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Designed by Aditi Sharma Design Studio the experiential store spreads across 230 sqm. at Rathyatra, Varanasi, India
Born in Banaras, Tilfi is a brand of pure handwoven textiles that brings together the beauty and cultural wisdom of age-old craftsmanship of Banaras directly to its patrons with the vision of establishing Banarasi handloom in its rightful place of true luxury.
Tilfi with its e-commerce presence has taken Banaras to the world and now with its first ever retail space, the brand is inviting the world to Banaras.
The new space has drawn inspiration from everything at the quaint city of Banaras, the ghats, the craft, culture and the architecture. The design studio a multi disciplinary approach while designing the space wherein fashion & interiors played pivotal roles while drawing inspiration from each other.
The palette has been developed around the earthy buff-color sandstone of the old city that pleaded this store to be washed with shades of Kashi and enlivened by the colours of Tilfi.
The age-old gaddi tradition of Varanasi’s saree selling, were reinterpreted and contemporised. The seating arrangement has sandstone panels with hand-carved patterns mirroring those scattered around the ghats. Complete furniture has been custom made to suit the overall concept.
The exquisite Zari-installation at the entrance has been inspired by the warp yarns set on the handloom, which weave the experiential tales and glamourizes the space with its intricacy and scale.
This space gravitates as much towards the art and craft as it does towards the Varanasi traditions. The studio meticulously encapsulated the exquisite artistry of Tilfi’s textiles and tools which have been repurposed as art all around the retail space.
Another well-known craft -metal repousse technique used on brass tables and artworks, hardwares which an artistic eye cannot miss. Hand-painted wall panels, niches which showcases the talent of an award-winning, 83-year old mural artist which creates the moments of contrast.
Overall, a balance between sophisticated traditional style and artistic approach prevails throughout the store. At many stages, fashion and interiors were aesthetically blended together in order to fade away the boundary between the two. This new experiential store holds everything that a brand needs to offer for a sensorial experience and cultural immersion for its consumers – a modern interpretation of venerable crafts.
Aditi Chand, Co-Founder & CEO, Tilfi, added: “As a brand firmly rooted in Banaras, it was unimaginable for us to launch our first physical touchpoint anywhere else in the world other than Banaras. We have put together our new store with a lot of love and have created a space that promises to provide an immersive experience with a touch of the heritage and artistry of Banaras along with a taste of exquisite hand-woven art.”
Project Aditi Sharma Design Studio
Location Rathyatra, Varanasi, India
Photos courtesy Ishita Sitwala
