What: Woven plastic accessories from CellDSGN at Bombay Electric, 1 Reay House, BEST Marg, Colaba, call 22876276, Rs 3,000 for a necklace.
Why: While in Delhi and shopping at CellDSGN, the Scouters once scored a bag that looks like a psychedelic animal and a bottle necklace that reminded the airport security personnel of Bollywood film Ajooba. In short, CellDSGN does super cool accessories and they’re now in Mumbai, retailing out of Bombay Electric. See cool stripey iPad sleeves, fella clutches, laptop bags and wallets made from recycled woven plastic, and also Lost and Found frame necklace. Photo op?
When: You need plastic insurgency.

Shopping Bulletin

Boys, if that noose around your neck is tightening, it may as well be interesting, with say, British bulldogs on it? This tie you can buy next month as UK label Thomas Pink, with its office wear but also fun accessories, launches in Mumbai.

After opening their first India store in Delhi last week, they plan to set up shop at The Palladium, Lower Parel where we're told that Thomas Pink will initially stock only men’s wear – shirts, trousers, suits, ties and accessories - and the stock will be at par with international collections. Celebrities previously spotted in Pink include George Clooney, Jay Z, Joaquin Phoenix and more.

Here are bpb’s top five things that we wish they’ll stock at the Bombay store:

The Wine Self Tie Bow for a drunken date.

The White Emir Poplin Super Slim Fit Shirt for a day at the office and a night out after.

The brown leather Baker Belt to hold that holiday stomach in, fashionably.

The Rugby Stripe Socks for arm-chair sport-ing.

The British Bulldog silk tie because she’s got you on a leash.

Getting there: Thomas Pink, Palladium, High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel, shirts are priced between Rs 5,500 to Rs 25,000.

Like we reported recently, Thomas Pink will arrive in Mumbai soon. The Delhi store, however, is already open and, we're told, will be much like it's Mumbai sibling. Not wanting to wait, we took a look.

Staring us in the face as we walk into the ground floor of Vasant Kunj’s Ambience Mall is the not-so-subtle arrival of world famous British luxury-shirt store Thomas Pink, brought to our shores by Reliance Brands. Pumped with glittery Christmas lights and wintery goodness, the store looks like it was cut out from the Big Apple and transported across the globe to make investment bankers feel like they’re back at home in New York, at least for a little while. 

And while Mr Pink seems to have arrived on a business class seat without so much as a wrinkle, some of his baggage has been delayed: for instance, about eight medium strides around the very compact store had us wondering where the women’s section was. “It’s not here yet, but coming soon”.

Cuff Parade

The herringbone-floored store is divided into perfectly measured sections, with crisply ironed shirts immaculately layered on top of each other.  The effect is a delicious sartorial experience, making each Pink piece appear edible. The store manager, who was happy to chat, guided us around the space and explained the difference between the various Pink shirt lines, pointing out subtle distinctions in casual, slim and super slim fit cuts.

The shirts range from Rs. 5,000 to Rs 25,000, with super slim fits cut for the tautest bodies and fattest wallets. Out of the dozen the manager generously unfolded for us, we liked a candy-striped range and limited edition solids dotted with nautical inspiration. A sucker for the classic, we also couldn’t resist a perfect white shirt, so charmingly tucked away between toothier sharks.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

The Prestige Line on the upper end of the price scale (Rs.7,000 and up) cut from thicker fabric is perfect for the close of this year's winter. And for even chiller nights, we spotted a handful of perfect woolen blazers that left us hankering for a bigger selection and nostalgic for the original iconic Pink Hunter coat.

At check out time, we were distracted by the well-curated sock range that the store manager tells us is doing “very, very well.” With each pair priced at about Rs.1000, these make a perfect gift if you really want to wrap him around your pinkie, or just keep them for yourself. And appropriately, a tad south of this collection, we uncovered another limited but tempting range of boxers, which we hear is yet to draw crowds. With a bold PINK plastered across the waistline, we suspect it takes a man like Thomas or a girl like Victoria to pull them off, or err… put them on.

