Take a walk down memory lane, on Mélange’s 25th anniversary

On the 10th richest street in the world, tucked under the lush foliage of Mumbai’s Altamount Road, lies Mélange. Inside its cavern-like entrance, the stone-covered walls of the multi-designer store serve as owner and curator Sangita Kathiwada’s creative lair. A melting pot of jewellery (on the day of the interview, Kathiwada is wearing a fabric necklace from her upcycled ‘Rescued from the Bin’ collection), ready-to-wear and contemporary art, the store fits its moniker. Over the last 25 years, we’ve come to know the space as a creative hub where designers like Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Anuradha Vakil and Rahul Mishra have kick-started their careers. As Kathiwada readies to look back at the last two and a half decades with a Mumbai x Mélange memories exhibit, it’s evident that this intimate store has played a large part in bringing Indian designers to where they are today. Kathiwada reminisces on the firsts.

“My passion for textiles and my insane obsession for everything created by hand have always been so well understood by Mélange.”

—Anuradha Vakil, designer

First designers

“I look for a certain eccentricity in a designer, and the designers housed at Mélange create out of freedom. I spot the talent and launch them in a gallery-like platform. After that, my job is done. When I met Ramesh Nair, he was just a simple Kerala boy. I looked at him and told him, ‘One day you will be in Paris.’ I remember he had an intellectual and quirky, creative method. We were working on a khadi fashion show and he rummaged through long lost archives of national newspapers from the Gandhian and Partition eras. He went directly to the source and came out with garments that had newspaper clippings printed on them. Anuradha Vakil was another such designer that Mélange has exclusively stocked from day one. I admire her absoluteness in creativity. She uses pure silks, pure handwork, pure gold thread. And although we made a conscious decision not to stock bridal couture at the store, Anuradha is the only exception we’ll ever make.”

 

“I remember my first visit to the store, admiring the pared-down yet sensual interiors. And then meeting Sangita, tucked away in her little nook, a tiny dynamo with an outsize personality. Our visions aligned, and she trusted me to send her whatever I wished.”

—Ramesh Nair, creative director, Moynat

First shoppers

“This business I’ve chosen thrives on the experience of entering a store, and the touch and feel of trying on clothes. It’s a ritual that the Mélange woman cherishes. This is probably why I haven’t warmed up to the idea of e-commerce. For me, a garment is not just something you get in a packet. The women who have been coming to Mélange for 25 years, whether it’s Tina Ambani, Neerja Birla or Neena Gupta, feel one with the store when they are here. Now more than ever, we are looking to slow down the pace of things. With everything meticulously planned for Instagram, we all look forward to those rare effervescent moments that no camera can catch. With brick and mortar, the setting becomes the backdrop to narrate a designer’s story.”

“Something that stands out among all my visits to Mélange is the warmth of the folks there. Anytime I’ve gone there looking for something that I had in mind, I’ve always found it. The store just never lets me down.”

—Neerja Birla, philanthropist

 

First fashion show

“For our first anniversary show we got the Royal Opera House to open its gates after 30 years. The theme was khadi and designers like Ramesh Nair and Hemant Trevedi made their interpretations of the conscious fabric. We draped the red velvet seats in white khadi and got Rahul Akerkar to cater a regional menu paired with coconut water for the event. Everyone talks about farm-to-fork now and we were doing it all those years ago! From Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (who modelled for the show) to writer Bandana Tewari, we brought together the tastemakers of the time under one roof. For me, fashion is spaces, it’s how you walk into a place, how you feel, what you wear and what you see. I chose a fashion show to get my message of returning to our Indian roots across because, of course, fashion has and always will be the most attractive medium.”

“Back in the day I would make my way from Juhu to Altamount Road twice a month. There’s just nothing as eclectic in the city. I’ve bought a number of tunics and saris from Mélange and I really like that they have silhouettes that work for my body type.”

—Neena Gupta, actor

Scroll through the gallery below for a look at some of the best moments from 25 years of Mélange: