Sabyasachi’s new store stands as insignia of Indian Craftsmanship in New York Retail
Defying the conventional in-shop merchandise store, the New York outpost of designer-entrepreneur Sabyasachi resurrected the spirit of Indian art and crafts with lofty ceilings, intricate woodwork, layers of kilim rugs, walls dressed in luxurious hand painted wallpapers, ceramic vases, a generous repetition of rose-tinted glass chandeliers and whatnot.
The Indian fashion lifestyle brand in quaint lanes of New York’s West Village brings maximalist fantasy to life. Splendid in its aesthetics, his new boutique palace offers a flurry of ideas from those looking for a spell binding destination.
Spread in the area of 5800 square feet, the store is an extension of the brand’s commitment to Indian craftsmanship, a cross cultural dialogue is present in the space. The expansive rooms and long hallways showcase the fabrics and jewellery amongst a selection of artefacts, vitrines, and handmade wooden consoles brought from India. The tiles were forged in Utah and some books, crockery, and artefacts were locally sourced.
Having the products that are exclusive to New York, hundreds of artifacts put to sight hail from around the globe and across the centuries: pichhwai, paintings on cloth originally created as backdrops for statues of deities; Persian Qajar dynasty paintings, now bordered in fabrics crafted from old saris with zardozi embroidery; “doodles” by a Bleecker Street sidewalk artist; and tableware from Scully & Scully.
As per Sabyasachi, “Beautiful things are beautiful things irrespective of where you find them, I think it comes from the spirit of Calcutta, that is so beautifully embodied in the old homes and palaces of the city. It’s where art, culture, craft, heritage and history come together seamlessly but with a distinct point of view. It’s layered together in this almost heady mix. The store became almost a metaphor for the journey from Calcutta to New York” he says.
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