MAGNUM OPUS

An ode to the integrity of design and heritage craftsmanship, Sabyasachi Mukherjee's quest to building a global brand comes a full circle with his monumental 25th Anniversary presentation

- MEHERNAAZ DHONDY

Sabyasachi Mukherjee had one thought while drafting plans for his magnum opus 25th anniversary celebration, and it was to let everyone know that Sabyasachi is a crafts brand first. From jewellery to clothing, and even handbags, the entire moment was about crafts and craftsmen. “We are a crafts brand first – everything that we do, we are going to use more and more craft first. I try to define Sabyasachi from the way our stores are designed, or how we do our furnishings, prints, jewellery, accessories – they’re created by human endeavour. When you don’t limit to calling yourself a clothing brand, the lateral expansion becomes very wide because you can do anything from a handbag to a pair of shoes to an artisanal beauty product.” His communication to the 600+ guests that gathered in Mumbai from around India and the world to witness this landmark presentation was clear – that Mukherjee is building an empire the foundation and pillars of which are rooted in craft with a very strong heritage – a Calcutta soul that’s global in nature.

THE VERTICALISATION

“I think that I have the bandwidth to dive into many businesses and I don’t want to be limited by one vision.” When Mukherjee last spoke to us in 2022, during his flagship store launch in Mumbai, the blueprints to build his verticals were in place. Two years later, he sits down to explain that developing accessories and jewellery takes time, and that he’s also working on perfume and beauty, with hospitality and food to follow. “Home is something the brand is still working on with Asian Paints; I want to keep continuing that as a collab because, logistically, it’s a difficult business to own. You can start with clothing to define the image of the brand, but it doesn’t mean that that’s what you do all your life.”

THE SUCCESSION