Ogaan, New Delhi
Established: December 1989
USP: Apparel that leans heavily on Indian craft and textiles
Labels Available: Aneeth Arora, Pankaj & Nidhi, Gauri & Nainika, Namrata Joshipura, Payal Jain, Rahul Mishra, Madhu Jain, Gaurav Gupta, Lecoanet-Hemant
Kavita Bhartia launched Ogaan in the capital’s Hauz Khas Village to give Indian design, textiles and craft an organised platform. The first labels in the store reflected Bhartia’s craft-heavy mission: Madhu Jain, Weaver’s Studio and Kiran Uttam Ghosh. Over the years, the store ‘discovered’ new talent in designers-with-a-difference Anamika Khanna and Aneeth Arora. “Whenever we meet, Anamika reminds me of the time she started with us. Today, her talent is there for the world to see,” says Bhartia. Twenty-five years after its launch, Ogaan still picks designers based on their use of textiles and fresh designs. Designers from the eastern states seem to find a special place at the store, be it Sonam Dubal, Nupur Kanoi or Priyanjali Ray. Today, Ogaan has expanded its offerings to include fusion wear, prêt and accessories such as jewellery, shoes and bags, thereby offering its clients a complete look. In addition to the established names, “we now also retail fun clothes by Bodice, 11.11 by CellDSGN and quirky jewellery by Fluke Design Company,” says the proud owner. Ogaan has seven branches across Delhi and Mumbai.
Ensemble, Mumbai
Established: December 1987
USP: Every designer’s collection is edited exclusively for brand Ensemble
As the country’s first multi-designer store, Ensemble introduced India to the concept of ‘designer fashion’. It also gave the country its first professionally-organized fashion shows where people could see models like Mehr Jessia showcasing latest trends and launched Rohit Bal, Monisha Jaising and Varun Bahl as designers. Started by Tarun Tahiliani (before he turned designer) and his wife Sal, the first Ensemble outlet at Lion’s Gate in Mumbai set the ball rolling for concept stores. Today, the brand has five outlets across Delhi and Mumbai, and is run by Tarun’s sister Tina Tahiliani Parikh. Ask her how she chooses which designers to feature, she answers with two words: originality and finish. “When we bring in new designers, we work closely with them to create exclusive collections that reflect their sensibility while staying true to our brand identity,” says Parikh. This is where you should come if you’re looking for the biggies: Sabyasachi, Rajesh Pratap, Manish Malhotra, Wendel Rodricks and Gaurav Gupta, among others.
MaalGaadi, Chennai
Established: December 2013
USP: Quirky western wear
It’s a tough call to start a concept store in Chennai that stays away from the traditional. Luckily for MaalGaadi, the sari-loving Chennai has changed, and the store’s eccentric, gypset style clothes find many takers. “We consciously chose not to retail bridal wear and Indian couture collections—Chennai has that in plenty—and focused largely on western wear,” says Shahin Ansari, who runs the store with her mother Sakeena. Designers Vivek Karunakaran and Shreya Kamalia act as curators for the store and help the Ansaris pick out outfits, along with art and designer products, for the store. “We retail fun clothes by designers who may or may not be well known. However, this being Chennai, we have to do a balancing act. So you will find concept saris by Nida Mahmood alongside jumpsuits by Arjun Saluja, says Ansari.” MaalGaadi also stocks Nikki Mahajan, Chandrashekar, Pinky Saraf and a.k.a Bespoke.