Burlingtons has been a Calcutta landmark famous for its bespoke suits for men, from long before “bespoke” became a trendy. Since 1963, when it started, it has meant luxury and elegance. A family-owned company, now run by its second generation, Burlingtons/Sood is a modern day design house that manufactures each of its garments in its own factory. 

The house has moved with the times. It is no co-incidence that the latest addition to the store is a bespoke trouser 
suit collection for women.

For a house once famous for its men’s suits, this has been a long journey. Not that the store had entirely ignored women ever. Burlingtons always offered tailoring for the ladies: for blouses, salwar suits or lehngas, all very 
glam, but traditional.

Things changed in 2005. Komal Sood (picture above), the tall, elegant former Miss India who married into the Sood family, launched her label that year, and her own store, at Burlingtons. “The designer label Kommal Sood (the brand is spelt differently from her name) was launched with a design philosophy that is 
distinctively feminine and designs that blend traditional craft with a modern twist,” says Komal. The Kommal Sood flagship store is on the ground floor. Burlingtons is busy and hectic downstairs, where the designs are displayed and measurements taken, open and studio-like upstairs. 

After the label got added, the view of a bit of Free School Street changed. The show-window at Burlingtons put up a row of gorgeous silhouettes — gowns, saris with blouses, glamorous — usually in bright monochromes like red, and shimmering with sequins, slowing the passing crowds a little. 

The pant suit for women was inevitable. Women have been wearing the pants for quite some time now; high time for bespoke ones for them. What better place to launch the bespoke trouser suits for women than Burlingtons, with all its knowledge?

“To me the trouser suit is the ultimate ode to power dressing on a woman’s frame. This collection is urban, contemporary and structured. I want to encourage the feeling of chic playfulness by making contrasting pieces come together to make an ensemble of a trouser suit, instead of crafting an entire suit in one fabric,” says Komal.

Komal has the right help: Ratul Sood, who is at the helm of the menswear business now, and is her husband. “Although I am the creative force behind the designs of the suits, Ratul, having been trained at the Saville Row Academy, and an expert in the ‘golden measurements’ formula, is closely involved in the technical part of the suit construction,” says Komal. 

Ratul is a partner of Kommal Sood, which is an independent company. Komal is the designer and creative head of Kommal Sood. Together, they run yet another label: the menswear label Kommal and Ratul Sood, which was launched at Amazon India Fashion Week in March 2017. 

“The design philosophy of this menswear label is an extension of the Kommal Sood womenswear label. It epitomises refinement and luxury in fashion and focuses on intelligent, sophisticated masculinity,” says Komal.

It is quite obvious that the differences between gender roles — and menswear and womenswear — are blurring fast. Is there too much overlap? Komal doesn’t think so. “Clothes for men and women will always be different,” she is confident. 

♦ Models: Runa Laha and Diksha Katyal 
♦ Hair and make-up: Rebecca Pollizzi  
♦ Photographer: Baban Mukherjee
♦ Styling, look and creative direction: Nick Rampal