Located in Mulund, a suburb in north-east Mumbai, Vidhita Raut’s Fashion Boutique is spread across 1100 sq. ft. and is designed with an intent to be a space of inspiration for the designer to visualise more and enhance her creativity.
Vidhita Raut is a young and experimental fashion designer who believes in exploration and pushing boundaries in terms of design and color. The end resultis a space that aims to serve as a white canvas for the designer to creatively express her design vision.
The spatial layout of the store is in the shape of a narrow rectangle which became a challenge to utilise the space optimally. The walls serve as racks and hangers to showcase the designer’s collections and a spiral staircase adorned with Raut’s ivory lacework have been created for efficient usage of space.
The staircase, brick etched with a glass railing leads up to the second floor andis a focal point of the store, almost featuring as an art installation. To the left and right of the staircase are white color walls with racks in rose gold which descend from the acrylic mirrored ceiling which also creates an illusion of doubling up the height of the ground floor.
The reception facia is another visual treat that stands as the center of attention in the boutique, with elements such as Brocade and lace inspired from Vidhita’s designs. An assemblage of several boxes in a grid pattern, some of which are embroidered in silver and gold brocade, while the others are embellished with lace work in powder blue and peach hues. The use of old, mid-century knobs over these grids give it a traditional Indian appeal.
In order to personalise the space and create it as an extension of the designer’s’work, a lot of fabrics and raw materials she uses have been incorporated in the décor. Block printed wooden molds hang down from the ceiling, behind the reception and the cashier desk. The white walls feature her prints in pastel color fabrics which succeed in making this a uniquely personal space. The second floor of the boutique showcases a display of garments, accessories and bags, along with two trial rooms. The central focus lies on the chandeliers in bright strawberry and salmon pink, adorned withlemon-yellow threads. The choice of thread work is a conscious integration of the most basic and cardinal raw material that is a representation of Raut’s work.
The overall color scheme of the boutique has been neutral tones accentuated with pastel hues, which is ideal to showcase garments that adhere to a similar tone. The project incorporated aforementioned elements such as an acrylic mirror ceiling, embroidered drawers, mid-century knobs and thread work chandeliers that eventually succeeded in creating a space that was an extension of the designers work and inspired her to visualise and create more.
Project: Saniya Kantawala Design
Design Team: Sakshi Mathur
Photography: Darshan Savla
Saniya Kantawala Design
Established in 2014, Saniya Kantawala Designs is a multifaceted, interdisciplinary design studio that has managed to make a niche for itself in India’s design industry within a brief span of five years. Through unique designs and a versatile portfolio that includes hospitality, commercial, residential and retail, they have created dynamic design solutions for a number of boutique hotels and high-end retail outlets across India.
Spearheaded by lead designer Saniya Kantawala, the firm believes in exploring limitless design possibilities and tends to break away from conventional notions and philosophies. With a small team of 6 designers that are driven, creative and work to meet professional commitments, SKD focuses on the uniqueness of aesthetics in every project. The client list comprises the likes of D.Y. Patil and Aditya Thackeray, among other renowned names. The firm strives to complete large projects across diverse domains in Mumbai, Delhi and upcoming tier-two cities.
