There was a time when designers sent a limited stock of their new collections to Hyderabad, and refrained from sending edgy ensembles, unsure if they would work in the the comparatively conservative city. Not any more. Shane Peacock points out that social media has democratised fashion: “Hyderabad clients want everything that we put up on Instagram.”
On the the opening day of the Falguni Shane Peacock flagship store in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, Shane walks us through the store, which, spread over 6,500 square feet, also marks Gauri Khan’s first interior design project in the city. Falguni and Shane have been in the business of luxury fashion for 18 years, with an international presence. Gauri has been juggling responsibilities as a film producer with Red Chillies Entertainment, which she co-founded with her husband and superstar Shah Rukh Khan, and designing homes, office spaces and restaurants. Among the many projects she has designed are homes of actors Siddharth Malhotra and Jacqueline Fernandez.
The Hyderabad store is their first in the South, and comes after their flagship store at Kalaghoda, Mumbai. “Until someone pointed out, I did not realise that this store could be a nodal centre for the South. Our Chennai and Bengaluru clients might find it easier to travel to Hyderabad than to Mumbai, to shop,” says Falguni.
Make a statement
Wedding couture is the store’s mainstay. Peacock motifs in brass and a statement chandelier greet visitors at the entrance, before the store leads to couture sections for men and women. There are lounge areas for families to discuss design concepts, and spacious changing rooms.
The colour palette is a mix of beige, dull pink and ivory, offset by gold-hued stands for the garments. Rugs with the FSP monogram and the seating in muted greys and beiges leave the glitter to the garments. Gauri Khan terms her collaboration with Falguni and Shane as a coming together of two creative forces: “We were mostly on the same page, though there were times we disagreed before zeroing in on what worked best for the brand.”
Gauri design ideas came to fruition with the help of architect Vasundhara Sampath of Philosophy Design Studio and Sanjeevitha Bhagwath of PMC – The Workz. She says she wanted the interiors to be contemporary and classy with a touch of bling: “We wanted this store to be a continuation of the Mumbai store in its design sensibilities, with a few tweaks. The pink wall became dull pink, and so on. Falguni and Shane did not want anything that screams for attention. The peacock motif is their signature, so they agreed to the brass peacock motifs at the entrance and the statement chandelier that adds to the wow factor. The clothes are the main attraction.”
India focus
The Falguni Shane Peacock label made its presence felt in 2004 and since then the duo has dressed a slew of international celebrities including Madonna, Rihanna and Lady Gaga.
Their rebranding, with a focus on Indian ethnic bridal wear, began in 2015-16. “We were entering a segment already explored by other designers for more than 20 years,” says Shane explaining why they decided to take it step by step. Their international design sensibilities made it easier for them to crack the cocktail and reception segment with evening gowns and cocktail saris, and then came the bridal saris and lehengas: “We took one thing and perfected it before moving to the next,” says Falguni.
Shane adds that they stayed away from designing the typical red lehengas until they were confident about their technique and craft for bridal wear.
Their recent bridal couture line Love Is, inspired by the Taj Mahal, stands out with embellished veils that Shane terms as a star element. “Where we shoot, who models our clothes… everything matters to us. We do not want to be just another design label in the wedding segment. We always wanted a distinct identity,” says Shane, adding that they were the first designers to get permission to shoot for a collection at the Taj in Agra.
Architectural inspirations such as the minarets and domes of the Taj, as well as Mughal motifs of animals and birds are a leitmotif of this collection, which has a colour palette ranging from ivory to bright pinks and crimson reds Craftsmen from Bengal worked on fine embellishments of pearls, crystals, mirrors, beads and sequins.
Falguni says they began by designing for brides. Then, their occasion wear for men began on request from the brides: “Now we design everything from the safas to the sherwanis. We also design the complete look for the families of the bride and the groom. We are delighted when we look at photographs where the entire family is wearing our collections,” she says.
