Gauri Khan scans the racks of the store she’s conceptualised and built for designers Falguni Shane Peacock at The Dhan Mill in New Delhi, their first one dedicated to prêt. She’s wearing her initial pick, a denim suit with a bustier, but now she has her eyes on a black monogrammed trench. “Black is my favourite colour. I’d definitely wear this for a dinner date with friends,” she says, adding an embroidered denim jacket to her haul. Around us, the racks are swollen with both easy-to-wear and high-gloss separates, Shane mentions that tees and hoodies will be in soon. There’s no doubt—Indian designers are vying for a spot in everyday wardrobes with easy clothing that goes beyond couture.
Despite this, the new store has all the grandeur associated with the couturiers; you can see it not just in the embroidered craftsmanship, the monogrammed buttons, the brand’s signature ruffled feathers, and the collage-styled prints, but also in the store décor that transports you straight to Rome. “We started with LA on the mood board,” shares Falguni about their initial industrial-almost-stark vibe, “but we just weren’t feeling it.” From September to December last year, they were in the thick of a Pinterest vision-board quagmire. “Shane is extremely talented, but he changes his mind by the second, because he has a million creative ideas churning at the same time. Falguni was the buffer between us, ensuring we choose one from the million,” says Khan. And then there was a week-long holiday and a bit of a Christmas miracle.
Falguni and Shane are no strangers to Rome, but their previous trips saw them jetting in—for meetings, coffees, fittings, shoots, dinners—and out. This time, after a shoot in Milan, Falguni insisted on spending Christmas in Rome. And it became a slow meditation of churches such as Santa Maria in Trastevere, Basilica di San Clemente, Sant’Agostino, Sant’Ignazio, St Peter’s Basilica, and of course, the Sistine Chapel. “It’s been months since our trip and I still spend hours on my phone looking at all the pictures—the art, the churches, the architecture, the food. I spent three hours staring at the Sistine Chapel ceiling,” says Falguni. “I couldn’t wrap my head around how they managed the detailing and absolute artistry, just imagining and painting. It takes an indescribable level of passion, patience, and dedication. And suddenly, it all clicked. Our first prêt store would bring home a piece of Rome. The entire concept went on to hinge around experiencing a more European sensibility, with both the clothing and the store.”
The references are hard to miss: the store is decked out with gold-framed Renaissance paintings, a bespoke baroque-inspired mantelpiece, customised frescoes and carpets, and a 30,000-piece monogrammed mosaic floor. “The mantelpiece was a way to bring a touch of old-world grandeur into the space…And the mosaic flooring is one of the key storytelling elements in the store,” shares Khan. “What I love most about bespoke design is the endless possibilities it offers. Inspiration can come from art, history, or travel and be translated into something unique.”
Address: Falguni Shane Peacock, Kh No 287, 288/1 & 288/2, The Dhan Mill, 100 feet road, Chhattarpur, New Delhi 110074
