Fashion Boutique for Katyiana Sharma at MGF Mall, New Delhi
Designers / Interior Architects: iDES
Location: New Delhi
“Katyiana Sharma’s boutique” is a store for exclusive traditional Indian design garments for men & women, as well as traditional Indian design furnishing accessories. The store is located in the heart of New Delhi in one of the newest and busiest shopping hub – The MGF Mall at Saket.
The boutique in is an example of creating luxury in a 650 sft of area in timeless classical architectural language redefined to our times thus creating an uber stylish interiors that is normally experienced in high end luxury hotels. The attempt was to refine luxury in retail spaces.
The challenge was to create an intimate and classy ambience within the constraints of being located in a mall with its transparent glass walls. This was achieved by suspending an ornately patterned screen behind the glass façade on three sides, serving the dual purpose of providing the guests(read customers) privacy while browsing the products on display, as well as successfully creating an exclusivity of the store at the very entry. As you walk past the warm welcome created by the presences of the granite portal your eye focuses at this floating uplit plane created by richly polished wood and etched glass. This serves as a base for the display mannequins and forms the focus around which the entire circulation of the store is organized. The uplit base is further accentuated by a border of brass inlay on wood. The brass inlay pattern uses a stylized motif of peacock feathers, which reinforces the stores branding.
The open plan is loosely divided into four areas which make the guest discover what is at display while going through these different areas. The full length richly carved floor mirror propped against an antique gold upholstered panel provides an enviable frame to the guest in the designer clothes. The burnished gold and ice blue wall paper reminiscent of a brocade fabric lends a subtle backdrop to this very uber stylish setting.
An accent vintage styled side chair in gold is among the boutique's custom furniture pieces. They also include a bench with a woven turquoise blue seat, a display table with a rich black granite top, and the heavily embellished gold finished mirror.
Complementing with these elements, yard of draped gold curtains in crushed velvet can be drawn around the inside of the back of house enclosure to create privacy of the fitting room —spaces that are an afterthought in many other stores. Visual transparency has been maintained in this back of house area, which almost acts as an extension of the main retail area. A slight demarcation has been achieved in this area by another screen of damask patterns.
The designers effort was to break away from the typical stereotype retail interiors and bring in the grandness and richness not often seen in retail interiors. The designers endeavor was to break the myth that a classical approach to design is not in keeping with the times but by interpreting in a contemporary context and blending with new materials and technology it can redefine luxury, add glamour and take sophistication to a altogether different level and class.
The store has a built-up area of 650 sqft. It is designed by iDES. The project is completed in middle of 2009 and at the cost of 15 lakhs.
Photographs: courtesy iDES-Studio (ides@ides-studio.com)