer's newest store near Horniman Circle in Mumbai is his grandest yet.

- KOMAL SHARMA

There is a certain magnanimity and larger-than-life-ness about Sabyasachi the brand and Sabyasachi the man. In October last year, when he opened his first store in New York to a grand reception, one would have naively assumed, this is it, the big achievement, for the moment. But this powerhouse never relents. Just seven months later, a new flagship opens in Mumbai-his largest and most imposing yet. Four floors and 25,862 square feet, it is housed in a majestic neoclassical landmark built in the Italianate revival tradition, just off Horniman Circle, which sits in a heritage district of South Mumbai, where his neighbours are Hermès, Christian Louboutin, St. Thomas Cathedral, the Asiatic Library across the circle, and in his own words, "my favourite Starbucks next door".

And the scale of this store doesn't compromise an inch of his maximalist vision. 

"I have [designed] stores before. So when we began working on this one, I was quite confident that it would be business as usual. I thought everything is organized, my antiques are in place, I've been collecting for years. I had built the New York store during the pandemic, when everything was falling apart. So I thought, this is post-Covid, it will be a cakewalk. Until we actually started building the store!" says Sabyasachi sitting in the ground floor "living room", surrounded by bridal wear, a night before the grand opening on 15 April.