• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 2439 0

from the Taj) is the Courtyard (Minoo Desai Marg, Apollo Bunder), where chic boutiques are filled with goods from a range of Indian designers (such as Manish Arora)—recommended stores include the very chic Hot Pink ( 022/6638-5482); Abraham and Thakore ( 022/6638-5486), where you’ll find fantastic shirts for men; Rabani & Rakha ( 022/6638-5476) for saris; and Manish Arora ( 022/6638-5464; www.manisharora.ws) for modish women’s wear and accessories. If you want to pick your way through some of the best in Indian designs, but don’t fancy moving from shop to shop, head for Kimaya (2 Asha Colony, Juhu Tara Rd.; 022/2660-6154) in Juhu (it’s opposite the Sea Princess Hotel), where owners Pradeep and Neha Hirani seem to have gathered all the finest Indian brand ladies fashion under one roof. They also have a store for men—Ayamik (Shop no. 1, Sea Palace, Juhu Tara Rd.), as well as an alternative branch in Kemps Corner ( 022/2386-2432).

For cheap, casual, well-cut cottons, Cotton World, near Indigo restaurant, is the perfect stop. At Indian Textiles (Taj Mahal Palace; 022/2202-8783 or 022/2204-9278), you’ll find some of the best Benarasi woven silks and brocades in the country, sold by the yard, as well as authentic Pashmina shawls. Also look for hand-dyed silk stoles by Jamnadas Khatri ( 022/2242-5711 or -2277). Hand-loomed products are found in abundance at fabulous Fab India (Jeroo Bldg., 137 M.G. Rd., Kala Ghoda; 022/2262-6539; other outlets in Bandra). Amara (Hughes Rd.; 022/2387-9687 or -2530) in Kemp’s Corner is a good place to check out the work of different designers—all top end—with the option to pause between fittings for a bite to eat or a quick spa treatment. To view (and hopefully take home) the work of less-established designers, head for Aza (21 Siffy Apartments, Altamount Rd.; 022/2351-7616), just off Pedder Road. After checking out the work of tomorrow’s fashion gods, you can explore the decidedly fashionable neighborhood—a preserve of the ultrawealthy.

If you’ve loved the furnishings at many of the Taj hotels around the country, make your way to Zeba in Colaba or Worli (Bhaveshwar, 148–B, Dr. Annie Besant Rd., Worli Naka, 022/2495-3711; also at Royal Terrace, 58 Wodehouse Rd., Colaba, 022/2218-8797) for extensive collections of highly desirable home textiles, accessories, carpets, and dhurries in great original styles. Zeba is owned by the flamboyant Krsna Mehta, whose outfit creates in-house designs for its textiles in cotton, silk, jute, and a range of graceful fabrics, using both earthy and vibrant colors. Zeba will custom-design any living space. Yamini (President House, Wodehouse Rd., Colaba; 022/2218-4143 or -4145; also in Bandra, 022/2646-3645) stocks designer linen, tablecloths, bolsters, curtains, bed covers, napkins, and even lampshades. Also at Colaba (near Indigo restaurant) is Maspar (Sunny Bldg., Mandlik Rd.; 022/2287-5619) a new store with quality home furnishings in contemporary designs and beautiful colors.

If you’re fascinated by saris but don’t know where to begin, make your way to Kala Niketan ( 022/2200-5001 or -4952) at Marine Lines, where you will be bowled over by the stunning variety, colors, and over-the-top service. Salesmen not only assist you with your purchase, but can help you get a blouse stitched and offer serious tips on how to drape that gorgeous fabric.

Famous Indian designer Ritu Kumar has several outlets specializing in silk and cotton designer-ethnic wear, much of it a blend of Western and Indian influences—all showstoppingly elegant. Head for her boutique at Phoenix Mills Annexe (462 Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel; 022/6666-9901), or either of the branches on Warden Road ( 022/2367-8593 or -2947) or at Trident Nariman Point.

Another boutique that is a must-see for fashionistas is Mélange (Raj Mahal Bldg., 33 Altamount Rd., Kemps Corner; 022/2353-4492 or -9628; www.melangeworld.com), known for its ultrafeminine designer dresses made from delicate chiffon. If you don’t plan to visit Jaipur, stop at the Mumbai branch of Anokhi (Rasik Nivas, Metro Motors Lane, off Hughes