MUSE One-Stop Shop
A stand alone designer store with three floors dedicated to things fashionable – unheard of in the hub of South Mumbai. And yet, there it is, a heritage property, formerly a crumbling garage topped by a dilapidated residence, restored by heritage expert Abha Narain Lambah, interiors furnished by young architect Simone Dubash. (The brick wall formation of the walls dates the structure to before 1857.) “We kept the shell as heritage, restored the old beams and improved and revived, giving new life,” says Dubash. This is indeed a dream come true for Tarini Jindal, who studied fashion in London for four years and returning, discovered a huge gap in the clothing market. “There was either luxury or high street but no one was doing everyday wear.”

And so Muse was born, its various floors in varying assault on the senses since Dubash has designed each one in distinctive character. The ground floor remains spacious with unusual accessories and a few choice garments draped on an old cabinet, an open piano. A heritage stairway, made new by a wall of bevelled glass, leads to the first floor which is dedicated to prêt with racks of high end jeans from Seven for all Mankind, True Religion to Rock and Republic, as well as an assortment of shirts and unusual blouses. This space is clothed in an epoxy flooring and walls in mild steel. Pieces of old furniture, barrels, carved chests, spill over with merchandise while the trial room stands out in corrugated iron sheets. The top floor is modern-plush, like the garments, with walls clad in gold wall paper and chandeliers.
New wine in an old bottle? More like champagne, we would say.