Momentous Milestone

One of Mumbai’s first multi-designer stores has completed 25 years, and is celebrating the landmark moment with an exhibition that documents their exciting journey.

- Namrata Kedar

The retail landscape is fickle and ever-evolving, so for a store to subsist itself for 25 years is no small feat. At a time when the retail industry was in its nascent stage, Sangita Kathiwada put her entrepreneurial and curatorial skills to trial and started Mélange – one of the first multi-designer stores in Mumbai, nestled in the steep lanes of the upscale Altamount Road. The store is currently celebrating its silver anniversary and is flanked by a new facade right across the street, where their new store is taking shape. Its long-standing presence and expansion are a testament to how cherished the store is.

To mark this momentous milestone, Kathiwada held an exhibition at the store that looked back at her journey, and the evolution of fashion over two decades. We met with her on the eve of the exhibit opening, and as we walked past archival pieces from Sabyasachi’s first creation (Kathiwada discovered the designer) to handwritten letters akin to love notes from designers, we spoke about her vision so many years ago, and what she envisions for the next 25 years.

GRAZIA: How does it feel to have completed 25 years in the industry?