Designer retail, reimagined: Sabyasachi opens his new store in Delhi

Fashion designer Sabyasachi opened his Delhi flagship at The Citadel, One Style Mile in Mehrauli -- a 26,000-square-foot space bringing fashion, jewellery, accessories, art and craft together under one roof. The opening builds on a retail approach that the fashion designer has developed over nearly two decades. At a time when Indian fashion was largely experienced through smaller boutiques and multi-brand stores, the designer focused on stand-alone spaces that brought together different aspects of the brand.

Architecture, art, antiques, music, craft and hospitality became part of the retail environment, helping establish a distinct approach to luxury retail in India.

The continued investment in physical retail also reflects Sabyasachi’s view of the importance of in-person experiences alongside digital commerce. The store is organised as a series of rooms, corridors and smaller spaces, with fashion, art, design and craftsmanship integrated throughout.

The architecture takes references from travel in an earlier era, including railway carriages, steamships, Kashmir houseboats and private cabins. These influences are interpreted through the proportions, materials and details of the interiors rather than recreated directly.

Calcutta, which has long influenced Sabyasachi’s work, is another important reference point. Passages in the store recall the corridors of old North Calcutta homes, while elements of Hogg Market and Chowringhee inform some of the interiors. Porcelain, paintings, textiles, carpets, sculpture and furniture are displayed together across the space.

The store includes approximately 120 chandeliers, nearly 200 antique carpets and around 300 original paintings by artists associated with the Sabyasachi Art Foundation. More than 100 antique textiles, mirrors and historic decorative objects are also incorporated into the interiors.

Craft is integrated into the store’s design as well as its collections. Embroidery appears across walls, panels, cupboards and ceilings, while stone, wood, metal, glass, textiles and other decorative materials feature throughout the space. The approach reflects the fashion designer’s longstanding interest in traditional craftsmanship and its continued relevance within contemporary design and retail.

One of the store’s distinctive spaces is an enclosed room inspired by Calcutta’s tramcars. Built in wood with etched star-cut glass, it houses a life-size sculptural Bengal tiger. Elsewhere, handmade rose-coloured ceramic fruits created by artisans in Calcutta add colour and character to the interiors.

The Sabyasachi Art Foundation is also incorporated throughout the store. Wallpapers and upholstery created by Sabyasachi for Nilaya by Asian Paints feature works from the Foundation, extending paintings and illustrations into the interiors rather than keeping them confined to traditional frames.

The new flagship brings together the different elements that have come to define Sabyasachi’s retail spaces -- fashion, art, craft, antiques and design -- within a single location. In Mehrauli, the store continues the brand’s approach to creating retail environments that reflect its broader visual and cultural identity.