The Hoozinc Store at Road Number 12, Banjara Hills, has enjoyed a loyal following among pop culture enthusiasts in the city. So when we heard that the outlet has a new collection, we headed to the store to check them out. The outlet was started by city-based self-taught artists Nikhil Kapur and Chandni Mathur, in 2012.
“We make sure not to say no to any idea. About 80 per cent of the store can be customised and we want to give our buyers whatever pop culture-related merchandise they want,” says Chandni. We walked in along with two regular buyers who were checking out the new selection of shirts curated from online e-portal The Souled Store. The ones that featured The Game of Thrones turned out to be their favourites. We followed their lead and checked out the new tees. However, that’s when the new denim jackets caught our eye. These additions to their repertoire have been painted by Nikhil in acrylic colours and most often feature motifs related to America. The Hoozinc Store works with four in-house artists, Nipun Mathur, Ravinder, K Raju and Ashok Varma.
Among the canvasses, the first one that captivated us was the portrait of the iconic Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany’s done by Nipun. The stencil work done in black and red could easily jazz up your living room. Apart from that, there was a free hand painting of Frida Kahlo by Ravinder, that we loved. “We have painted Kahlo in a series of skin tones to show that she could be as much as a legend, no matter whatever her skin tone,” says Chandni, thereby taking a stand on colourism.
Their new collection also boasts of notebooks with fun one-liners on the cover. In case you wanted a gift for your bearded beau, the notebook with “Beards make everything better,” written on it could be an apt choice. Also, the store has stocked up on goodies that reflect the pulse of the city. Their ‘I love Hyderabad’ tee-shirts and the DIY Charminar Puzzle are a case in point. Make sure to check out their shot glasses featuring some of the legendary Bollywood villains like Gabbar Singh from Sholay. These glasses come in a parrot green hued cart and could easily be the highlight, if you are hosting a party at home.
Rs 2,500 for pop art.