The year’s about to come to an end and it’s been an eventful one at that. A multitude of brands and stores have opened up shop in the city, with pomp and fanfare. We take a look at some of the names of stores that have stood out for us this year, for their cool products, gorgeous décor and more. Check them out.
#RoundUpOf2018: Our Guide To The Best Stores This Year
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Bansri
Located right opposite Kala Ghoda Café, Bansri is recently opened flagship jewellery store that focuses on delicate designs to elegant, chunky pieces, fit for any occasion. The store is like a concrete runway, where each of the four zones showcase unique pieces of jewellery, including one-of-a-kind vintage designs too.
What We Love: Bansri Mehta’s jewellery is easy to wear and carry, and the designer herself takes keen interest in what you choose. Jewellery begins at INR 950 upwards.
Scentido Perfumery
Scentido is India’s first niche perfumery brand that has brought to town an exclusive collection which includes Roja Parfums, Escentric Molecules and Ormonde Jayne from the UK; Berdoues, Jeroboam and Jovoy from France; Gabriella Chieffo from Italy amongst others. Shishir Mehta, the owner, has personally curated rate perfumes that adorn the shelves of this boutique store in Fort. If you’re planning the perfect, unique gift, it doesn’t get better than this.
What We Love: Assam Of India fragrance, Maasai Mara South African blend and Somei Yoshino from Japan.
Curato
Many of you might not know about this recent opening – Curato is Mumbai’s first multi-designer store, only for men. The store is a sprawling 1,500 sq. ft. bungalow in Bandra made to enhance a customer’s shopping experience. Curato in Italian stands for Curate, and houses collections from 40 designers, such as Rajesh Pratap Singh, Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna, Masaba, Nikhil Thampi, Dhruv Kapoor, Doodlage and many more. This chic store also lets you pre-order for custom-designed bridal attire.
What We Love: The brand allows men the chance to experiment while still maintaining their classic style.
Freedom Tree
While we usually don’t mention new branches in our lists, we had to make an exception with this one. Freedom Tree had recently renovated and reopened its Mahalaxmi outlet, and honestly this time, we’ve been lost for words ever since we set foot in it. It’s twice the size of the previous store, and also holds a design consultancy set up, with gorgeous ceramics to even metal home décor pieces, wooden furniture to soft furnishings. Their ceramics start at INR 120 upwards and the brand is pretty affordable.
What We Love: Their new gifting section which is also available online.
Bhaane & VegNonVeg
Delhi’s Bhaane finally opened its doors to the city and brought along VegNonVeg, a high-end sneaker store, with it this year. The space is very Art Deco Mumbai with a collection of clothing and sneakers that’s unrivalled in the city. The brand also curates events such as fashion soirees, new collection launches and more, so it’s a great place to mingle while doing your year-end shopping!
What We Love: With a café that serves you Blue Tokai coffee, munchies and desserts, you can shop, eat and make an evening of it.
FancyPants
FancyPants had opened a physical store in Juhu this year and we were thrilled because most of us are regular shoppers online. The boutique pays homage to Japanese cherry blossoms and the curation boasts of a wide range of apparel and accessories for the quirky and chic in us. The range begins at approximately INR 1,000.
What We Love: Their jumpsuits, gorgeous interiors and how reasonable accessories are.
The Entertainment Store
This was one opening we’d all been waiting for. Todi Mills is home to The Entertainment Store (yes, Bandra had an outlet but it was just too tiny), a huge space that’s full of graphic novels, collectibles, stationery, mugs, clothes and the works. If you’ve loved cartoons as a child and are fans of comics and have voluntarily entered the DC and marvel universe, you should make this your second home. Apart from this, their collection is sure to surprise you and will make for the perfect gift for so many of us.
What We Love: Their collection is hardcore and they will help you source for an action figure if you ask.
Sarita Handa Home Décor
If you love investing in good home décor, Sarita Handa is your best bet. Known for its A-class furniture and furnishings, it’s a great place if you’re looking for bold prints or even subtle designs. They keep updating their collection often, so you have a lot of variety to pick from.
What We Love: Their lounge chairs, lamps and rugs.
Cord
A homegrown brand from Delhi, Cord has a great collection of chic bags, wallets and other accessories at the boutique store in Kala Ghoda. The store is minimal in design, with a range of slings, totes and overnighters on one side and clothing (dresses and blouses) on the other.
What We Love: Their range of laptop bags and chic accessories.
Special Mention
Our list wouldn’t be complete without us mentioning All Elements café which also houses some great home décor pieces and Plum By Bent Chair also for their furniture. Asal is another name that cannot go unnoticed (Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla) for its gorgeous pieces and an equally gorgeous store in Kala Ghoda.