the asian fashion journal

4th April 2014

In the words of slika slika Slim shaddy- Guess whose back! (I’m sure you’ve all been missing my random music links-lol!) It’s been a long few weeks since my last post-well Nov to be exact. I was too busy getting MARRIED!!!!- still can’t believe its all over now. I will be bringing you some details of my wedding in coming posts but got to kick things off with a post that’s been in my drafts folder for TOO long.

NRI: Mumbai Wedding Shopping Guide

I had found my dream of a wedding lengha at Aashni & Co (I will be posting a review of the store soon) early last year and kinda thought well if I can find a beauty of a Sabyasachi piece in London I’ll be able to get the rest of my outfits here….but the months rolled by- we regularly checked in with our favourite U.K Asian stores and we just couldn’t find what we were looking for. So off we went last Oct (we literally booked the tickets on a Weds and headed off on Thurs!)

We didn’t really have any prior experience of shopping in Mumbai but writing the blog has helped me discover all these exciting designers whose stores went on our list and we also asked everyone possible for tips so we went with a pretty good list which grew with recommendations from people there. I can’t say it’s a comprehensive list but it’s a good starting point for NRI Brides to be doing their wedding shopping.

I say NRI Brides because the majority of outfits we bought- we had adjusted or had the blouses made and brought them back with us as we weren’t keen on having everything made and sent over. Although, we did order some made to measure pieces from Manish Malhotra and Rohit Verma which I’ll post a review on in a separate post.

Aza

Pic Credit: Aza Facebook

Aza is a multi-designer brand store and the collections vary from stores so we visited both. We had more luck at the Altamount store- I found an Arpita Mehta lengha for my Mehndi night and a Varun Bahl gown for my reception and my Mum bought a gorgeous Ridhi Mehra outfit. I have to say though if you’re looking for styles that you want to buy there and then the size range is limited. I’d say the largest size is 12/14 although if you don’t mind ordering they will order a made to measure style for you. A big thanks to Harshika at the Altamount store she really looked after us and all the pieces were altered within four days.

Altamount Road 21, Altamount Road, Mumbai – 400026.Ph: +91 22 2353 0212 / +91 98674 51199 Email: altamount@azafashions.com

Shishir, 15-A, near Maneckji Cooper School, Juhu Tara Road, Mumbai – 400049 Ph: +91 22 2661 0091 / +91 98339 51198 Email: juhu@azafashions.com

Prices start at £250

Ogaan

Pic Credit: The Asian Fashion Journal

Ogaan is a multi-brand store and there’s a real mix of designers from pretty as a peach designer Anushree Reddy to more directional designers Pankaj & Nidhi and Anamika Khanna.

Ogaan Colaba, Vaswani House, First Floor. 7 Best Marg, Colaba, Mumbai – 400 039 Ph – 91-22-22833576

Prices start at £250

Fizaa

Pic Credit: Fizaa Facebook

Fizaa is a multi designer store by Zarine Khan and is actually part of the couple’s compound. It’s a tiny (and I really do mean tiny) store but there are some real gems and my sister found a gorgeous piece by Alka Suman (here’s a link to a pic of the Anarkali my sis bought that Amrita Rao wore too)

Sanjay Plaza, Juhu. A.B Nair Rd.,

Prices start at £150

*FIZAA HAS CLOSED DOWN*

Fuel

Image credit:www.asklaila.com

Fuel is another multi brand designer store. There are three stores across Mumbai and the store in Opera House is the biggest- actually its huge and if you’re short of time this a def a must visit store. Fuel also carries a real mix of price points and styles as well as some really fab accessories. Labels stocked include Sabyasachi, Peppermint Diva, Rina Dhaka & Rohit & Rahul Ghandi.

Prices start at £150

Address: Kantilal Karia & Co.Chowpati View Building, Opp. Sukh Sagar,Opera House
Tel: (+91) 22 23693131

Address: Lakshmi Niwas,Plot no. 450/B, 14th Road, Off Linking Road, Khar West
Tel: (+91) 22 26497878

Address: SV Road, Vile Parle, Juhu, Mumbai – 400049

Ensemble

Ensemble is another multi designer store. Have to say this was the only store on the list that we experienced frosty service from the staff. I don’t know if it was a blip/bad day but we didn’t feel comfortable shopping and ended up buying Guarav Gupta pieces that we’d seen at Ensemble at alternative stores (because we didn’t even want to stay in the store long enough to try on the pieces!) I’ve still included the store on the list because they do carry a fab range of product and like I said it could have been a blip day.

Address: Great Western Building,130/132 Shahid Bhagat Singh Road,Opp. Lion Gate
Tel: (+91) 22 22843227

Address: White Hall, Ground Floor, West Wing,143, August Kranti Marg, Kemps Corner
Tel: (+91) 22 23672416

Address: Mi-Casa 28, St. Theresa Road, Off Turner Road, Opp. Tawa, Bandra West
Tel: (+91) 22 26420643

Jade by Monica & Karishma

Image Credit: Jade by Monica & Karishma Facebook

After drooling over Jade by Monica & Karishma over the Indian blogosphere it was soooo exciting to check out their store. I personally found the Bridal lengha range just too heavy for me but loved the heavy blouses that you could buy either on their own or mix and match with a sari or skirt. Really pretty and timeless designs. And I’m in LOVE with their Bohemian Princess collection that they recently showcased at Fashion Week!

