An old bungalow off the busy Museum Road, complete with stone walls, red oxide flooring and vintage wooden windows is said to be the house with Bengaluru’s first en-suite bathroom. This house — quaint and charming, tucked away in a quiet lane yet a stone’s throw away from the buzz, is home to South India’s first outlet of The Shop, the legendary New Delhi-based label that has made a name for itself with its mulmul fabrics, garments, home linen and decor. Bringing the brand to Bengaluru are Shobha
Abraham, an educator and biodynamic craniosacral therapist, and Sangeetha Kuruvilla, whose other venture Ministry of Sleep, a mattress boutique, is also housed in the same property.
“As Ministry of Sleep, launched a year ago, started finding more takers, I thought it was only natural to expand into retailing sleepwear, bed linen and curtains,” explains Sangeetha who then got in touch with the owners of The Shop, Kabir and Aishwarya. It was on their suggestion that the former decided to also include men’s and women’s wear.
The 49-year-old label, which also retails out of stores such as Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus, this season offers three collections — Tropical House, Santorini and Victorian Glasshouse, all made from mulmul. “Once you wear their garments, you will not want to wear anything else. The fabric is softer than silk,” says Shobha, as she takes us around the store.
Designs inspired by sequoia, Kerala and Hawaiian motifs find expression in Tropical House, while Santorini is a line of stark white and royal blue home linen and garments, involving techniques such as ikat, and tie & dye. Victorian Glass House on the other hand, speaks to a more global aesthetic with handblock-printed roses, bouquets and potpourri. Apart from lamp shades, curtains, dohars and bedspreads, you can also get your hands on kurtas, stoles, reversible jackets, maxi dresses, tunics, trousers, menswear and kidswear. Sustainability is a subject that they take seriously, so you will also find pieces from their Renew Project, through which they ensure zero wastage by using excess fabric in innovative ways.
Rs.300 upwards