Casualty Chic

It almost feels like a M*A*S*H (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) unit should be assembled outside Sanctum, Khar’s new home store where distressed tables, ravaged trunks and tough iron shelves look like they’re in the midst of a waging war, and doing a swell job surviving it. Especially that bedside lamp which wears a military helmet for cover.

But despite all the battle scars, owner Sandhya Gorthi (also on the founding team of The Shop) doesn't want these casualty-chics sown up, polished and put back together. This is a Sanctum, she says, where objects are brave and honest, stripped down of all lies.

While Sanctum does stock bric-a-brac for your shelves, it focuses on interesting, moderately priced furniture (Rs 7,000 to Rs 25,000), a factor that distinguishes it from Bandra’s many home stores. The ground level here is weighed down by heavy pieces, many of which are designed by lifestyle brand Ironworks – chest of natural wood drawers that look like cargo boxes with stamps, a mammoth file cabinet with iron pull outs and trunks that are great for storage. In their shadows lie random odds and ends that are easy to miss (especially the seen-before clocks and wooded animals); look out for wooden book where the spine slides out like a secret drawer, and abovementioned army lamps. 

View product slideshow here.

What: Blow Out Sale by The Collective at Yashab/Casbah, above Khyber, next to Rhythm House, Kala Ghoda.

Why: For no apparel reason, luxury fashion store The Collective is hosting a massive sale for men and women, with up to 70% off on brands like Armani, Versace, True Religion, Vivienne Westwood, DVF, Michael Kors and more. Enjoy!

When: Build a brand identity on October 14 and 15, 11 am to 7 pm.

Crease Lightning

Much like last night’s October shower, the clothes at Juhu’s new store The Dressing Room took us by surprise, but ultimately left us feeling quite refreshed. The racks which address both ladies and gentlemen, stock hip labels you don't usually see at multi-designer stores and a section of seriously fun Indian clothes. As if on cue, the sky broke into a thunderous applause.

Men, Waist Away

Run by menswear designer Chiraag Dattani, The Dressing Room is a simple white wall-wooden floor store that would rather let the frills (and flowers and folds) creep on to the clothes it stocks. Gentlemen if you’ll divert your attention to the right, you’ll spot a shirt that’s trying to be an inland letter - watercolour blue with red rims and envelope-like pocket.  On its left, there are formal shirts by Chiraag (start at Rs 1,800) with fun shoulder detailing - thread work and army-stripes – and on its right, embroidered ones we didn’t care much for. The hand woven waist coats by Mayank and Shraddha made this Scouter recall a ‘Borrow From Your Boyfriend’ piece she read in a fashion rag. And borrow we will, a woolly piece with leather strips and a version where one flap of the vest is a wrap-around scarf. For him and her, indeed! There’s also a bunch of warm coats (see nautical one) designed in-house and not-for-everyone churidaar pants.

View slideshow here.

The Lights of Others

Pulled like moths to a flaming red-orange dress at designer Drashta Sarvaiya’s new flagship store, we were glad to have finally found our bright Diwali buy for the year. The yum satin-silk sheath’s Rs 13,560 price tag though, made us return it to rack (temporarily) and hope for a hefty Diwali bonus at the office. Is anyone listening?

This and other fierce frocks light up Drashta, a Khar women’s fashion store run by its well-known namesake who, for the uninitiated, graduated from NIFT, previously worked at Ogaan, participated in India Fashion Weeks, showcased in Paris and found patrons in celebrities like Sonam Kapoor, Shruti Hassan and Deepika Padukone. Drashta opened just ahead of the festive season not with blinding bling, but still enough wattage to make you happy. There’s a mix of Drashta's old and new collections, while a chunk of the latest is on a work trip to Paris with the designer, we were told at the store. They’re expected back at the end of this month.

Aaji Mastan

Don’t expect a daydream back to the til laadoos her aaji (grandmother in Marathi) made when she was a child, and the soporific effect they had on Sundays. In fact, there will be little reference to personal stories when you ask graphic designer Falguni Gokhale about the inspiration behind Aaji’s Kitchen, a super cute miniature doll house - well, doll room - built in a 10 by 10 wooden box that displays a kitchen scene from many years ago.  

What: Sanctum, Vasant House, E/86-1012, 19th Road (lane after Fabindia), Khar (W), call 9820079109, view the Facebook group here, coffee mugs for Rs 80.

Why: Furniture strips down its fluff and festoon to bare iron legs, industrial shelves and distressed drawers at this new home store where ornate is a no-no and some products are “not even necessarily pretty”. Employing staff from the recently shut down Contemporary Arts  and Crafts, here you’ll also find dishes by The Freedom Tree, jewellery inspired by steel bartans and a pretty ikhat top by Brass Tacks .

When: Bare in mind, it opens tomorrow, October 6.

What: Heel Condoms on Be Stylish, visit www.bestylish.com, start at Rs 1,000.

Why: On this otherwise pedestrian footwear site we found an accessory that made our toes curl: fun straps or “Heel Condoms” to jazz up everyday pumps in juicy orange and emerald green, sporting pretty flowers, embroidery and in one dubious case, a tuft of feathers. Rubber bands!

When: You want to dick and choose.                                                                                                                                                                         

What: Get a stall at the Bacardi NH7 Weekender (three-day music fest in Pune)'s bazaar curated by bpb, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 09920990607 for more information.

Why: How flattering for your wares to be the booty that distracted music fans from live performances by Imogen Heap, Basement Jaxx, Indian Ocean, Midival Punditz and other artists. Make it happen by signing up to sell your trinkets/shoes /bags/baked treats at this multi-genre, happy music fest in Pune where yours truly is curating the bazaar.

When: You want to be on top of the (Imogen) Heap. Last day to sign up for a stall is October 25, festival from November 18 to 20.

What: Brook Street denim store, ground floor, Gagangiri, next to Yogurtybay, off Carter Road, Bandra (W), visit http://www.brookstreet.in.

Why: It’s hard to sniff out much else when you’re surrounded by blueberry yogurt and Belgian chocolate popsicles, but sniff we did this cool new denim concept store that opens at Carter Road on Monday. Here, new season vintage jeans from Brit brand Brook Street will be sold mainly to retailers, but walk in off the street and they’ll let you try some on and place an order. E-store launching soon.

When: When you want to buy on the fly.

What: Butterfly Books Warehouse, 83-C, Hansraj Pragji Building, Dr E Moses Road, next to Shah & Nahar Industrial Estate, Worli, call 65739322 or visit www.butterflybooks.in, start at Rs 50.

Why: Books grow in heaps and bounds at this 2,000 square feet Worli warehouse stacked with international titles for kids aged 0 to 16. You can spend hours here – don’t rely on attendants for recommendations, see Eric Carle’s picture books – browsing common titles at slashed rates and shelling out a lot more for prettily illustrated ones that you won’t see on other shelves. Also fun are calligraphy, make your own robot and skeleton kits.

When:  Spine tingles daily from 10 am to 7 pm, closed on Sundays.