One of the first multi-label fashion dens of Calcutta, Zenon was born at a time when the very idea of designer clothes was alien to the city. A small 500sq ft room at 113 Park Street (near Park Street-Rawdon Street crossing) opened way back in 1989, introducing to the city many big names of Indian fashion. The store shifted to its current address at 76-B Chakraberia Road (North), off Lansdowne, in 2011, with a swank three-storeyed style space. In its 25th year now, Zenon is still a mixed bag of established names and fresh talent, with the designer list growing as new names are added with every fashion week.

A glimpse of the Zenon interiors

As the store celebrates its 25th birthday this month, Zenon’s loyal patrons get a chance to get up close and personal with many of those names. Starting September 12, designers like Kiran Uttam Ghosh, Namrata Joshipura, Zubair Kirmani, Pankaj & Nidhi, Kavita Bhartia, Anju Modi and Anuradha Vakil have been interacting with customers on all things fashion at Zenon. “These are designers who have been our pillars of support, many of them have been with us from the beginning,” says Namrata Goenka, co-proprietor of the store.

Carol in Kiran Uttam Ghosh

It was Namrata’s idea, 25 years ago, to open a designer den in Calcutta, replicating the format of Karma in Delhi, co-owned by her cousin Karuna Goenka. With support from husband Ashish, Zenon was born within one-and-a-half months of its conception. “The first designer we got was Ravi Bajaj, who was quite big at that time.… Gradually we got everyone, from Manish Malhotra and Rohit Bal to Suneet Varma, Rina Dhaka and Muzaffar Ali,” says Namrata.

Kangana Ranaut in Namrata Joshipura

Introducing designerwear in the city wasn’t an easy job. “I had to keep educating each client who came into the store… initially it was very difficult, then slowly people started having faith in me. Even those who had the money to afford them didn’t have the confidence to wear all that the designers were making,” she recalls.

“At the same time, we had to guide the designers, who were mostly from Delhi or Bombay, about what the Calcutta clients wanted. Even now we closely guide each and every designer on what our clients want,” adds Ashish, the one responsible for the merchandising.

The USP of Zenon lies in its alteration services. “It is very important that the garment is altered to fit the customer perfectly, and that’s where our strength lies,” says Ashish.

The designer interactions will be on through September and October.

Designer speak

From Namrata Goenka, I learnt my first lessons about the business of fashion: Our business is not about good design alone, it’s about personalised service with attention to detail. She insists people try my clothes. She taught me that my clothes are magical when they’re worn, the soft drapes make no sense on a hanger, their simplicity transforms a woman when she wears it.

—       Kiran Uttam Ghosh

I started stocking at Zenon around the time I started my career. So, we are of the same age! We’ve had a lovely journey. They started from a small store that became a little bigger. Then they took on this big space at Chakraberia and they invited me to do a show there. That collection was couture with ivory and indigo. And people went mad!

— Anju Modi