The most recent flagship store for globally acclaimed couturier Gaurav Gupta at Mehrauli consists of a <rt-red>deconstructed maze-like dreamscape emblematic of the designer's work.<rt-red>
<h5-red>CLIENT<h5-red> GAURAV GUPTA I <h5-red>AREA<h5-red> 3,900 AND 1250 SQFT I <h5-red>STATUS<h5-red> COMPLETED IN 2018 AND 2014 I <h5-red>TEAM<h5-red> AMBRISH ARORA, ANKUR CHOKSI, ARUN KULLU, ALINA VADERA, ROHIT SHARMAI | <h5-red>PHOTOGRAPHER<h5-red> ANDRÉ J FANTHOME I <h5-red>AWARD<h5-red> INDIAN FASHION APPAREL SPECIALTY STORE CATEGORY MERIT AT VM&RD RETAIL DESIGN AWARDS 2015
The most recent flagship store for globally acclaimed couturier Gaurav Gupta at Mehrauli consists of a <rt-red>deconstructed maze-like dreamscape emblematic of the designer's work.<rt-red>
Gupta's work balances the familiar and the fantastical to craft a timeless, yet futuristic brand identity; the design of the new manifests this narrative through an immersive retail experience. The design for the flagship store draws from multiple and disparate sources of inspiration - <rt-red>be it the Dickensian townscape of Great Expectations, or the fantastical motifs from European folklore.<rt-red>
The store premises consist of a single-story building lined by a private garden. A nondescript rectangular floorplate becomes the shell within which a layered geometry of spaces has been crafted. An oblong central hall acts as the core of the outlet, opening up at multiple points into peripheral rooms. The rooms, varying in size and scale, house the different collections by the label; <rt-red>this distinction in function is enhanced by the specific visual expression of each space, which marks a subtle transition between the zones as one moves through them.<rt-red>
The design scheme combines a deconstructed aesthetic with a subdued colour palette, creating a space filled with monochromatic tones of grey to make for a suitable retail backdrop. Handcrafted mouldings and sculptures embellish the richly textured plaster walls, details of sculpted cast metal animal forms in the display racks, <rt-red>furniture and accessories set in the space extend a narrative that ties up the entire space and make this magical and fantastical world come alive.<rt-red>