Devyani Kapoor poses with her husband and partner Varun Soni, at the P591, Purna Das Road store of Shuffling Suitcases (near Sienna Store and Cafe). The sustainable fashion platform, which has hosted 33 pop-ups across the country over the last five years, opened up its first brick-and-mortar store in Kolkata. It covers 1,200 sq ft and is designed as a one-of-a-kind offline platform for mindful, sustainable shopping with some of the best conscious, homegrown brands on offer
Photos: Arijit Sen
The brand hosted its first-ever fashion edit in Kolkata in 2017 and has since then stepped up the pace to position itself as a one-stop shop for sustainable homegrown brands. “It only made sense that we launch the first store in Kolkata, since we started our run with this city. Our pop-ups were a sort of R&D to understand the market and the demand. In terms of footfall and shopping behaviour, Kolkata is clearly ready for this. We do hope to start stores in other cities in India and also overseas,” Devyani shared
Besides minimalist saris and handlooms, we also spotted work-friendly numbers and breezy linens. “We will continue selling online and even the pop-ups will keep happening. The only addition is the retail element, so people can shop sustainably in their own city even after our pop-ups have wrapped up,” Devyani shared
The new store also makes it easier to scout conscious fashion options in Kolkata, especially for the festive season. We spotted a number of colourful, dressy fits and versatile options, which can be styled easily. “One of our main priorities is accessibility when it comes to mindful shopping. We want to offer the best options to shoppers who are looking to shop consciously. The store will host a number of sustainable brands on a rotational basis. So customers can experience a sense of newness and variety,” we were told
“We wanted a global feel in the look and aesthetic of the store. My first edit in Kolkata was in a 100-year-old house, so I wanted something along those lines and not something too mainstream. Our colour palettes, for instance, gear towards minimal monochromes and tan. Our tables have been made from discarded wood from trees,” Devyani shared
The line-up at Shuffling Suitcases starts from Rs 500 and goes up to Rs 15,000. “Sustainable shopping is widely deemed to be too expensive or too niche. We wanted to make it easier for every kind of shopper to experience conscious buying so that no matter what your budget is, you can find our selection to be approachable,” the entrepreneur ventured
So what sells the most in Kolkata? Besides apparel, jewellery is the biggest seller, confirms Devyani. “This is not run-off-the-mill costume jewellery that you can find in Gariahat, it’s not readily available in every other corner in the city. It has been curated after a lot of research about shopping sensibilities and price points. So you may pick up something that looks like it costs Rs 10,000 but it may actually come with a price tag of Rs 1,500!” said Devyani
Consider browsing through the selection of contemporary jamdani picks at Shuffling Suitcases, especially for your Puja wardrobe. “There are so many brands outside Kolkata that work with jamdani and they approach it in a very different way. The idea was to bring in brands that do not have a presence in Kolkata but can offer the people of the city something they connect with,” Devyani explained
“For me, it’s not just a transaction, it’s about the experience. I’ve put so much research into this, to understand what really excites people when they walk into a store. We are trying to build the feeling that makes you think you’re in the right place. Even our furniture can exude an international feel, but it feels homely and homegrown,” Devyani added
