"For culture to be relevant it needs to be dynamic," says Sabyasachi Mukherjee, one of the country’s leading fashion designers. And his most recent store in Mumbai, which opens to the public on the 18th, is a manifestation of this vision. Sabyasachi's largest flagship yet, the store is sprawled over 25,000 sq ft and housed in the majestic neo-classical heritage landmark building at Horniman Circle.
Known for his grandeur and opulence, inspired by the Kolkata of yore, the designer has reimagined the store as a living museum of sorts – where the interiors have been transformed into an immersive retail experience that blends the house's signature cultural savoir-faire with Indian decadence, craftsmanship, and history.
Incidentally, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL), part of the Aditya Birla Group, acquired a 51 per cent stake in Sabyasachi’s fashion house in January 2021.
Over 100 chandeliers, 275 carpets, 3,000 books, and 150 works of art created by the Sabyasachi Foundation are layered among antique Tanjore paintings, vintage photography, rare lithographs, and historical trinkets, some from his own collection. The space is lined with souk-sourced curiosity cabinets, modernist interpretations of Persian Qajars, 18th-century Venetian handcrafted chairs, rare French Art Nouveau cabinets, and brass sculptures made in his hometown Kolkata.
And if that’s not enough visitors to the store will also get to admire Tang dynasty pottery, rare Canton vases and other antiquities on turn-of-the-century furniture with fine inlay work. From Rajasthan to Bengal, vintage handwoven and crafted textiles from across India can be found all across the store. The store is adorned with wallpaper and upholstery from the Sabyasachi for Nilaya collection by Asian Paints.
And lest we forget, it is a store at the end of the day. The ground floor holds the Sabyasachi bridal collection. The first floor is dedicated to the brand’s largest showcase of jewellery in the world, housing fine, heritage and high jewellery collections. And the second floor is home to womenswear, menswear, the international collection, and Sabyasachi's accessories.
Housed within is a micro-exhibit from the Sabyasachi archives currently showcasing couture from the Sabyasachi X Christian Louboutin collaboration from 2015 and 2016. Each floor has hidden lounges and dens and also a tearoom, where guests can savour some of Sabyasachi’s favourite blends.
With the opening of the Mumbai flagship store, the total number of Sabyasachi stores in India goes up to four – Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and a jewellery store in Hyderabad. In addition, there is the New York store that opened in October last year and an exclusive Sabyasachi Jewellery boutique in Dubai.