Rooted in Indian fashion

Dubai - Ensemble, largely regarded as India's first multi-brand designer store, unveiled its "new look" this Wednesday. We look at how this retail space has managed to remain being India's first fashion store for close to three decades

It's been over 20 years since I first writing started about fashion - after having studied political journalism and having started my career as a business journalist. There is one fashion store that takes the credit (or blame) for this career choice: Ensemble.
Twenty-nine years ago, Tarun Tahiliani - a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Business School, was then working in his family engineering business - his wife, Salija (Sal), a former model and also a Wharton graduate, and Rohit Khosla, the man who is often seen as the father of contemporary Indian fashion, opened a store in Lion Gate, Mumbai, called Ensemble. This store, with a very French sounding name, sold the work of six "Made in India" labels including Rohit Khosla, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla and, also a label co-designed by Anita Shivdasani and Sunita Kapoor (the mother of actor Sonam Kapoor); and, of course, Tarun.
Sal was the merchandiser, Tarun looked after marketing, and Rohit was their mentor. Slowly, both Tarun and Sal took a backseat as the Tarun Tahiliani eponymous label began to flourish and that was when Tarun's sister Tina Tahiliani-Parikh stepped. The concept was an instant success and it opened doors in Delhi and another two doors in Mumbai. But somehow it will always be the Lion Gate store that held a special place in people's heart. It is the store that, in many ways, started it all.
It was while attending a Ensemble fashion show held in Goa, just over 20 years ago, that I knew I wanted to be a part of India's then new and slowly growing fashion industry. The drapes of Tarun Tahiliani, the way Monisha Jaising infused the functionality of a T-shirt into a kurta and Rohit Bal's never-ending kalis, that gave the anarkali a swirl I had never seen before - I was mesmerised. In the pre- India Fashion Week era, it was the Ensemble show that set the style agenda; even now, when there is a Fashion Week, this retail space's importance has not waned. Over the years, nearly every emerging Indian designer I have interviewed talks of a dream to retail in Ensemble Lion Gate. I still remember interviewing Manish Malhotra around a decade ago for his debut at Ensemble. He was already a name to be reckoned with, and had a client list most designers envied, but being at Ensemble was that final stamp.
This Wednesday, Lion Gate Ensemble went through a reincarnation. It is now an 8,000-square feet store (it was previously around 3,000 square feet), and includes a section dedicated to contemporary Indian fashion, an extended accessories section, a bridal room and, for the first time, a men's wear section. It is going to celebrate Indian fashion like never before, with interiors conceptualised by one of India's most respected architects, Bijoy Jain, and curations done by Tahiliani-Parikh and her team.
Tina is not only India's most experienced merchandiser but is also known for her keen eye. She rarely signs on a designer after their first showing, as she believes consistency is key; and if a designer has a bad season, she will cut the order down and perhaps even skip that season with the designer. At the same time, when you speak to designers from Monisha Jaising to Nachiket Barve, they will credit Tahiliani-Parikh as they one who had their back, who made them understand what it takes to make it in Indian fashion. With the contemporary section now being given pride of position as soon as you enter, you know that Tahiliani-Parikh and her team at Ensemble firmly believe that "Made in India" as a label is here to stay.
Tina has often said in interviews that the craft combined with the price an Indian designer can deliver, is something international labels can never compete with. And though Ensemble has experimented with keeping international labels, it is now very clear that it is a store that specialises in fashion from the subcontinent.
It will soon launch some Pakistani labels; it already stocks Sri Lanka's Katie Brown. The bridal room can cater to all a bride-to-be's fashion needs. By introducing Monisha Jaising's new prêt line, Cruise, pricing will now start at Rs3,000. The new space ensures that Ensemble gives a complete perspective on Indian fashion. And while many Indian designers have now opened their own flagships, Ensemble allows you to mix and match prêt with demi couture, young labels with well-established ones, and traditional wear with contemporary. Indian fashion, perhaps, has a spectrum wider than any other, as traditional wear still plays an important role. While there are now other beautiful multi-brand stores in India, there is no question that Ensemble is India's first store of fashion (Chennai's Evoluzione and Delhi's Ogaan deserve a special mention too) - and with the 30th anniversary celebrations just a year away, you can expect Indian fashion to start becoming nostalgic in the next couple of seasons, as Ensemble will always have a special place in the hearts of the Indian fashion industry and, of course, mine.
sujata@khaleejtimes.
 

• Style In The City