Located in a quaint Deshapriya Park lane full of old residential buildings, Amethyst serves as the best metaphor for Kolkata in 2019 — contemporary, yet tethered to its roots. This month-old studio boutique is tastefully set up like a chic and urbane dress-up space; from breezy pink and white walls, deep mauve vanity stools, to a cascading line-up of pastel and jewel-toned fusion wear, Amethyst will make you want to spend a very Instagram-worthy afternoon. The fashion outlet is actually family-owned and conceptualised by Monica Kothari and her niece Pragati, who also designed the featuring creations. The first number that caught our eye was an impeccably draped, belted wraparound sari in white and gold, which was paired with an ornate black blouse. Considering our love for ready-to-wear, 10-minute saris, we obviously got the Kothari girls to tell us all about it.
“This sari is so easy to wear, perfect for someone who dreads spending hours to perfect the draping. The pleats are already done, and it’s belted, so it does not move around a lot. It’s in linen khadi, which makes it so wearable. You can wear it with a muted blouse, or pair it with a fancier one,” Pragati tells us. Amethyst is, of course, offering their new Spring/Summer line as well, which is entirely made of easy pastels and fierce unusual silhouettes, ideal for summer. What struck us about the collection was its fresh and refined approach to daily wear: from tapering silhouettes to rebellious hemlines, making Amethyst’s first major line a breathtaking one. Besides fusion wear and Indo-Western numbers, the Spring collection also features some stylish occasion wear and festive options, most of which can double up as a part of your destination wedding guest wardrobe. We found some summer dresses with layering, organza kurtas, frilly peplum ensembles, sequined kurtis with dhoti bottoms, some vintage-inspired one-pieces. A floral silk and organza peplum ensemble caught our eye, in cream and blush pink, with quirky frill detailing; in other words, our perfect brunch outfit.
“We didn’t want to cater to just one kind of customer base. You’ll see we have fusion numbers, and contemporary wear, which can also be utilised as stylish work wear. Millennials are really into customisable fashion, and we also provide that; this helps us connect to their needs. We also want to come up with a bridal collection soon, featuring interesting silhouettes and unexplored colours,” offers Pragati.
As we moved on to the occasion wear section, we spotted some refreshing sequin and silky numbers. One of our many favourites? A satin English pink long cowl skirt, pleated like an A-line number, which comes with a solid red crop top and a draped dupatta, and can easily fit into your ethnic cocktail soirée wardrobe. Besides clothes, Amethyst also has an amazing collection of festive flats, from floral loafers to embroidered jootis, and even some tropical printed strappy sandals. There’s a place reserved for deco glass terrariums as well, featuring cute, cropped succulents. “We think it’s so much better to gift smaller plants to people instead of cutting flowers. Also, they really help any decor,” informs Pragati.
Prices from Rs 3,000 onwards.