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Anita Dongre Takes Manhattan

Duchess Kate Middleton, Hillary Clinton, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, Hollywood and Bollywood stars have worn her clothes – and now so can you! Yes, we are speaking of Anita Dongre, one of India’s most loved designers. And now you don’t even have to go all the way to India to get her current Spring/Summer 2018 collection. No air ticket needed –  just hop into the subway or call an Uber!

You see, Anita Dongre is now right here in Manhattan, in SoHo!

This past week the designer launched her new flagship store in West Broadway in a SoHo neighborhood full of boutiques, art galleries and restaurants. I love the way Indian inspiration infiltrates into the very core of New York. Walk into this maze of SoHo streets – and you’ve suddenly arrived in India!

Anita Dongre occupies three floors in a prewar building from 1900 and the stunning space spread over three floors and 4500 feet is a vast canvas for the beauty of the collection. The lower level houses ready-to-wear and menswear, while the ground level displays the sustainable eco-conscious label Grassroot with the mantra, ‘Revive, Sustain, Empower’. The top floor showcases the ornate bridal and formal wear as well as the jewelry line, an escape to fantasy.

 

The store is inspired by the regal homes of Rajasthan with its touches of luxury – an oversized swing, crafted benches and chairs, handcrafted wall hangings  – but these are merely a backdrop, a stage set for the real stars- the fabulous clothes and jewelry that Dongre is known for.

Now it’s possible to shop for a gorgeous wedding lengha in SoHo and be totally pampered and flummoxed by the choices available. It’s also a chance to indulge in the cool ethical cottons and linens of the Grassroot line with its contemporary designs highlighting the crafts of village artisans. It is a line which is perfect in the heat of New York, the beaches of Bahama or a weekend retreat in the Hamptons. Fashion is often whimsical or throw-away but with Grassroot,  it is empowering in its ability to sustain and enrich because it supports India’s handcrafted traditions which are threatened and a way of life which is fast disappearing.

Anita Dongre had come in especially from Mumbai for the opening and she had brought in two of the skilled village craftswomen with her.  In the midst of Manhattan party revelers and DJ music, they sat embroidering fabric and smiling at those who cherish their handiwork.

The opening night launch had hundreds of guests raising a toast and being welcomed with fresh jasmine bracelets, live tabla music and models wearing Anita Dongre. As guests sipped wine and feasted on delicious street foods created by Chef Gaurav Anand, they also got a chance to touch and to try, to window-shop and to buy the latest couture that their family or friends in India might be buying at this very moment.

It was a little like traveling in a time-machine – the magic of living in a frenetic, globalized world in a happening city like New York where time zones and geographical boundaries seem to disappear.