Chicest Shops of New Delhi by Cynthia Rosenfeld
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The Park New Delhi
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Edwin Lutyens, the early 20th-century city planner of New Delhi, called his creation the “Rome of Hindoostan.” Little did he know how true this Italian connection would become today.
India’s capital has emerged as a centre for global fashion, its beautiful people no less fabulously frocked than the high-heeled who manoeuvre along the ancient streets of Italy’s eternal city. Walking in New Delhi however is not recommended. Nor is it advisable to hail taxis as, even during the day, these vehicles have a questionable reputation. Hire a hotel car, grab a good map and plunge into this city’s colourful, wearable wonders.
Centrally located, The Park boasts delicious Indian fare, sleek suites and a well-edited selection of unexpected souvenirs inside The Box (15 Parliament Street). A handmade papier-mâché version of the classic Indian board game Ludo makes a charming conversation piece for any coffee tabletop. The tiny boutique endorses the good work of a Gujarati NGO committed to women’s empowerment; check out their velvet mobile phone cases with intricate embroidery and brocaded cowbells for those who prefer to ring the old fashioned way.
The latest collection of Indian designers can be found at The Crescent at the Qutab, on Delhi’s southern edge. At Namrata Joshipura (G-9, Ground Floor, The Crescent at the Qutab), fashion editors from around the world snap up slim-fitting dresses with suggestively plunging necklines stitched in gold thread and for day, prim shirtdresses with fitted waistbands and Peter Pan collars in ladylike linen.
Nearby at Balance by Rohit Bal (G-5, Ground Floor, The Crescent at the Qutab), India’s best-known designer shows off his talent for ready- to-wear with richly embroidered blouses for women and handsome, silk dress shirts with motifs from delicate flowers to raging bulls.
Neighbor Manish Arora Fish Fry (G-10, Ground Floor, The Crescent at the Qutab) represents the next generation of local talent with his outrageous creations. Expect swing skirts festooned with a veritable aquarium of glittering underwater life of seahorses, octopus and starfish, Day-Glo sneakers dressed up with metallic winged hearts and statement-making coats with Indian gods and goddesses.
Don’t skip the upper floors where Ranna Gill (F-5, First Floor, Crescent at the Qutab) takes inspiration from Diane von Furstenberg’s form-fitting wraps but makes them entirely her own thanks to the designer’s nifty weaving tricks and chain link embellishments. Her sparkle neck kurtas are India’s most wearable ethnic export.
Rajesh Pratap Singh (No. 8 & 9 The Garden Village, Garden of Five Senses, Saidul Ajaib Village) may be the best-known name among the eleven Indian designers to congregate at the delightfully leafy arcade Garden of the Five Senses, but the others are quickly on the rise. Come here for minimalist cotton tops with exterior stitching details, or upgrade to sublime, fitted jackets that look as if they had been fitted in an Italian atelier.
This season’s poof skirts make a flirty appearance against the white, lacquered walls of Aparna Chandra (Shop 1, Garden of Five Senses, Saidul Ajaib Village). She completes the look with ruffled silk blouses that work equally well with wool hounds tooth shorts when temperatures eventually drop.
Ana Mika (No. 14, East Bazar, Garden of Five Senses, Saidul Ajaib Village) turns traditional hand block cotton printing into something stylish. Her flower print and gold-rimmed skirt is good to go anywhere, while translucent silk dresses with peacock inspired imagery will spice up hot summer nights.