BLENDING HOMESPUN MAGIC WITH OLD MYSTIQUE
After whetting the creative appetites of the design-savvy with her inimitable interior style over a decade , the design doyenne behind I Design Studios—Pooja Gupta, has worked her tasteful theatrical mojo again, this time for the multi-designer fashion store, Amiraah located in the heart of Kanpur.
In this day and age of fashion and shopping, where “experience” is as much of a determiner as that of the modish merchandise itself—Amiraah can be said to strike the right notes and play those that haven’t been touched before. Spread across 3,000 sq ft. Amiraah curates haute selections of some of the biggest names in the fashion industry like Am Pm, Namrata Joshipura, Anushree Reddy, Kavita Bhartiya, Joy Mitra, and many more. Since 2014 Amiraah has been playing the role of a catalyst for Kanpur’s fashion scene—and now with this dreamy lair, it is all set to dominate it.
A stylish temple to Indian artistry, the store offers a fresh spin to the idea of discreet opulence through its glistening surfaces, warm wooden flooring and rustic yet refined walls, and regal entrances. Designed and owned by Pooja, Amiraah is her long-held dream fulfilled. “I have the softest of the soft spot for our indigenous arts and homespun craftsmanship. While this charming signifies do show up in the projects I execute, the opportunity to go full throttle with my artistic vision had eluded me. But I stumbled on this majestic property in Kanpur’s popular shopping precinct and I just knew that the time has arrived.”
Through I Design Studios, Pooja has ensconced her position as a design impresario who manages to put together eclectic styles in such a way that they don’t strain for effect but bring out the best in each other. Pooja’s design DNA is evident in Amiraah as well. She has created a world where painstakingly crafted Venetian mirrors effortlessly commingle with rich traditional Indian couture, where sumptuousness melts into airy simplicity, and where the past and the present peaceably mix.
“The challenge for me was to construct a luscious narrative in a massive space with the grandeur and visual heft that came with the wide-ranging assortment of home décor, haute couture, Pret-a-porter, dining accessories, wall décor, artifacts, handicrafts, contemporary art & sculpture, garden accessories and yet make it look light,” says Pooja. And that’s what she exactly does.
She has populated the store with “shout-outs” that are rooted in traditional workmanship like the jewelry display montage featuring hand-printing blocks and the restored antique door at the entrance showcasing the vignettes of Shreenath jee—and peppered it with mid-century modern furniture pieces and unique accents such as the retro-industrial mirror composed of wooden shoe molds and vintage brass door knobs with classical details on their bows. Rather than vying for attention, the storied interior narratives set off the diverse product range the store has to offer and constitute its experiential aspect.
There are areas such as the dressing room where Pooja has tapped into the luxurious royal Indian aesthetic. This is where the soft glow from Rococo-inspired crystal chandeliers wash the gilded furniture and throw the red walls into sharp relief—a sight that is nothing short of a theatrical mise en scène.
A ravishing mash up of influences, concepts, and experiences—Amiraah is redefining the rules of the multi-designer retail format in Kanpur and reinforcing its image as a bastion of fashion where the rare and the unusual are found.
