A striking little store in Panjim, Zuka is just the place to tempt you into re-imagining your holiday wardrobe. They stock up on jewellery, clothes, home linen, bags and an assortment of wooden artefacts that make for nice gifts. Soon as you set foot inside Zuka (pronounced, Shuk, which is the Sanskrit name for a parrot and even means hemline), you’re enveloped in this comforting smell of lemongrass and the faint aroma of handloom fabrics. Dipti, the store owner, has an eye for design and curation which makes this one a delight to explore on a sunny Goan afternoon.
While the shop’s primarily apparel, displaying summer dresses, pants, scarves, tops, shrugs, kurtas and more, you’ll also find a fascinating collection of statement necklaces and rings that Dipti sources from a friend who designs them for an export house. Some of these pieces are from a Punjab-based NGO where women create necklaces out of fabrics. That apart, there’s a spattering of colour in the form of Kantha dupattas, cotton scarves and boho bags.
Among all the clothes we saw, we’d probably go back for their block-printed shorts (INR 500), linen dresses and Indo-western kurtas that double up as maxi dresses. The clothes are all a love letter to Goa’s tropical weather with soft pastel hues and extensive use of cotton. You can pick up a lot of anti-fit apparel starting at INR 2k.
The store also has a small but sweet collection of soft furnishings like rugs, throws and cushion covers. Or then, you can always turn your attention to their wooden knick knacks. They have an adorable range of bone shaped wall frames (dog lovers, listening?), candle stands, photo frames and storage chests. All these are also priced under INR 1,000.