If you are near Lake Market then drop in at Alora by Anindita, a quaint boutique cum café with a beautiful ambience, hospitable staff, and a plethora of festive collections. Indulge dropped in to check out the collections which include Jamdani, muslin, Benarasi, organza saris; blouses; Kolkata-themed –themed gift items, statement jewellery, and more. Founded by Anindita Chatterjee, the space opened in July and has been garnering a lot of appreciation for its collections since then.
On entering this boutique on the ground floor of an old house, nostalgia grips. In fact, the boutique is a breath of modernism in an otherwise traditional surrounding. Talking about the collections Anindita mentions, “My collections include cotton saris to Benarasi or even suti saris designed by me. Actually, they are defined by my personal interests. We also customise for the clients in a span of 7-10 days.”
Currently, a walk-in only store, Alora by Anindita has a dedicated clientele who are interested in “saris, jewellery and smaller gift items made of ceramics and dokra. In fact, with the Puja season coming nearer a lot of Durga motif items are selling like hot cakes.” informs Anindita.
One look around the space and one can immediately tell the emphasis that has been given to handlooms. When asked about the same Anindita replies, “I only have handloom items. I believe handloom took a backseat because of the way it was being styled. I believe designs and cuts matter a lot in handloom products. Once we get the designs right, there will be a further revival of handlooms.”
Talking about Durga Puja 2023 trends she spills the beans, “I think there is a huge craze for Benarasi now. Today Benarasi’s are very light, easy to carry, and can be styled in many ways. Also, a blouse plays an important part. A blouse with the correct colour, cut, and fabric can change the entire look of the sari.” She explains further, “We keep some readymade blouses in the boutique which can be paired up with our saris. But if someone wants us to design it for them we do that as well. We also accept customer-provided fabric.”
We found two interesting aspects, eco-friendly packing with paper or jute pouches and a limited collection of menswear printed shirts and Punjabi as well.
Lastly, if one visits the boutique, stopping for a knick-knack in the adjoining café is a must. Anindita gives us a glimpse of the menu and states, “We have varieties of Maggie, sandwiches, ice tea, and more. Daab Ice Tea is a must-try here. We have a Bengali menu including Fish Chop, Ghughni Pav, and Gondhoraj Pakora among others.”
Address: 19, Lake Road (Opposite to Charu Chandra College)
Opening time: 11 am – 8 pm