The spatial identities of both the outlets are aligned to the creations they retail. If the former has a colonial presence, the latter takes a contemporary clay-concrete direction. Therefore, when owners Smita and Rajiv Shroff approached Kanan to design Elahe’s third outlet in Kolkata, which would retail pret as well as haute couture, the challenge for the architect was to create a spatial identity that would be versatile enough to do justice to the different fashion verticals.

The route she decided to follow was “a modern interpretation of Indian heritage. Of east meeting west,” says the architect. “A contextual juxtaposition of crafts, culture, textiles brought together from across the country. And yet, it would be built to form a backdrop of understated elegance, that would allow the works of India's talented designers to take centre-stage.”

Designing the ceiling into a series of wood-lined vaults and creating a line of windows aligned rhythmically to every alternate vault, too, formed part of the civil intervention. “This strategy of ‘opening up’ led to a space that allowed visual permeability. So now, if you are standing at any level, you can see the fashion wear displayed on the other two floors as well,” reveals Kanan. That said, the different levels naturally lent themselves to segment-wise segregation of garments: the ground floor was allocated to the pret line; the first floor to bridal wear; and the last one to exclusive designer wear.

The marriage of the old and new was sensitively achieved by using traditional elements in a contemporary manner — stark wicker-weave panels that form both, a shielding partition near the entrance and a clean backdrop for the chandeliers; lampshades with traditional textiles mounted on a wooden plank to form a light fixture; a stone veneer cladding with brass inlay... Textiles as art, depicting India’s wealth in fabric ornamentation through dyeing, painting and embroidery, and vintage pieces — such as a 100-year-old carpet — from the owners’ family collection infuse an emotive quality in the space.

The whole narrative is tied together, albeit subliminally, by brass elements. In the form of continuous pipes, the metal runs along the walls — now forming a display railing, now a mirror frame and now a shelf. Keeping the pipes company is brass inlay in the terrazzo floor that subtly delineates display zones and circulation paths.

“This project is very close to my heart because it made us go out of our comfort zone,” says the architect. “We had to create prototypes before we got everything right. The 100-day timeline was a challenge; carting delicate chandeliers across the country gave us nightmares; bringing local craftsmen on the same page where workmanship and quality was concerned was difficult...” But all’s well that ends well, as they say. And today, as you walk through the store, you experience this country’s rich heritage woven together like a beautiful tapestry.