Delhi of Lutyens with Karim’s gastronomic delights and Khan Market secrets. Delhi of the political masters, the rich and the famous with the aspiring young professionals migrating for a living. Delhi of high fashion with the historic phool mandi (flower market) and its riot of colours.
Well, the contrasts are many, and the travel shows and mainstream media capture them often enough. But when journalist Sapna Bhatia and her business partner, British designer Paul Liptrot, decided to set up an online high-definition portal called Bring Home Stories two years ago, they had more than just a travel portal in mind. They decided to marry the many-splendored contrasts of cities such as Delhi with a product line.
‘City Inspired Design’ looks at themes that define a city and use different storytelling mediums to generate not only visual experiences but also collectibles that one can bring home. The first of these is ‘Delhi and its Phool Mandi’, and the inspired collection includes cushions,
Established in 1869, the
The flowers at the mandi change with the season, and the “theme-based collectibles tell stories about the market”, says Sapna.
The first line of designs is timed with Spring — for jamas and waistcoats in sheer silks and cottons, the digital prints showcase the freshness of flowers.
The silks and velvets used for the cushions are embellished with subtle embroidery and techniques such as flocking.
The idea for city-inspired designs germinated when Sapna and Liptrot were having a chat about Delhi.
“Paul said that though there are many information sites about a city like Delhi, there is nothing that visually connects the city with someone who would like to visit it. And, we thought it would be cool to start something that was about the ‘stories’ shaping the cities we live in. So we have begun with Delhi and will soon launch in other cities in India and abroad,” says Sapna.
Explaining how the phool mandi ‘visual story’ wove itself, she says one thing led to another. “A visit to the flower market led us to make portraits of the flower sellers. The stories of the flower sellers made us dig into the history. We made a series of films and commissioned photographs. The flower market kind of grew on us and we were captivated by its history and beauty,” she says.
Soon, the BHS team translated some of the stories into design.
The ‘City Inspired Design’ range has been developed by Valerio Ascoli, an Italian fashion photographer, and Liptrot, with major inputs from Gulabo Chaap Designs’ Brijesh Dahiya and Kuldeep Singh.
Says Liptrot, “For me, the joy comes from seeing how the phool mandi has stimulated so many creative responses from those working on this project. Each person, from the designers to the flower seller and photographers, has added uniqueness that enlivens the exhibition and the product range.”
He and Sapna are thrilled to see their imagination crystallise into a product line. Dahiya describes his work on the project as an amazing experience, complete with design challenges, as the main inspiration — the flower market — came with its unique quirks, as also its Mughal heritage.
“The idea of storytelling also had to be kept alive through the collection and products. It became increasingly refreshing as we moved ahead and achieved some wonderful results in our collection,” he says.
Besides online retail sites, the products would be available at the BHS e-commerce site.
“We think we are entering at a time when the online retail market is buoyant. The Indian e-commerce market is pegged at $6 billion and expected to touch $30 billion by 2015. Along with a strong online presence, we will also tap niche offline stores. We are pretty optimistic about getting good revenues in the first year of our operations,” says Sapna.
There are plans for concept stores too.
“Our stores would not only have products but also the visuals. Those who come to shop will also be able to find the tales behind them,” she says. “Our focus will always be the ‘celebration of a city’, and we would look at the stories and the people unique to a city.”