Just when you thought Indira Nagar’s busy 12th main couldn’t get any busier, comes the launch of Miraakii (which in Greek means ‘done with love’), an artisanal store that brings together silver jewellery, North Eastern crafts and Turkish tableware. A joint effort by jewellery designer Ambar Shamim of Pepper Coin and Sophia Raj-kumari of Chumthang Crafts, a label that works with weavers and craftspeople from North Eastern regions, Miraakii is spread across 1,300 square feet, in a store complete with exposed brick walls, pinewood shelves and other wooden accents for a colour scheme that’s a sombre mix of brown, black and white tones.
Grass hoppers
“Sophia, who is a lawyer by training, and I have been good friends for a while and thought it would work well to pool our resources and open a store together,” says Ambar, a trained designer from INIFD, Kolkata. Both Sophia and Ambar have about eight years of experience in the business with their respective crafts. And while the store will stock quite a range of products from Pepper Coin and Chumthang Crafts, the duo has also collaborated with a number of NGOs for home decor essentials, such as sabai grass baskets, laundry bags, dustbins and boxes from Orissa, and clay, jute and fabric jewellery, trays and bookmarks from West Bengal.
From Chumthang Crafts, one can expect Manipuri silk saris and Muga silk saris from Assam, apart from shawls, dupattas, stoles and scarves. A special feature is the collection of black stone pottery from Manipur. “This works exactly like non-stick cookware, and is natural and chemical free,” explains Ambar. If you’re looking to infuse some colour to your ceramicware collection, get your hands on their line of Turkish tableware sourced directly from Turkey.
“We have plates, that can be used for decorative purposes, and lampshades,” shares Ambar. Also available are teakwood and sheesham mirrors that work well as statement pieces to dress up walls. Pepper Coin, known for its selection of silver jewellery that strikes a fine balance between modern and traditional, will stock Japanese pearl jewellery and another line made with uncut and unpolished stones.
Launches September 16. Rs.100 upwards. At 12th Main, Indira Nagar. Details: 7899789935