Boutique: JADE, 6A Sukhshanti, Pedder Road, Mumbai 400026. India. Tel: +91.22.23533635, Cell: +91.9833002000, email: jade@jadecouture.com, website: http://www.jadecouture.com

Sabyasachi

Image Credit: http://www.madeinindiablog-blogspot-co-uk.jpg

Regular readers know how much I heart Sabyasachi’s work. I adore the way he celebrates and reinvents the beauty of Indian embroidery and embellishment. As I’d already bought my Sabya bridal lengha from Aashni & co we were looking for saris and unfortunately the week we’d visited the stock was really low- as in there were only three saris in stock! so unfortunately we left empty handed but the store itself (the bridal showroom is on the ground floor and the lighter pieces were upstairs in a neighboring building) is a beauty. Its like stepping back in time and a gorgeous backdrop to his designs.

Mumbai. Portfolio 52, 56, Dr. V.B. Gandhi Marg KalaGhoda. Mumbai- 400023. Ph: (022) 22623335. Mobile: 9322263359. Email:sabyasachi.mumbai@gmail.com.

Peacock Pret by Falguni and Shane Peacock

Ok so I’m not the biggest fan of the Peacock Pret by Falguni and Shande Peacock’s Indian wear (LOVE the western wear though) but I had to include their address on the list. It’s a store full of girlie colours, feathers and bling so if that’s your thing def take a look.

I can’t remember what the prices start at but remember the semi formal saris my sis was looking at were around £1500/£2000 mark

Shop No 7, Valencia Apartment, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu, Mumbai +91 22 6741 5593

Varun Bahl

Image Credit: Varun Bahl Facebook

The Varun Bahl store is in the same building as Sabyasachi’s and he shares the store with Karan Johar (uuummm I didn’t even know Karan Johar designed Sherwanis?!) I adore Varun’s gowns (I wore one of his designs at my reception) and my sis picked up a gorgeous mint sari with applique work and sequin blouse from the store. I have to add that the service at the store could do with being improved. My sis blouse piece and petticoat needed to be ordered in from Delhi and they assured us that it would be in store ready for collection three days later (which was our last day in Mumbai). We rang in the morning and they told us the parcel would def be there for 11am. So we turned up and it wasn’t there and there didn’t seem to be any real action in locating the parcel until we said we’d call our credit card company and block the charge. Then they started ringing round for it- we went off to lunch and a few other stores and when we returned the parcel had come in. I know you could say it was only a few hours late but if all the stores we’d shopped at had done the same we prob wouldn’t have been able to get everything in eight days like we did.

Varun Bahl & Karan Johar, second floor, Dr VB Gandhi Marg, Kalaghoda, Fort, call 9833284159

Manish Malhotra

Both the Manish Bridal store and the newer diffusion store opp were soooooooo busy with Brides to be and its pretty easy to see why- the stores are full of yumminess. He is a Bridal King for a reason! I bought a pretty Ivory lengha to wear for my Civil Ceremony (I didn’t want to wear an English style dress) and had to have the piece ordered- I was reluctant to place an order but being taller than the average the piece in the showroom couldn’t be adjusted to fit. I will post a review on the Store soon.

MANISH MALHOTRA BRIDAL STORE Showroom no. 3/4/5 Vishnudham CHS, Corner of 14th Road, Linking Road,
Khar West, Mumbai – 400052 T: +91 22 235302 / 2352353

MANISH MALHOTRA DIFFUSION STORE Shivraj Heights, Corner of 14th Road, Linking Road, Khar West,
Mumbai – 400052.

Prices (for diffusion line) start at £250

Rohit Verma

I know the Hare by Rohit Verma collection was really popular at Bibi London but since Rohit stopped supplying the store the only place to get the real deal is in India. His showroom is in a real mess. Gowns, lenghas, saris and anarkalis are squashed together on rails that make it hard to browse BUT the man himself and his lovely sis know the collection inside out and instinctively know which styles suit who. Once they knew what occasions we were shopping for they pulled out some beauties and we bought several pieces.

Rohhit Verma Haute Couture, 101/64D Keshav Kunj, opposite standard Chartered Bank, Linking Road, Santacruz(West), Mumbai, Maharashtra, India 400054

Vandana

Ok so I’ve been in plenty of fabric and embellishment stores & markets in Delhi for work but I’ve never been to a store like Vandana before. If you want to design your own sari or anarkali this is the place to go. They carry hundreds of beautiful fabrics including silks, bhandanis, brocades and you go from one section to another picking out fabrics- we started off with some sari blouse fabric we liked then moved over to the chiffon section to match a sari then went downstairs to match sari borders and latkans! We ended up buying all my peach bridesmaid saris from here. We only discovered the store on our penultimate day otherwise I know we would have have bought way more! And all the staff are fantastic so even if you don’t think you are much of a designer they will help you match fabrics together.

304, 305 Rajdoot Chsl, Linking Road Khar West, Opp Rajkumar Jewellers, Mumbai 400052

Tip Top–

We were recommended Tip Top by designer Rohit Verma for bangles (they do costume jewellery too but the sets weren’t that exciting) The bangles on the other hand were drool worthy- here’s the set I had bought to go with my white Manish Malhotra lengha…Prettyyyyy

Shop No 8. Satra Park, Shimpoli Road, Borivali T: 92 283 35151

136 V.P Road, Sikka Nagar, Prarthna Samaj, Mumbai, 400 004 India

All the shops are spread across Mumbai and I’d recommend asking your concierge (we stayed at the Grand Hyatt– will post a review soon) or driver to group stores together so you don’t waste time. And yep I know there’s plenty of amazing stores that haven’t made the list- like I said these are the stores we went to-I’m sure I’ll be adding to the list.

Happy Shopping

: )