Project brief - The label- ‘La Palette by Sanchit Mehra’, with expertise in Indian ethnic wear on likes and lines of celebratory garments, provides bespoke services to walk in clients as well as the niche. The brand renders a new identity through contemporary application of traditional embroidery.

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Design process - Drawing inspiration from the embroidery, the design uses embroidery hoops as a metaphor to unify the entire space in a simple yet elegant manner. The hoops were arrayed carefully to generate a range of patterns that would form visual enclosures, enabling one to celebrate the craft of embroidery throughout the journey. A stringent budget reinstated the need to use an inexpensive material, such as embroidery hoops to ironically create a rich Indian aesthetic. Apart from accentuating the apparels, lighting played an important role in replicating the patterns as shadows forming a sharp texture on an otherwise subtle grey backdrop.

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Design description - The design takes clues from its context, the art districts of Mehrauli precinct, to create a fusion of contemporary and ethnic, rigid and lax elements to generate its visual appeal. The central display podium in black, uses facets (that extends to the ceiling and the flooring pattern through brass inlay work in black granite) as a means to imitate the sharp geometry of a black diamond, a symbol of rarity. The podium acts as a visual node to the various sections of the store, holding together the layers of spatial configurations and materiality.

A retail store tries to connect its products in an extremely appealing and bold way to leave an everlasting impression on the customers. This project attempts to connect to the customer through a narrative, amplifying the uniqueness of the products (in this case-garments). The use of hoops as a metaphor, unifies the design and projects the core strength of the brand-‘Embroidery’. The design presents a glimpse of the untold story behind each and every hand crafted garment on display in the store. This project appropriately demonstrates that ‘design’ can transform an inexpensive material, such as embroidery hoops to generate a rich, bold Indian Aesthetic and an alluring spatial experience in the world of couture.