BUILT FOR BESPOKE

The country's top fashion and jewellery houses are teaming with architects and designers to reimagine their stores as a total sensory experience

- By RIDHI KALE

Retail therapy is evolving. It’s no longer about dodging hangers in cramped quarters; it’s about stepping into a brand’s literal psyche. Across India, designers are ditching the boutique label in favour of living museums and celestial galleries. From Mumbai’s storied corners to Delhi’s sun-drenched sanctuaries, these flagships prioritise atmosphere over transaction. Here is a look at the environments turning high fashion into high architecture.

A Cut Above

Picture Rahul Mishra’s 7,500 sq ft flagship at Mumbai’s Horniman Circle as a walk through an exquisite sketchbook. Designed with architect Rooshad Shroff, the journey starts in a silent, garment-free vestibule housing muslin swatches and botanical drawings. Surfaces are treated with the same rigour as Mishra’s embroidery, featuring wood marquetry and etched marble. It builds to a grand finale: a soaring chamber with a constellation of handcrafted metal birds suspended midair. As Shroff puts it, “The store needed to become a physical extension of Rahul’s universe, immersing visitors in a rich tapestry of storytelling.”

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

A look at three new spaces in Delhi where the fashion designers turned into very involved interior designers to get the right look