Stores to try this Diwali....

When you're thinking about which festive outfits not to repeat this year, it's always good news to hear your favourite designers of Indianwear are expanding their retail empires.

With 2013 being such a busy year for the fashion industry (seven fashion weeks!), here's your master list of top fashion spaces to ease the Diwali shopping madness for you (and your mother).

 

Tarun Tahiliani: 

He's one of the few to successfully and consistently churn out both prêt-a-porter (ready-to-wear) and couture lines. The designer has recently added to his wide network of stores with two couture studios, one in Colaba, Mumbai and the other in Delhi's historic Mehrauli area. These studios will give customers access to the bespoke bridal garments Tahiliani displays at his couture expositions and are open by appointment only.

Mumbai, Delhi studio.couture@taruntahiliani.com

Manish Malhotra:

With back-to-back shows at the PCJ Delhi Couture Week and Lakmé Fashion Week, it's a wonder that Malhotra has any spare time on his hands at all. But the multitasking couturier and costume designer has opened his first diffusion store at Khar, Mumbai, followed by the launch of a massive 7,000 sq ft boutique housed in a haveli in Delhi that's still under renovation. Parts of the Delhi store have been thrown open to the designer's fan base already, though work is expected to be complete by the end of November.

Mumbai 022 26054674

Payal Pratap: 

With a store that's near husband Rajesh's establishment in Lodhi Colony, Delhi, Payal finally pleased customers with an earthy, sun-lit space that reflects her aesthetic in July. "I wanted people to feel comfortable and connect with the clothing while shopping," Pratap told Vogue. Expect to find her romantic A/W '13-14 collection in store, along with leather bags, shoes and accessories. And if you're in the area, hop over to Rajesh's store to check out his first-ever line of handloom saris.

Delhi  011 2463 8878

Suneet Varma:

For the past 25 years, Varma has concentrated mainly on bridal couture. But given the flourishing counterfeit market and the demand from his customers for something a little more pocket-friendly, the couturier opened a ready-to-wear store in Delhi's DLF Promenade in April. "I decided to start with saris, since they're easy to produce and don't create size issues," he had told Vogue. "We spent time researching the rates of other retailers so that we could be competitively priced."

Delhi, 011 40568941

Manish Arora:

This year, Arora began focusing on his Indian by Manish Arora line more with the launch of his first store in Mumbai's Juhu this April. "We've had our stores in Mumbai before, but there wasn't a clear vision of what we were retailing," he had said. "We took a break, rebranded ourselves, so now people know that this is my ethnic wear label." Shop for Indian ethnic wear inspired by Arora's signature kitsch prints in kaftans, kurtas and anarkalis.

Mumbai 022 67231691

Abraham & Thakore:

Moving into the second floor space of Delhi's popular concept store Moon River in August, designer duo Abraham & Thakore were finally able to give their customers a holistic impression of their product line, stretching from clothes to home linens to gifting items like eye masks and shoe bags. "The neighbourhood is developing with plenty of other designer stores and our customers like the idea of shopping in an easy space in the city rather than travelling to a mall," Thakore had told Vogue when the space opened in August.

Delhi 011 41617103

Jenjum Gadi:

Gadi, the 23-year-old designer from Arunachal Pradesh, has set up shop in Delhi's Crescent Mall this month. The store currently stocks a select range from the designer's most popular collections, and retails accessories made by Gadi's friend and jewellery designer Zames Mangte.

Komal Sood:

Designer Komal Sood, known for her party dresses and embellished Indian ethnic wear, very recently opened her first flagship store in Delhi's Meherchand Market at Lodhi Road. The store also stocks Sood's recently-launched menswear line of bandhgalas, tuxedos and waistcoats.

Delhi 91634 69986

BIBA by Rohit Bal:

This may not be a new store, but when a major designer collaborates with an apparel brand to create outfits that won't burn a hole in your pocket, we think you ought to know. The new collection, called Biba by Rohit Bal, will retail at select Biba outlets, Shopper's Stops and Central stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Ranchi, Patna, Lucknow and Kochi.

Love,

Aaisha....