Inside Sabyasachi’s 26,000-Sq-Ft New Delhi Flagship

Opening on 25 August at The Citadel, One Style Mile in Mehrauli, the new 26,000-square-foot space is the brand’s biggest Delhi retail statement yet. More than twice the size of its previous location, it brings together fashion, High Jewellery, accessories, art, antiques and craft; and somehow makes all of it feel like it belongs in the same story.

Delhi has always had a special place in the Sabyasachi story. The earlier Mehrauli store helped establish the neighbourhood as a destination for Indian luxury, creating a retail experience that felt distinctly different from the conventional fashion boutique. Now, almost a decade later, the brand returns to the neighbourhood with a space that takes that idea several steps further.

The new flagship unfolds like a series of rooms, corridors and discoveries. The architecture borrows from the romance of another era; think railway carriages, steamships, Kashmir houseboats and private cabins while the details remain deeply rooted in Sabyasachi’s Calcutta. Old North Calcutta homes inspire its winding passages, while references to Hogg Market and Chowringhee bring in the city’s wonderfully chaotic mix of cultures, objects and histories.

And there is a lot to look at. Approximately 120 chandeliers, nearly 200 antique carpets, more than 100 antique textiles, mirrors and historic decorative objects, alongside around 300 original artworks from the Sabyasachi Art Foundation, fill the space.

Embroidery travels across walls, ceilings, panels and cupboards. Stone, wood, metal, glass and textiles become part of the architecture rather than simply decorative additions. Then there’s a room inspired by Calcutta’s tramcars, crafted in wood and etched star-cut glass, with a life-size sculptural Bengal Tiger sitting inside. Elsewhere, handmade rose-coloured ceramic fruits from artisans in Calcutta bring a little whimsy to the otherwise grand surroundings. Because, of course, even a Sabyasachi store needs a Bengal Tiger.

Art is equally central to the experience. The Sabyasachi Art Foundation contributes approximately 300 original works, spanning paintings, sculpture, textiles, furniture and wallpapers. Designs created by Sabyasachi for Nilaya by Asian Paints bring works from the Foundation into the interiors, blurring the line between artwork and architecture.

There is even a space designed around the Bengali nachghar; traditionally a room for music, conversation, performance and patronage. With pink marble, laterite stone, embroidery, sculpture and layered textiles, the customer lounge feels less like a waiting area and more like an invitation to slow down, preferably over a cup of Darjeeling tea.

At a time when so much of shopping has moved onto screens, Sabyasachi is doubling down on everything a screen cannot quite replicate: texture, scale, discovery, craftsmanship and the feeling of being surrounded by objects with stories.

Come for the couture. Stay for the carpets, chandeliers, Bengal Tiger and perhaps lose yourself somewhere between Calcutta and Mehrauli.