Vibha Kejriwal is a vintage decor lover. So, when she was doing up Coral (1A Lovelock Place, Ballygunge, near The Calcutta Punjab Club), her maiden retail venture, vintage was what she dove into. In fact, diving in the literal sense is also what inspired the name of the 1,650sq ft design den. A water baby, Vibha loves the idea that a day of diving can spring many a surprise find. Push open the door...
...and you discover vintage married to the modern. If the furniture — mostly sourced from auction and antique houses in Calcutta — is old-world, the fashion and lifestyle offerings have been curated keeping in mind the working woman who is always on the move.
Coral will house 11 international designers from France, Portugal, Spain, Romania, Korea and the UK. Namrata Joshipura, 11.11, Geisha Designs, Cue and Not So Serious will be the Indian presence. There will be semi-precious jewellery by Calcutta-based label Rohita. “We are midway... niche market yet affordable,” says Vibha, who has been associated with her husband’s fashion export company for 20 years. Her travels have taken her around the world and on one such occasion exactly a year back, at a trade show in France, the idea of a store struck her. “I thought if I don’t do it now, I will never do it. French aesthetics were a huge influence,” she says. Coral took shape in three-and-a-half months. It’s ready to welcome shoppers from today (Monday-Saturday; 10.30am-7.30pm).
The art on the wall, not for sale, is one of the highlights. Be it these Bengali-style faux shutters that will serve as brochure and card stands, or the canvas installation.
Spring-summer collection, colourful cushions, bags, wool-silk and cotton-silk scarves have been displayed on wrought iron frames and old-fashioned furniture. Display is the hero at Coral with corners that make for perfect selfie spots. An alna-full of scarves is an eye-catcher as is a bench decked with cushions of different sizes with a huge glass window as the backdrop that looks lovely when sunlight streams in. Lighting up Coral are lamps of different kinds — from lanterns to Turkish styles.
Text: Saionee Chakraborty
Pictures: Pabitra Das
