Ever dreamt of donning a Sabyasachi attire for a family function or a Cinderella gown for a party night? And ever been able to make it possible just within your budget? Now you can, with Stage3’s Fashion bus. I spotted it in my neighbourhood on the weekend and couldn’t resist hopping on. The pink bus with the glass sidewalls and door is easily spottable from a distance. The ‘bus manager’ told me how he’s become immune to the vehicle attracting curious glances and queries from the passersby.
The message on the door ‘Enter your dream closet’ rings true as I indeed had a fascinating experience. One side had ethnicwear displayed on the stand and to its right were bridal and western wear for men and women. Tucked neatly on hangers were saris, anarkalis, shararas, Indo-Western dresses, blingy party dresses and lehngas by names like Mahima Mahajan, Shantanu & Nikhil, Ridhi Mehra, Punit Balana, Payal Singhal, Ridhima Bhasin, Gauri & Nainika, Huemn, Gabriella, John Paul Ataker and designs curated by Rhea Kapoor.
There’s no compulsion to make a purchase if you’ve boarded the bus. So, I tried a few dresses on, in which the store manager and the stylist assisted me. They asked me my T-shirt size and proceeded to hand over attires I could fit in – ranging from small to medium. The first one was an off-white sharara suit from Gulabo by Abu-Sandeep. The fit was perfect, like it was tailored for me. I was glad to have to tried this look as I’ve never worn a sharara. This outfit had a rent tag of `4,000 plus a refundable deposit of the same amount, for three days. Most of the dresses have margins, and a tailor is there or the on-the-spot alterations.
The store manager informed me that they have the facility of delivering and picking up the dresses to and fro from your home. Quite a hassle-free deal. I went on to try outfits by Huemn and Varun Bahl, but in the bargain noticed that the trial room can feel a little too compact and tiny.
Overall, the rentals start from `1,000 and go a little over `15,000. You can also rent the outfits from the website. But of course, the bus gives a different experience. For instance, a Sabyasachi Yellow Organza Floral Sari here is something I would surely consider for a party. Where else in Delhi will you get flaunt a Sabyasachi sari at 10 percent of its original price?