What: Manimal graphic objects d’art, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 9833037966, view the Facebook group here, start at Rs 450.

Why: Because applied artist Manas Kunder’s jaggedy, Tim Burton-esque graphics are a breath of fresh air in a kitschy-rickshaw choked market. You can buy his pre-made T-shirts and bags, or better yet, have him draw on your favorite objects: vinyl records, sheath dresses, bedroom wall.

When: You want to start a pen drive.

Everything about Malmal, Bandra's new fashion and lifestyle store, is pretty. Here, filigree necklaces are displayed on star lanterns, gota slippers sit atop bright orange platforms and blooming leheriya flower clips grace well-groomed wigs. All of these, plus overflowing clothes racks scattered through different areas of the store, can be a little overwhelming when you first walk in. Where to begin?

We suggest you start with in-house solid coloured day kurtas with pintuck detailing (Rs 990 and up) and move onto UVI’s shimmery dresses. We didn't, however, care much for the fusion style printed tunics or the kurtas (start at Rs 3,000). Malmal also customises designs and sizes.

What: Satin boxers and tops in a jar, Pop Att, to order call 9820510790 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , also available at Muse, Sobo and Amara.

Why: Designed by celeb stylists Rakhi Parekh and Khushboo Lahori, these tie-dye boxers and shirts are super sexy. We also love their other lifestyle products like colourful MugPot planters that come with seeds and soil.

When: You want get your hand in the nookie jar.

A UN study estimates that up to 70 percent of married women in India face domestic abuse. And what can you do to help them? Ring the doorbell. It’s that simple, claims the Bell Bajao campaign (http://www.bellbajao.org/), launched in 2008 by Breakthrough, an international human rights organization that uses media channels to change perspectives and erase biases in India and the United States. And starting last week, they moved into fashion as well.

Bells and Whistles

Unlike the banal and exorbitantly expensive products such campaigns usually churn out, the Bell Bajao merchandise, which includes T-shirts designed by Narendra Kumar and Lecoanet Hemant (start at Rs 500) and a tote bag by Aki Narula (Rs 2,000), is uber-cool and surprisingly affordable.

We especially love the tote, which is large enough to hold your entire life and stylish enough to take to lunch. It has six large pockets in which you can stash your keys, cell phone, wallet, make-up, each adorned with a different bell illustration and Aki’s signature (which we could have done without). Only bummer: the bag is made from white canvas, and if you’re anything like us it’ll be grimy in a week. We were assured, however, that it can be hand-washed without damage.

The unisex graphic T-shirts are fun and less expensive, but we imagine them being relegated to our pajama drawer after a couple of wears in public.

Final Musings

You can find the merchandise all this month at Muse, a luxury fashion store in Kala Ghoda. Be sure to check out their regular stock as well – nicely curated clothes and accessories by designers like Anupamaa, Gaurav Gupta and Manish Arora, as well as some international brands. They’re currently on sale, so you might just find something that won’t cost you a month’s rent.

Happy shopping, and remember – ring the bell!

Getting there: Muse, 46, Dr VB Gandhi Marg, opposite the blue synagogue, near Rhythm House, Kala Ghoda.

What: Bombay Local Route Marks by Swa, call 9819451906 or visit Sobo, Motor House, Hughes Road, Rs 100 for a pack of four.

Why: Designed by NID graduates Maithili and Ankan Mandal, these pop-coloured bookmarks map local rail routes and are sure to brighten up your morning commute.

When: You don’t want to lose your train of thought.

Eight months, one dress and many accessories later, a New York-based design professional has managed to make the uniform cool again. Last year, Sheena Matheiken began a year-long “wearathon”, donning the same dress everyday with different layers and accessories. Titled the Uniform Project, this initiative, she hoped, would raise awareness for sustainable fashion as well as money to fund uniforms and other educational equipment for Akanksha’s School Project.

Design Chameleon

Ever since, Matheiken’s innovative reinvention of a simple LBD – worn with tights and T-shirts, churidars and hats - has attracted the attention of fashionistas and philanthropists from all over the globe (to make a donation, visit www.theuniformproject.com). She recently helped kick-off a recycle fashion initiative at Mumbai’s Bungalow 8, which we scoped out for your reading and (wearing) pleasure.

A Different Drape

Scattered through the cavernous rooms of this home and fashion store, slung over the back of a wicker rocking chair or hooked onto an antique mirror, we found bomber and boucle jackets crafted from brightly hued saris. Made by Goa-based designer Miriam Strehlau, these were unusual and super pretty – we particularly loved a jersey-trimmed fuchsia version, embroidered with antique sequins. Also available was a fun bib necklace by Little Shilpa, with a tangle of sari scraps, and mojaris by Sanchita, built from patches of Indian fabric. 

Getting there: 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors, 17 Arthur Bunder Road, Colaba, call 22819880, jackets start at Rs 3,000.

Recycle Thieves

If you don’t feel like dropping a cool Rs 5,000 on a (really awesome) summer jacket, head to Taxxi and Vitamin K’s Recycling Workshop next week. Bring along old textiles and clothes, and NID-trained designers Nitya Amarnath and Juhi Pandey will breathe new life into them. Swatch out!

Getting there: 3 and 4 Kusum Kunj, next to Mango, Linking Road, Khar (W).Workshop from January 24 to 29, by appointment only, call 65259382.

What: Bespoke ’60s fashion for men, The Glow Barn, level 2, Libra Towers, 70 Hill Road, opposite St Peters Church, Bandra, call 9967008525, start at Rs 1,500.

Why: Seersucker trousers, plaid shirts, dapper suits in periwinkle blue: rewind your style at this new store. Also try on their Jodhpur pants for kicks.

When: You’re up for retro knight.

What: Quirky head gear from Accessorize, Raghuleela Mall, Vashi and the Palladium, Lower Parel, Rs 295 onwards.

Why: Enormous chiffon flowers and wide-eyed owls jump on clips to hold your hair in place. Neat! The newly-opened UK-based store also stocks adorable Bakerboy hats for bad hair days that can’t be salvaged by flora and fauna.

When: You want to root for the tortoise in your hair.

What: Adult snow globes by BoConcept, Palladium Mall, Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel, visit www.boconcept.com, start at Rs 1,400

Why: Because even though year end festivities have passed, these heavy, magical orbs will spread cheer. One of the many treasures at just-opened BoConcept, an international home and lifestyle store, these share space with black-and-white saucer sets, acid-trip rugs, and three dimensional wall art. Read our full review here.

When: You’re looking at a global warming present.

Finally, we found an adult snow globe in Mumbai. One of us Scouters was pining for a white Christmas, and the only way to make it happen, we decided, was to locate a snow globe. We whipped out every sleuthing device in our trusty brown paper bag, lipstick to lie detector, and… lo and behold! We hit pay dirt a couple of days ago, when BoConcept opened its doors in the city. Year-end festivities might have passed, but this store, snow globe and all, is here to spread cheer.