An early shopper checks out a treadmill at Body Line Sports. Picture by Rashbehari DasSome of the pieces at Diviniti. Picture by Rashbehari Das

lFitness freaks have a brand new destination to head to. No, it’s not yet another gym in town. This one helps you work up a sweat right in the comfort of your own home.

Pitched as a “fitness lifestyle showroom”, Body Line Sports on Ballygunge Circular Road is a one-stop shop for fitness and sports gear along with a complete range of steam, sauna and Jacuzzi equipment. The shop, to formally open on May 2, hasn’t missed out on the energy and health drinks either.

“Most fitness stores in the city are owned by single brands that manufacture these equipment. Other stand-alone shops that do stock a variety of brands don’t have such an extensive repertoire,” feels Gagan Sachdev, director, Body Line Sports. The 2,000 sq ft-outlet stocks international brands imported from Taiwan, Korea and the US like Fitness World, Fitline, Greenmaster, Bodysolid and Steelflex in the fitness range, and Puma, Wilson, Speedo and Converse in the sports segment. Domestic names like Sharpfit, Cosco and Nivea feature as well.

The range of products is as impressive. Strength and cardio equipment like treadmills and cycles; multi-gyms; weights including dumbbells and barbells; accessories like weighing scales, gym balls and skipping ropes; electronic pad machines as part of the beauty and slimming range; insulators, vibrators and heaters including the assembly of cabins in the steam-sauna-Jacuzzi range; sports goods that include the complete gear for cricket, soccer, golf, snooker, billiards, swimming, skating, volleyball; nutritional food supplements and energy drinks like Venkys and Prolab...

Part of the 40-year-old import company at Chowringhee called United Importers, Body Line scores in terms of pricing as well. “We are the direct importers for these equipment. Doing away with the middleman, we are able to keep our goods competitively priced,” stresses Gagan.

Going by the punchline of “fitness, health, glamour”, Body Line Sports hopes to cater to individual buyers as well as mushrooming fitness centres, multiplexes and high-end housing complexes that come with their own gyms and spas today. “We already have stock orders from a number of organisations,” smiles Gagan. Helping you sweat it out in style will be fitness experts at the showroom to advise you on the right equipment to suit your requirements.

lGold plating used to “divine” effect. That is what the Diviniti showroom on Ganesh Chandra Avenue offers. For the past few months, the store has been selling its range that marries Indian art with Swiss technology.

Proprietor, Diviniti, C.M. Agarwalla has also been selling through a range of retailers across the city, including jewellers and lifestyle stores. But this new outlet is dedicated to pictures and other decorative pieces embellished with 24-carat permanent gold plating.

Frames, small mementoes, trophies, card holders, jewellery boxes, ring boxes, mobile stickers, cutlery, lamps, photo frames and pendants are a few of the products stocked. All come with a life-long warrantee on the plating.

Agarwalla is also keen to cash in on current trends. “People have become very superstitious these days and believe in Vastu and Feng Shui. So, our new product range will incorporate some popular images from these,” he explains. To reach out to the younger clientele, items on which zodiac signs are etched are also to be introduced, he adds. Watches bearing gold plated images of gods and goddesses will follow soon.

For the religious, the gold-painted and etched frames will find their way straight into the puja room. But even for others, there are gold-plated photo frames, plaques and trophies set in wood, marble and medium-density fibre. Especially eye-catching are wineglasses and decanters adorned with fine, leaf-like gold patterns etched along the outer surfaces.

While Ganesha images have been the fastest moving, there is also a healthy demand for images of Radha-Krishna, Tirupati Balaji and Sherawali.

lSharbari Dutta is not the only designer around with her eye on men’s ethnic wear. Darshika, a boutique at Dover Lane, is the latest to step up to dress guys up.

Designing kurta-pyjama sets, dhotis, sherwanis and long jackets for men is designer Shagun Agarwal’s forte. Shagun swears by the wearability factor of her creations.

“Women are not the only ones who want to look good these days. I design for all pockets and suit a variety of moods,” stresses Shagun.

The range starts from Rs 500 and goes up to Rs 6,000, packing in outfits in handloom cottons, cotton-tussars, jute and a variety of silks. Maroon, blue, electric blue and shades of yellow are her colours of choice, while embellishments range from hand prints to zardozi, aari work, stone work, chikan and kantha.