Getting there: Ground floor, Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, starts at Rs 5,000 for a shirt. The Mumbai store will open on the third floor of Palladium at High Street Phoenix, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel. 

This story was contributed by Meher Varma, who looks at clothes, aesthetics and beauty through rose-tinted anthropological lenses.

What: Sale at Zara outlets at Lower Parel, Malad and Kurla, 30% off.

Why: Vikings, put on your fanciest helmets. Also, bring a puzzle to solve while standing in long trial room and check-out lines at the Zara sale that started yesterday. We were there to find crazy shoppers but also some good deals: jackets marked down from approximately Rs 6,000 to Rs 4,000; sheer tops from Rs 2,790 to Rs 1,990; sequined minis from Rs 6,000 to Rs 3,390 and men’s shirts from Rs 2,790 to Rs 1,990. Who knows, you may even fall in love with the store chaos you’re supposed to hate. Stock-holm syndrome?

When: Until stocks last. Store opens at 11 am.

What: Bedside copper carafe plus glass from Coppre, to order email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or view the Facebook group here, shipping across India, Rs 2,055.

Why: Metal heads will love to wake up next to this bedside copper carafe whose lid also doubles up as a glass. Nice cover! This product, a contemporary twist on the traditional lotta, has been conceptualised by Rashmi Ranade (designer from Industrial Design Centre, IIT and JJ School of Architecture), who under her social enterprise supported by INTACH and Forbes Marshall, works with metal craftsmen in Pune.

When: You need a jug-albandhi.

Brooch the Subject

With a cookie-like gilt edge and glistening red center that invokes a JimJam biscuit, the Balenciaga vintage heart brooch is truly a treat from the past. Want a bite? You’ll have to call and take an appointment, before walking up two flights of stairs to a Churchgate apartment where matters of this heart can be discussed.

Here you’ll meet Mehek Agarwal, former fashion stylist for a magazine and you’ll probably see a photograph of her writer sister Shikha who lives in London. Sharing a love for all things antique, they sell vintage jewellery pieces from different international brands out of home. Pin up girls?

New Year’s Yves

Take a seat in the living room, won’t you. The new shipment of brooches will be out in a second. Starting at Rs 5,000 and going up to Rs 40,000, these are made from gold toned metal and go back to the 1940s. There’s pins from Christian Dior, Chanel, Givenchy, Elizabeth Taylor, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Lacroix, Fendi and more.

We love the Audrey Hepburn-meets-Indian Jones scorpion brooch, red and green and ready to crawl on to your office blazer. There’s also a Paris piece with hanging charms that will make you want to book an Air France ticket tout de suite; and a delicate flower with stem that looks like it was dreamily doodled by an artist preoccupied with love. In comparison to this, the jewel encrusted gold butterfly pin seemed a bit too flashy.

Ask Mehek to pick her favourite brooch, and she’ll recommend the abovementioned heart, a Balenciaga piece from the 1960s. Could this be the year to wipe the dust off an old love, and bring it out of storage?

Getting there: Viange vintage brooches by appointment, call Mehek Agarwal on 9820543201 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , start at Rs 5,000.

What: Chikabum portable folding seat, to order call 9833255515 or email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , view the Facebook page here, Rs 1,500, additional shipping charges outside Mumbai.

Why: This is your life: your partner is cheating, success is fleeting, everywhere you go there’s limited seating. Tired? Enter Chikabum, a cool portable folding chair with a backrest that you can lean on in any situation – satsang, music fest, warm beach, pavement protest, mountain trek, ticket line. Made from canvas, sponge and fibre glass, this chair is super light, waterproof and easy to clean. And what a fun name too!

When: You want to get to the glute of the problem.

It could be our fecund imagination or some bad viewing choices early on in life, but as soon as we heard that a store called ‘Sajana’ had moved into the space recently vacated by Attic, Colaba, a film reel unfurled in our heads: of a couple entwined in an embrace, rolling down a grassy hill scattered with apples, colour bombs going off in the background. They almost kiss, except that two sunflowers and a pair of lovebirds beat them to it. And then splashed across the screen, the word ‘Sajana’, with a heart pierced by an arrow.

