Brand Sabyasachi's flagship store : a milestone for the Indian Fashion Industry

Well, its official. Sabyasachi has done it – one more time.

When he presented his first ever collection at NIFT Kolkata – nobody in the Institute could actually gauge the popularity it will gain. While everybody 'followed the west' in their design collections – Sabyasachi went against the stream to prove his ideology of raising social issues was far more inspiring. His pride towards his country and its people has not changed at all till this day.

Lets go through the magnificent store first and the discuss how its a landmark in Indian fashion industry.The Indian designer’s largest flagship yet, the store is sprawled over 25,000 sq ft and housed in the majestic neo-classical landmark built in the Italianate revival tradition. 

 

The ground floor holds the Sabyasachi bridal trousseau collection. 

The first floor is dedicated to the brand’s largest showcase of jewellery in the world, housing fine, heritage & rich collections.

The second floor houses to womenswear, menswear, the international collection, and Sabyasachi's accessories. Hidden lounges and dens dot each floor, with a tearoom tucked away behind silk velvet drapes, which offers guests a moment of pause with a curated list of Sabyasachi’s favourite blends. 

 

When India is enjoying the amazing brands from the west today, Sabyasachi has come up with a flagship store in Mumbai which is nothing less than magnum opus. This journey of brand Sabyasachi is not of a few years but of decades. He started as a fashion student from a humble family – who often borrowed money from his friends to pay his canteen bills. It must be something really fantastic which makes his brand products range from lacs to crores today.

Everyone in the fashion industry knows how Sabyasachi was first discovered by actresses like Vidya Balan, Rani Mukherjee – very much like Manish Malhotra found support from Raveena Tandon, Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla, Kajol etc. So, both Sabyasachi & Manish Malhotra had admirers in the Indian film farternity. Their happy testimonials helped the designers in a great way to get into the costume design of few important movies.

Brand Sabyasachi found a partner in the Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL) in 2021. ABFRL has acquired 51% stake in Sabyasachi Couture that runs the eponymous designer brand, for Rs 398 crore. Its obvious that the major control of the brand Sabyasachi is now with the conglomerate, the partners are happy with this agreement as it frees the creative side of Sabyasachi to focus on the work he enjoys most – designing. “We believe that over the next few years, ethnic wear is going to be an increasingly important category as young and confident Indians rediscover their culture and heritage. The Sabyasachi brand, through its emphasis on excellence in design and craftsmanship has set new benchmarks and captivated the imagination of the sophisticated global Indian consumer," Ashish Dikshit, Managing Director, ABFRL said.

The sprawling store of brand Sabyasachi is embodiment of the high expectations India has from its designers. This store stands testimony of what the future of Indian Fashion Industry beholds.

This is an important time for all fashion designers in India. 

The career of Sabyasachi is inspiring thousands of designers studying in hundreds of fashion institutes across India. Sabyasachi has set a benchmark for each one of them and now the field is wide open for new entrants. Retail giants like Reliance and Aditya Birla have chosen their champions as Sabyasachi, Manish Malhotra & Ritu Kumar. Wonder who will be chosen by the Tata group to counter these gems in the ethnic wear market.

The big business houses are ready to support them if they have enough courage and creativity to take their brands to the next level. The Great Indian Fashion Town is full of fashion designers who will make the future of Indian fashion industry mch brighter and better than today.

Let this party get started.