Bandra 190 coming to Dubai

The chic shopping destination will be making its pop-up debut this weekend

There was a time when girls who lived in Mumbai's Western suburb of Bandra were called "Sandras from Bandra". Style was definitely not associated with these women.
Now, Bandra is home to many Bollywood stars, chic cafes, uber cool watering holes and also Bandra 190. This shopping destination was conceived by Sussanne Khan (who is no longer part of the project), Seema Khan and Maheep Kapoor. All are in the business of design and all have strong links to Bollywood.
Seema Khan is the wife of Sohail Khan and of course Salman Khan's sister-in-law. Maheep Kapoor is wife to Sanjay Kapoor, the younger brother of Anil and Boney Kapoor. They are part of what you might call the "First Wives of Bollywood Club", which includes Gauri Khan, now an interior designer as well as brand ambassador for Satya Paul, interior designer turned author Twinkle Khanna and celebrity hairdresser Adhuna Akhtar.
Since last year, fashion designer Seema Khan and jewellery designer Maheep have been working hard on promoting Bandra 190 as a style hotspot.
"Maheep's partner Shravan of Satyani Jewels had this beautiful well located building in Bandra that was not being utilised," Seema says, "the space was amazing and we saw great potential to turn it into a one-stop convenient shopping experience for luxury shoppers in the Bandra and Juhu neighborhoods so we went for it and Bandra 190 was born. This brand is our baby and we are very involved. We each have a floor devoted to our own labels and are selective about any of the brands we stock."
"We realised there was a real gap in the market for a one-stop shop that provided good quality brands under one roof and saved customers time sitting in Mumbai traffic and sourcing things from various shops," adds Maheep, "we started to brainstorm together and realised Bandra 190 was something that needed to happen."
Dubai will get a taste of the Bandra 190 style this weekend when its first pop-up shop opens on October 3, 10am-7pm at the Taj Dubai's Byzantium Lounge. Shoppers can look forward to a preview of small yet eclectic group of niche designers. These include festive wear by Laila Motwane, Rose Room Couture by Isha & Namrata, Dubai's Drama Queen, resort wear by Greek designer Sunny Pariani, exotic skin bags by Hong Kong's Laykh Handbags and shawls and accessories by Amishi luxury. Thanks to their Bollywood connections, Maheep's fine jewellery for Satyani Jewels and Seema Khan's fashion label will be the main draw.
"India is all about Bollywood and it really helps to have celebrities wear your designs and endorse them," Maheep says, "it's an added bonus and a lovely feeling when you also know that they aren't just wearing them as a favour to you but that they genuinely love your product and are happy to promote them. I have been lucky enough to have had Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Madhuri Dixit and my sister-in-law Sridevi wear my earrings."
It's not surprising to hear that Seema Khan believes her sister-in-law Malaika Arora Khan is among India's most stylish women. This season, Dubai seems to be flooded with pop-up shops and flash retail concepts, but Seema and Maheep believe that their USP is "affordable luxury."

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