Sister Act

When we got to the week-old store though, we found that the story behind Sajana wasn’t half as dramatic as the Bollywood 80s one that we'd thought up. Named after one of four sisters who owns it (aunty climax?), this multi-designer shop sells Indian clothes and accessories by gen-next designers (start at Rs 5,000), and also a few curios and furniture pieces for your home.

Now we didn’t love it, Sajana with its pricey stock of blinged out shoes, embroidered gowns and blah lehengas, but there are a few things that wedding-attending hawks might like. Take for instance the stunningly hued anarkalis (start at Rs 9,000); jute and velvet clutches reminiscent of Sabyasachi (Rs 3,490); neon bags (Rs 4,725); and dainty multi-coloured earrings from Periwinkle (starting at Rs 2,500).

Our favourite, though, is the peacock motif room screen from Functional Arts that is a fun piece to strut in your living room. You should know however, that it costs Rs 42,190. 

An arrow just pierced your heart, didn't it? A fitting end to Sajana. 

Getting there: Sapana, 5/5, Grants Building, first floor, Arthur Bunder Road, opp Cafe Basilico, Colaba, 22834241, http://sajana.in/.

A fainting couch asks for smelling salts in a musty industrial warehouse. A titanic door groans at the thought of being opened. Plucked out of an old palace, arches with their upside down curves frown at their paan-chewing, pot-bellied guardian. 

Want to rescue one and take it home? At this pretty and pricey pound for furniture – a secret warehouse in Oshiwara – vintage pieces are reclaimed from old havelis and palaces across India. And how do you gain access to this place? Follow us.

Saba Cream

You obviously know the line of furniture stores at SV Road, Oshiwara (See full address below). Go straight to Saba Curios at the centre of the market, and ask for a Mr Raziullah Khan, a hefty, salt-and-pepper haired man, who’ll tell you that his father started the vintage furniture reclaiming business forty years ago. Here you’ll find rocking chairs with netted base (starting at Rs 5,000), study tables, almaris with antique locks and ornate trimmings. Lovely and well-priced, but you’ve probably seen these before.

Ask lots of interested questions, be nice, charming even, and finally enquire about his secret stash of furniture. If he likes you by the end of the session – why won’t he? – he’ll take you to his workshop across the street, in an industrial building. Here in three small rooms, a group of carpenters and polishers are hunched over exquisite furniture pieces reclaimed from old havelis and palaces in Calcutta, Lucknow and Murshidabad.

Palace of Illusions

Raziullah tells us that none of these pieces are less than a hundred years old. There’s an almost-black rosewood table with four short stools inlaid with mother-of-pearl work for two lakh rupees. We also spotted a fainting couch (Rs 45,000) with a soft green cushion and caramel polish; an almost-ceiling-touching, two-doored deep mahogany cupboard (Rs 1,50,000), apparently claimed from an old office of the East India Company in West Bengal. Then, train your eye towards the palace residents – a swing stand with intricate Parsi floral work all over the arches; an ornate wooden door that was apparently attached to the home of Tipu Sultan's cousin; and a huge arch, which was hung high above the entrance door of a haveli in Awadh.

What: Hand-crafted ceramic and papier mache angel figurines, to place an order call 9870098635, free delivery in Mumbai, with extra shipping charges elsewhere in the country, priced between Rs 10,000 to 20,000.

Why: You’ll be the new angel investor in town when you splurge ten thousand and up on these pretty, detailed Burton-esque angel dolls that go from two feet to ten feet high. Former advertising professional and fashion mag editor Soojata Kapoor uses a combination of fabric treated with a leathery, water-resistant finish, ceramics, dental plaster, M-Seal and papier mache to create each doll whose skirt, torso and wings are detachable (how deliciously dark!). If you want these for Christmas, you can choose from the ready range at her Napeansea Road home or have them customised in two weeks. Also, these angels are home-delivered in "long coffin-like boxes". Have a m-eerie little Christmas!

When: You want to say halo!