What do women want? To shop with the female gaze at Amisha Kothari’s Mumbai store

Who do you dress for? Yourself. Over the years, the tired trope of donning your best outfit for someone else has taken a back seat. And retail is finally catching up. In a theatrical flash of red, Amisha Kothari’s eponymous fashion label of ethnic clothing appears in Mumbai’s colonial district. All set to change your perceptions.

Its neighbours? No-Mad and Christian Louboutin. Its agenda? The female gaze. Make your way around the corner of Horniman Circle, to find a space that sums up what the modern woman truly desires.

Inside her near-meditative store, Amisha Kothari makes a powerful statement in simplicity. The space is unafraid, leaving subtlety aside, despite what its minimalist appearance might have you believe. A tactile teakwood door, pared-back window displays, and then a sudden rush of understated confidence.

“Our idea was to create a calm oasis with a neutral shell that allowed my designs to really stand out without any other distractions,” says Amisha about the store designed and creatively directed by Anuj Kothari. EDIDA winner Anuj, who has also designed neighbouring No-Mad, brings his signature boldness to the space.

The spatial configuration, a deliberate subversion of conventional retail paradigms, prioritises the patrons’ experience above all. The minimalist aesthetic, a stark contrast to the cacophony of the city outside, invites introspection. The muted tones and tactile materials create an intimate atmosphere that nurtures individuality. The generously proportioned fitting rooms, a departure from the cramped confines of traditional retail spaces, empower one to inhabit the garments, to truly experience them.

The private salon upstairs is created for personal consultations. Speaking about the store design, Anuj says the store is an immersive space that reflects the duality of the soft luxurious silks and organzas from Amisha’s collection juxtaposed against stronger elements like brass accents and robust hand-carved stone pedestals, that add subtle masculinity, creating an environment that feels welcoming yet grounded in strength.

Traditional yet unafraid to chart its own path, AMISHA KOTHARI, the store, will leave you with thought-provoking questions (as you leave with bags full). For instance, how the female gaze, unlike its male counterpart, is an exercise in subversion of the world we are used to. Be it from who you dress for, what you wear or the experience of shopping itself. What we take to be immutable laws, written in stone, can be challenged — through thoughtful design, in multiple forms.

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