Manoviraj Khosla Store at the Leela Palace Colonnade

Fashion designer Manoviraj Khosla required a complete overhaul of his store identity and retail experience with the launch of a prominent new store at the Leela Colonnade in Bangalore.

Our task was to encapsulate the look and feel of the brand keeping in mind the possibility of further stores within the country.

The designer had to appeal to his high-end niche clientele offering them the appropriate shopping experience for his pret line of clothing as well as a destination for his bespoke tailoring.

The 1400 sft of space with 12ft high ceilings had to be demarcated in such a way as to cater to these two needs.

The designer’s focus and strength is on menswear and our first point of reference on the conceptual look and feel of the store was the gentlemen’s club.

Central to the space is a sumptuous peacock green velvet sofa swooping along the profile of a fluid red carpet, with a customized chandelier in black lacquer and brass looming over. The central space is the perfect vantage to view the entire collection of clothes along the peripheral walls of the store. We created richly detailed wooden cabinetry to house the clothes with diamond padded fawn leather lining its interior shell. The cabinetry wraps along most of the exterior walls and integrates full-length mirrors along its face. The clothes are draped on signature post-box red hangers and hung in series on polished brass members. A warm glow of light contained within each wooden cabinet washes the clothes with an even glow.

The ceiling height was left intact with the air-conditioning ducts, LED spotlights along trays and mechanicals deliberately exposed against a dark grey backdrop. Most of the walls of the store were rendered in a textured polished cement finish, to contrast against the other luxurious materials in the store; namely the entrance wall clad in Smoked bronze mirror, the flooring in a textured Travertine inspired vinyl, a deco inspired fluted wooden reception table, and 1960’s chairs clad in violet, red and peacock velvet.

Along the extended length of the store were existing chiller pipes, which we decided to insulate, and then expose with a matt gold paint. One of the cement rendered walls has a story wall with a cluster of frames showing the evolution of Manoviraj Khoslas ramp shows over the decades.

At the far end of the store is a curtained area where clients can choose from a wide array of fabrics on display and get trials for made-to-order ensembles. This space also serves as a discussion area for the designer and his clients.

The brand identity by graphic designers tsk design brings in the colour red to focus with the logo in gold relief on a lacquered red base.

The design of the store encapsulates the panache for which the fashion designers work is known. The interior is layered with interventions that span different genres. The industrial ceiling is combined with Art deco elements, colonial cabinetry and mid-century furniture in an outcome that breaks norms of a particular style, combines raw and luxe elements with ease  and is wholly eclectic.