Vedika Kejriwal and Nandini Rishi are all set to welcome Kolkata to the first edition of The Design Mill, partnered by Telegraph, “a carefully curated luxe pop-up shop” that promises “affordable luxury”. Vedika and Nandini tell The Telegraph what to expect.
Vedika Kejriwal and Nandini Rishi in Tasha
What is the first edition of The Design Mill looking like?
The first edition of The Design Mill aims to showcase the best of Indian and contemporary fashion from 28 hand-picked designers across India, specifically the cities of Delhi and Mumbai. A sister brand of The Armoire Pop Up, which has hosted 15 successful events in Chennai since October 2015, The Design Mill is a new brand of pop-ups specifically tailored for the Kolkata market. The pop-up has been curated with utmost care, bringing together a mix of premium designers and labels across different categories and price points, with the overall objective of being able to offer something for everyone.
Aartivijay Gupta
What is the focus?
Kolkatans can look forward to a collection of fuss-free, easy-to-wear Indian, fusion and Western clothing and accessories, curated keeping the upcoming summer season in mind.
Not restricted to casual clothing only, one can also expect to find light occasion and weddingwear, in tune with the intimate nature of celebrations these days.
Lavanya Ahuja
How have you curated a Kolkata edit?
We have curated trending designers and styles that are sure to strike a chord with our style-savvy Kolkata shoppers. We have noted that Kolkatans are increasingly willing to experiment with fashion trends and look forward to shopping from new and current designers. Therefore, we have consciously picked designers who are making waves in the fashion industry — be it Dhruv Kapoor who recently presented at Milan Fashion Week, Aartivijay Gupta whose juxtaposition of art and fashion has carved her a name in the global fashion domain or popular millennial-run online stores Scarlet Sage, Essgee and Amama. Another USP of The Design Mill that differentiates it from other exhibitions is its ability to cater to the affordable luxury segment, that is ‘designer’ clothing without the ‘designer’ price tag. Through our curated exhibitions, Kolkatans have a first-hand access to fashion that does not compromise on quality and yet remains easy on the pocket — a concept that is traditionally perceived as mutually exclusive. The majority of the collection has been curated between the Rs 5,000 and Rs 30,000.
Essgee
What are you wearing this summer?
Outfits from our pop-up, of course! Our top picks are Aartivijay Gupta for her playful prints, Namrata Joshipura for her elegant fusion wear in summer hues and Tasha for their fuss-free contemporary Indian silhouettes.
Namrata Joshipura
A fashion dream you have for the city...
Our foremost vision is to make luxury fashion accessible for all, at prices that don’t break the bank. Our other dream is to be able to provide a platform where people can explore and experiment with different fashion trends and discover their own personal style statement.
Scarlet Sage
Anaash
More About
What: The Design Mill partnered by The Telegraph
Where: The Loft, Quest mall
When: March 24, 11am-8pm
Participating designers: Westernwear: Dhruv Kapoor, Aartivijay Gupta, Scarlet Sage, Graine, Malai, Mero Studio, Essgee, Summer House, Garima Bindal, Krati Jain
Indo-western wear: Namrata Joshipura, Lavanya Ahuja, Kalista, Sartorial By Swati, Harshita Jain
Indianwear: Dyelogue, Shivani Bhargava, Tasha, Pita Nila, Baju, Label Pranati, AM
Accessories: Outhouse, Valliyan, Amama, Anaash, So Fetch, Beau Monde, Pari Pari
Designer spotlight: Dhruv Kapoor (Delhi), Namrata Joshipura (Delhi) Graine (Delhi), Outhouse (Delhi), Amama (Delhi), Aartivijay Gupta (Mumbai), Scarlet Sage (Mumbai), Valliyan (Mumbai), Malai (Mumbai), Sartorial By Swati (Mumbai)
