A COOL grey, freshly painted building fronted by a patch of grass and pretty pink anthuriums on Ulsoor Road is the new location for celebrated designer Jyoti Sachdev Iyer’s first flagship store in Bengaluru. Originally from Bengaluru, Jyoti is constantly shuttling between Kolkata and Australia, but continues to call the South Indian city, home. The store is an airy space, with minimalist interiors, golden accented mirrors and racks, vintage luggage-trunk-installations and a comfortable seating area where consultations can be held.
Apart from clothes, Jyoti, who has dressed stars like Tapsee Pannu and Neha Dhupia, is also working with manufacturers in Patiala to create footwear. The store currently stocks a range of juttis, but the designer reveals that heeled footwear will be added to the collection soon. We chat with her on her design principles, plans for the future and more.
What made you decide to set uphere?
This is home for me. And I have a lot of loyal customers here. It was only natural to open a store here.
Tell us about the store design.
The store, like my clothes has a very minimal aesthetic. So in that sense it’s also very ‘Bangalore’, understated, yet elegant. There’s nothing over the top or jarring.
Give us a peek into the collection that is showcased here.
My Autumn Winter basically has a lot of greys and blacks. This time, we have also worked with gunmetal grey which is quite unusual. The gowns are quite drapey and dramatic, as always. But I think this time around, we’ve taken it a notch higher. Apart from this, we also have our Spring Summer line from earlier this year in a palette of soft pastels.
What are the fabrics used?
There’s a combination of Indian and non-Indian fabrics. For instance, there’s this one gown that is a blend of Chanderi and lycra. Then there are others that use silk Chanderi, satin net and slub Chanderi.
Bridal trends you foresee.
I think there’s going to be an emphasis on soft shades. In our bridal line, there’s quite a lot of ivory. We’re also experimenting with cutdana work and subtle embroidery. I also foresee a lot of styling in the blouse and the lehenga.
What can one expect from your next collection?
We’ve just come back from Spain so there are lots of ideas swimming in my head. I just need to assemble my thoughts.
Your thoughts on the state of the Indian handloom industry.
I’m glad to see people taking notice of the artisans. But they are still suffering. With the GST issue, more weavers are leaving their jobs to make money through other means.
Rs. 15,000 upwards. At Ulsoor Road. Details: 9972501571