Bringing Bhaane to Chennai
The label Bhaane makes its Chennai debut at a pop-up at The Amethyst Room on Chamiers Road. The press note highlights that the contemporary brand for the conscious, urban millennial has contributed to culture, animal welfare and women’s empowerment. At the pop-up, expect lustrous clothes in wine, ink and charcoal colours, perhaps as velvet dresses and recycled polyester suits for men. It’s all ‘in anticipation of the bacchanalia to come’ with prices starting at ₹2,300. October 22 to 29.
Ajrakh uniforms by Sabyasachi
Stepping away from his trademark designer couture, designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee recently unveiled a line of uniforms for the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. They feature a blue knee-length dress with a round neck, 3/4 sleeves, and two patch pockets, along with maroon cropped elastic waist pants – with Ajrakh blockprints adorning the skirt and sleeves.
Maalgaadi’s e-store
Chennai-based design house Maalgaadi – that had its soft launch this week – has launched its digital avatar: MAALGAADi 2.0. Featuring the likes of designer labels Mati, Anushe Pirani, Wovhan, Fahd Khatri, Translate, among others, the brand aims to use its online portal as a sustainable design showcase. Also launched was there earth-friendly line for women crafted with Karunganni cotton. maalgaadistore.com
Hydrate with Murakami
Collabs are pushing the narrative, even more now than before. A popular one this season is the Perrier x Murakami tie-up, where you can now own a piece of the famous Japanese artist’s work – courtesy a bottle of sparkling water. Takashi Murakami’s flower motifs on the glass bottles of the French water brand, currently owned by Nestle Waters, will be available in India early next year. Chandni Kohli Dhall, CMO, Hindustan Liquids, the exclusive importers of Perrier in India, says, “Once the bottles are available in India for retail, we will be tapping influencers to create quirky content for us,” she says. Cheers to that.
Post-lockdown’s cycle craze
There’s been a boom in bicycle sales after the lockdown. Sachin Chopra, Founder & CEO, Alpha Vector, a brand launched in 2015, and present in 350 cities across 700 retailers, says that while they launched the website in May for online sales, this accounts for only 20%. He still sees old-school ‘cycle markets’ like Delhi’s Jhandewala as the way forward, because “Mall rentals are just way too expensive”. While “conscious purchases” like cycles will still be offline purchases, he says impulse buying, FMCG, and standardised buying (like, say, a ceiling fan) will shift online.
Eco passport alert
With eco-consciousness reaching an all-time high during the pandemic, brands are pulling out all the stops to fit in. Swatch updated an 80s watch with bio-material from seeds of the castor plant. United Colors of Benetton has launched an Eco-Recycle puffer jacket, where the jacket padding comes from recycled plastic bottles. And Adidas is seeking 1,500 volunteers to test their 100% recyclable, monomaterial, glue-free running sneaker, Ultraboost DNA Loop. Once the used shoes are returned to Adidas, they are washed, ground and melted to create a new pair. To participate, you must download the app and answer a quiz. How’s that for evergreen engagement?
Sari in a dress
Have you checked out Kumari, the label Malika Verma and designer Rashmi Varma launched late last year? Their sari dresses and Twice-Loved series, featuring pre-loved saris and vintage finds from across the country, now have an online home. At kumarisari.com, the young label encourages you to buy some of the unusual sari dresses and also bring in personal saris for some fancy treatment. Buy or barter garments, they say, adding that the occasion wear is accessible and under ₹25,000.
Fashion’s closing sale
The fashion weeks have begun, and while designers like Ravi Bajaj and Rajesh Pratap Singh showcase their creations via music videos and fashion films at LMIFW SS ‘21, there is a lot of interest in the second edition of the FDCI Designer Stockroom. With discounts of up to 70% off, this one will have participating designers with websites that load quicker, we hope. On October 19 and 20, at fdci.org.
Eyeing Shopper’s Stop
Shopper’s Stop is collaborating with actor Malaika Arora and celebrity makeup artist Daniel Bauer to create a talent show for makeup artists. EyeStoppers 2020 has seen professional makeup artists from across the country join in online, with the focus on creative eye makeup (for mask wearers) and therefore eye beauty products. There are master classes by beauty bloggers till October 18 and a #StopTheBias inclusivity campaign. It seems like the lifestyle retailer is making all the right moves to improve its online presence.
Multiplex advantage
Raichur gets its first multiplex next week, even as cinema halls reopen in many parts of the country after close to seven months. Are discounts on tickets, 50% occupancy, staggered show timings and social distancing enough to get moviegoers out of their homes? Mall owners hope so, as footfalls depend a lot on the multiplex crowd, even though many do not translate into retail sales.