A slice of sobo style

Whether you’re going prêt-á-porter shopping in your Loubs or scouting for some uber-cool watering hole in your green mean machine, the crescent-shaped heritage stretch of Kala Ghoda in SoBo (a portmanteau for South Bombay) has become the ultimate ‘adda’ for India’s rich and famous.

Dilapidated British-era buildings that once housed offices, dingy bookstalls, tea stalls, raddi shops, and dusty godowns, have given way to flagship stores of luxury labels and international fashion brands. Several ace designers have their flagship stores in this posh heritage art district – Sabyasachi (Horniman Circle), Anita Dongre (Sasson Building), Masaba (Khattau Building), Ensemble (Great Western Building), House of Hermes and Christian Louboutin

literally rub shoulders here. Many have converted these century-old majestic neoclassical heritage buildings into 25,000 sq. ft to 50,000 sq. ft flagship stores. Buzz is that Parisian luxury store Galeries Lafayette too plans to open its flagship store in SoBo’s Fort area.

Melting Pot

A decade ago, the area was frequented by gamblers, drug peddlers, hookers, and ruffians. Today, the entire area is bursting with pub crawlers, culture vultures, fashionistas, tourists, swashbucklers, haw-kers, and gawkers. There is a bohemian air in Kala Ghoda. There is a little something for everyone if you are willing to loosen your purse strings! Till three decades ago, Shaina NC’s Golden Thimble and Tarun Tahiliani’s Ensemble were the two most prominent designer stores in Kala Ghoda.

Today, the coveted Rampart Row is dotted with some of the best designers and fashion houses – Kunal Rawal (Rhythm House), Payal Singhal, – Falguni Shane Peacock (Bhogilal Hargovin-das Building), Pernia's Pop-Up Shop, sartorial siblings Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra to name a few.

Reminiscing the good old days, fashion designer Shaina NC says her fashion boutique store was set up 60 years ago by her mother (Munira Chudasama). “I have a lot of sentimental values attached to Kala Ghoda. It has always been a melting pot for creative souls – painters, sculptors, writers, designers,” Shaina says. Seeing the area transform into India’s high-street retail hub, she adds, “India is changing and the world is taking note of us. There is healthy competition. Inter-national brands and fashion houses are now coming here. This reflects people’s aspirations.”

Change is Inevitable

Mehmood Curmally (62), one of the ex-owners of the iconic Rhythm House Music Store that shut down in 2016 has seen the paradigm shift. “We could see the area go through a change even before we decided to shut down our store. Kala Ghoda has always been an art and culture district. It is one of the most sought-after addresses in the country,” Curmally says.

Today, the first floor of the Rhythm House building with its wrap-around balcony houses top fashion designer Kunal Rawal’s elegantly restored flagship store. A few steps around the corner stands the magnificent turquoise Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue (aka Blue Synagogue). It was built by Sir Jacob Sassoon around 1884. “It is a majestic building. People are stunned when I tell them that the Jewish synagogue was restored with donations from a Hindu (Jindal) family. The Kala Ghoda Association was created at the turn of the century to help restore the former glory of the area,” explains Bharat Gothoskar, a heritage evangelist and founder of Khaki Tours.

Heritage Value

On any given day, Kala Ghoda is buzzing with tourists, shoppers and officer-goers. The heritage buildings have the Victorian Neo-Gothic architectural style, Indo-Saracenic Revival, or Neoclassical styles. Pointing out to old art galleries in the area, Curmally says, “Kala Ghoda has some of the finest art galleries. I only hope they continue to be art galleries in the future too.” Jahangir Asgar Jani, an artist working in multi-mediums feels Kala Ghoda is getting completely gentrified like Soho, London. “Earlier, one could see a barefoot MF Hussain walking around. The kurta-pajama and Kolhapuri chappal-wearing gentry are disappearing. Today there are only high-end fashion houses and luxury stores here. Money always takes over things that are radical,” says Jani.

Labour of Love

Many compare the aesthetics and heritage pull of Kala Ghoda and Fort area with London’s Soho. Ace fashion designer, Anita Dongre, a champion of sustainable fashion, who has her flagship store in the iconic Sassoon Building (built in 1850) says, “The charming architecture and historic buildings create a unique atmosphere that transports you to a bygone era. Kala Ghoda is not merely a static relic of the past. It’s a dynamic hub of art that’s ever-evolving. What resonates with me the most about this locale is the flawless fusion of its illustrious history and the prevailing spirit of contemporary ingenuity,” says Anita. Her designs have been donned by the likes of Frieda Pinto, Priyanka-Chopra-Jonas, Hillary Clinton, and Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge to name a few.

Sharing her journey of restoring the Sassoon Building to its glory, Anita says, “The timber floors, a testament to timeless craftsmanship, have been lovingly maintained. The high ceilings and wooden stairs continue to exude their original charm. A true gem lies in the stained-glass elements, carefully revived to showcase their intricate beauty. Of special note are the remarkable tiles adorning the second-floor balcony, a stunning relic from 1850 that has been thoughtfully preserved.”

High Rentals

The rental cost of these big stores in the Fort area is mind boggling. There were reports that ZARA paid a staggering ₹ 30 crore annual rent for its 50,000 sq.ft. flagship store near Flora Fountain for a five-year lease agreement. “The monthly rents can range between Rs 1 crore to Rs 4 crore depending on the size, location, and lease term,” says a senior executive from a leading SoBo real estate agency. The fact that designers and international brands are still here, clearly

indicates that they are doing

excellent business. Gothoskar credits the annual Kala Ghoda Arts Festival and locals for bringing about this change. “It has had a positive rub-off on the area leading to top designers and fashion brands opening stores and boutiques here. Landlords of these heritage buildings have realized the true potential. Many are restoring and renting it out,” he says. He suggests that the Maharashtra government should turn not just the Kala Ghoda enclave, but the entire Fort area and Ballard Estate area into a premier tourist and entertainment zone of Asia. “This will further help in preserving the heritage buildings and generate employment for the locals,” he opines. Perhaps only time will tell us the effects of change and high-street shopping.

Vintage Value

• Babasaheb Ambedkar wrote bits of India’s Constitution at the corner of the now-closed Wayside Inn

• Rhythm House clientele included Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur, Kishori Amonkar, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, The Police, Sting, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Zakir Hussain, Ian Anderson, RD Burman, AR Rehman, Anoushka Shankar, Peter Andre, Shammi Kapoor, Jackie Shroff to name a few

India is changing and the world is taking note of us. International brands and fashion houses are now coming here.” – Shaina NC, fashion designer, BJP leader

What resonates with me the most about this locale (Kala Ghoda) is the flawless fusion of its illustrious history and the prevailing spirit of contemporary ingenuity.” – Anita Dongre, ace fashion designer