What catches your attention as you enter this brand new store — tucked away in a by lane around the corner from Bread & Chocolate in the lush and picturesque Cenotaph Road locality in Teynampet — is the burst of light streaming into the two-storey renovated bungalow that’s easily over 60 years old. Trust Delhi-based Raw Mango to find a beautiful building to house their first store in Chennai with 5,400 sq ft of space showcasing their several unique and extravagant collections.
We were super excited when we heard that the label was finally setting up shop in Chennai and so we snuck into the store before it launched for a quick dekko. “We’ve always wanted to come to Chennai and we know we have a market in the South, but it took us a while to find the right space and now that we have, we’re finally here,” begins designer Sanjay Garg, founder of the label and textile designer, who launched the label in 2008.
The label, already immensely popular, was brought to the city in collaboration with Latha Madhu, founder, Collage. “Like most of the decisions I take, this one wasn’t planned. I just believed I was at a place where I could learn and understand someone else’s process and journey. Chennai is one of the most forward-thinking cities — as far as design goes and staying rooted to one’s identity is at the core of this city’s aesthetic — and I believe, Raw Mango fits beautifully into this mode of thinking,” Latha explains.
As we tour the store, we are wowed by the finesse with which the interiors have been recreated to match the Raw Mango aesthetic. Clean lines, quaint features inspired by Chettinad traditional décor and a calming presence of white that does justice to this renovated art-deco bungalow. What intrigued us, however, were the curios and collectibles strewn across the property quite tastefully, each piece curated and chosen by Sanjay from his many journeys across the country, including an eclectic set of toys, figurines, sculptures and light fixtures.
Look forward to several collections being showcased at the store including the recent-most Summer 2022 collection, Chorus; Sherbagh (AW/Festive ’21); Romantics (Festive ’21); Jhini (SS ’21); Between (SS ’20); and Moomal (Festive ’19), among others. The store has rooms dedicated to chanderis, sootis and bridal collections and while most of the collections are arranged by colour and design, some rooms feature pieces arranged by season-specific edits. The store also features a beautiful garden/lawn area with adequate seating for anyone who would like to enjoy some fresh air. “We hope to also open the garden to curated events in the future and that will be our way of participating and giving back to this beautiful hub of culture, the city of Chennai,” concludes Sanjay.
Now open in Teynampet.
romal@newindianexpress.com
@elromal