After having waited for a good ten minutes next to The Biere Club in the rain, we decided to brave the never-ending stream of vehicles cramming Vittal Mallya Road. When we finally made our way through the traffic and stationed ourselves opposite the brand-new Pernia’s Pop-Up Studio, however, the effort seemed worth it. The multi-designer shop that had taken shelter in The Leela Palace has now moved to this brand new location and is a bigger, brighter and better way. Even before you enter the black and white premise, you can notice the mannequins adorned with some stunning ensembles from the latest collections of renowned brands like Papa Don’t Preach by Shubhika.
We walk into an extravagant set up of elegant racks on all sides, decked up with prêt wear, jewellery, accessories and more. On our right was the billing counter with a queue of walk-in customers already piling up who seemed like they had been waiting for this place to throw open their doors, just so that they could get their hands on their favourite designer creations. It was the evening of July 14 when fashion connoisseurs and industry mavens, including designers behind Label Surbhi Shah, Soup by Sougal Paul, Kalighata and Linen Bloom, raised a toast to celebrate the store’s grand opening. Among them and with a couple of mocktails and finger foods doing the rounds, local paps were also trying to capture the wow moments of everyone who skimmed through the current curation. On lifting our eyes, we found a window from the floor above boasting couture stacked to give an ombre effect. So, we walked through the sprawling 5,000 sq ft retail space and ascended the stairs to find a couture section with endless options and a smaller men’s section, which will be expanding once the festive season begins.
One can find beautiful lehengas, saris, gowns and more from the country’s most sought-after couturiers like Gaurav Gupta, Amit Agarwal, Siddharth Bansal, Anushree Reddy, Punit Balana, Mrunalini Rao, Jayanti Reddy, Seema Gujral and Aisha Rao. There is also quite an impressive selection of jewellery and accessories for every modern bride-to-be and their entourages.
The good thing about this place is that nothing stays permanent. The collections, the arrangement of racks, the size of the sections and the designers available will be updated every now and then to offer fashionistas and connoisseurs of luxury, a fresh set of ensembles every time they walk into the store looking for something new.
INR 35,000 onwards. At Vittal Mallya Road.
Mail: srushti@newindianexpress.com