Amit Aggarwal’s flagship store at BEST Marg, Colaba, Mumbai, that opened doors last month, looks like an atelier in the truest sense of the word. A creative den oozing boundless imagination. Surreal with its open layout, iridescent textiles, dark grey matte flooring, metallic grey walls and sandy concrete furniture, the space could well be an art gallery. After all, Amit’s avant-garde aesthetics are art too at the core. In a chat with t2, Amit tells us what this “homecoming” after 22 years means to him and why he loves reading kids’ books!

Congratulations! Since when has this been in the pipeline?

It has been in the pipeline for quite some time and we looked at a lot of spaces but they did not match up to what I had imagined it to be like. Strangely during the pandemic we got some pictures and we were not even travelling to Mumbai, but I instantly loved it from the pictures and went ahead and closed the deal without seeing it, (laughs), just based on the pure energy of that picture.

The space looks experiential...

I do feel retail spaces need to be an entrance literally into the mind of the brand and I feel that it is not just about clothes but it is also a personal experience now when you shop and that was the biggest factor that we wanted the store to have, something that speaks of our world, the way we imagine it.

As a creative studio, we always try to speak of a philosophy and ethos and something that could transcend just the art of making clothes. More than anything else, we feel we need to push the aesthetics which could be applied to multiple forms of design. It should make a person go just beyond clothes — Amit Aggarwal

The installations are so Amit Aggarwal. Was that also for the store to feel like an extension of the brand?

I feel yes. Also, as a creative studio, we always try to speak of a philosophy and ethos and something that could transcend just the art of making clothes. More than anything else, we feel we need to push the aesthetics which could be applied to multiple forms of design. It should make a person go just beyond clothes.

Someone might say it looks like a page from the future, but it is handcrafted, almost like a creative way of doing a DIY project. The idea was to keep it extremely light and something we could revisit and recreate if we wanted to change the mood and feel of the store.

We also went and did a lot of creative spaces around the store and have put a lot of art objects which could extend our language, our structure or craftsmanship. We also created a massive ball art. There is some quirk in the washroom too. Small nook and cranny we found, (we had) the possibility of extending it into a small personalised space, like you are in a modern drawing room and trying on clothes.

The note on coming back to Bombay was so heartfelt...

I’ll share a small anecdote with you. I was born in Mumbai and I grew up in the suburbs and my elder brother actually moved to the US 30 years ago. My parents would keep asking why doesn’t he move back. Considering we’ve grown up in a matchbox, and now he lives in a palatial house in California, he would say that he’ll either live in Colaba or Breach Candy! (Laughs) You know I think sometimes life comes full circle.

Your parents (who live in Mumbai) must be elated...

Strangely, my dad and chachaji have put the store together. There were a lot of video meetings every single day. My chachaji has been an interior designer for the longest time and as a family we got together to work on something which is equally exciting.

What does Mumbai mean to you and what of its feisty nature have you imbibed as a creative person? How much has it contributed to this undying spirit that you have?

I think a lot. I feel Bombay really crafts you. Every time I go back, I feel there is a sense of wholeness to the space. I do feel that Bombay is a community on its own and there are lesser hang-ups. There is also a higher sense of equality. I mean everyone speaks of Bombay like that and that is a big take back. Definitely, the sea. I don’t know if it comes from Bombay.... I have to spend a lot of time in Mumbai (now). You need to put in a lot of your personal energy to make a space work.

Celebrities in Amit Aggarwal

Ranveer Singh (L), Styled by Eka Lakhani; Bhumi Pednekar (R), Styled by Pranita Shetty Beej Lakhani

What were your biggest takeaways from 2021?

I think 2021 was only superbly uplifting because it has made me braver in taking the decisions I wouldn’t have taken otherwise. The support system of the entire family here just strengthened it. In times of adversity, it’s people who love each other stand up for each other.

And, there is a poet in you. Have you thought of exploring it more?

(Laughs) I do like to write, only for personal pleasure. I think the FDCI India Couture Week was the first attempt where the team felt that since it needed something stronger than clothing, so why don’t we push it with a more personal journey because I think that’s where the collection came from and I think the risk paid off! I am generally never happy with how I write because I write for my own self.... When I am in the flow it comes naturally....

What do you like reading?

I love reading kids’ books... for two-three-year-olds.... Out of our association with RajKummar (Rao) and Patralekhaa, they gave me The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse (Charlie Mackesy). It can be read by a kid as well as an adult. It is like going through a beautiful fairy tale.