Gauri Khan And Iman Allana

The idea was for a make-up brand to speak to a millennial spirit. Hello! Chats with London-Dubai-Mumbai based entrepreneur Iman Allana, and the lady who brought her vision to life, Gauri Khan. The two ladies warmly welcomed Mumbai’s who’s who into her new headquarters for a ‘Glocal’ make-up and self-empowerment experience

- Sangeeta Wadhwani

While Gauri Khan is known for her love of eclectic ideas and propensity for creating spaces, Iman Allana is an influencer entrepreneur, living across three cities, full of enthusiasm for her cinema-inspired make-up brand. HELLO! chats with the glamorous collaborators.

GAURI KHAN

The Bollyglow office is possibly the most adventurous one has seen for a beauty brand. What was your initial vision?

“My first thought was that the space designed should be Instagrammable because I wanted the brand to be well-noticed on social media. It’s all about the visual impact of the brand that matters at the initial stage, so we designed the office keeping in mind the vibrant mood and vibe of the brand. Every corner, each wall had to be very funky, young and pop – perfect for anyone to stand, click a picture and post it online. The whole idea, including the colours, material, wallpaper, all cater to a design connected to her brand. I wanted the space and the brand Bollyglow to come together in design.”

Being a star wife, you know the glamour-appeal that any product associated with Bollywood would have… yet, Bollywood is a mass medium. How did you combine luxury with mass appeal?

“You can make any project look like a luxurious space, it all depends on the kind of space you are designing and who is the end-user of the project; whether it is a restaurateur, hotelier, boutique or clothes brand. You have to work around all these people who are the end-users and then put your elements of luxury in it and it all comes from design. You can’t put a value to design, it is how beautifully you integrate the brand into the design. And then luxury just falls into space once it is designed well for the end-user.”

Have you known Iman or her family before her launch plans in India? If not, what was it like, working with such a young client?