The Shantanu & Nikhil store in Hyderabad, designed by Mumbai-based, Design Office, is a shrine dedicated to displaying fashion’s elegant best. This store is so chic, so spacious, and so restrained in tenor that you would be forgiven for thinking that this is your own private walk-in closet. Adding to that effect is the non-claustrophobic display pattern of the clothes. Nothing is crammed or overpowering here and there is enough space for any prospective buyer to wander around and ponder peacefully on choices. Designer Rushda Hakim fashioned the outlet more as a viewing gallery than as a retail escape. This bodes well for the fashion designers’ repertoire of pieces that have strong individual characteristics themselves. The warm glow of the lamps bounces off all the veneer and the polished wood, setting up an effect of being inside a Hollywood star’s vanity. The clothes are housed in small cabinets in the walls. These cabinets are lined with tufted fabric, aping a jewellery box. Fine jali work atop these cabinets adds further finesse to the interiors, and also efficiently hides away air conditioning ducts.
