Why Aashni Shah is unperturbed by the competition in the luxury fashion landscape

Aashni Shah lets us in on the opening of her flagship store Aashni + Co in Mumbai and the evolution of India’s fashion industry in the past decade

When Aashni Shah, founder of Aashni+ Co, was looking for a space to set up her first boutique in India, the idea of housing it in Mumbai’s Kala Ghoda happened by chance. While scouting for locations in the city, she heard that the space where designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee's erstwhile store was located was available (Mukherjee now has a new store nearby) and soon decided to close in on the property. Shah wasn't apprehensive of the competition in a district already bursting with multiple designer flagship stores and luxury multi-brand boutiques.

"I was not fixated on Kala Ghoda—I was still thinking somewhere between Bandra and South Bombay, and I just happened to get the space first, which was too good to let go. It took me less than a day to confirm the space," she says of her expansion plans. Regarding the competition in the neighbourhood, Shah believes she has what it takes to stand out—a finely curated edit of both veteran and emerging designers and an international shopping experience she noticed is lacking in Mumbai. For instance, their loyalty programme not only offers discounts but also luxury experiences like tickets to Wimbledon or excellent seats for staged performances at Mumbai’s Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC).

While Shah could have chosen other top-tier cities in India—such as New Delhi—to open her store, Mumbai resonates most with her. "Mumbai is home—I was born here. I relate to the aesthetics of people in Mumbai a lot more; this is important so they can understand what I have to offer."

Designed by architect Sameep Padora and spanning nearly 6,000 square feet over two floors, the store will feature an edit of ready-to-wear and couture lines alongside accessories by 50 designers. Clients can also shop for jewellery from Sabyasachi as well as his New York collection, which will launch later this year. The Established speaks to Shah about how her new store aims to elevate the shopping experience and her thoughts on the evolution of fashion in India in the past decade.

How did you get into the business of fashion, given you were working in films earlier?

Around the time of my engagement I was in London and couldn't find clothes for myself. I came to India looking for bridal outfits. I had been to a few stores in Wembley and Southall, but they had more high-street fashion than luxury. That's when I noticed a gap. There could be many other women like me who were going to India to source wedding outfits. I stayed back in India for nearly four months to finalise my clothes [for my wedding]. And that's how the idea of Aashni + Co came about. 

In over a decade of your being in the business, how has the fashion landscape evolved?

It's been exciting to see this evolution of designers that is taking shape. When I first started, people only talked about veteran labels, but in the past five or six years, there's been a significant rise in the number of new designers. It's also come to a stage where young labels that launched a few years ago have started doing couture. On the flip side, I've noticed veteran designers like Manish Malhotra doing diffusion lines. Tarun Tahiliani and Ritu Kumar have their pret lines, while Sabyasachi Mukherjee is introducing his New York collection with a focus on Western silhouettes. 

Have you seen a change in terms of the silhouettes? 

Comfort is key—whether it's garments from couture or diffusion lines. Many brides prefer wearing draped saris, gowns, or lighter lehengas with fewer embellishments. Cape lehengas sets have also become popular, and one of the designers who does them beautifully is Anamika Khanna.

And what about the changes in customers' style sensibilities? 

Until a decade ago, it was very much Bollywood that dictated most people's style choices. Today, it's all about Instagram ; influencers have begun to shape the customers’ choices. When it comes to an NRI clientele, things are slightly different. They require more information on the pieces. For example, when organza made a comeback a few years ago, it took us some time to convince United States-based clients about the beauty and simplicity of the fabric. Eventually, they got it, but it took some time. In the United Kingdom, customers are quicker to adapt to trends but are more mindful of spending because there aren’t too many occasions to repeat the outfits. Their weddings are scaled down, and they don't dress up too much during festivals. 

Fashion weeks in India, too, have changed in the past decade—what are your thoughts on this? 

I see a major disconnect as a buyer today, which wasn't the case ten years ago. Today, fashion weeks only seem to be for the media and a place for content creation. Back then, fashion weeks meant business—we used to host meetings during the week, go in with our team, and place orders [for clothes]. Now, you attend the show and get in touch after fashion week to place orders. Additionally, if you're an e-commerce platform, it's a run for who receives the collection first. Before the show starts, you want to get the images to see what will be showcased on the runway so you can tie in with the designer and show the garments first on your platform. There is a lot of room for improvement, in my opinion.  

Let's talk about your store—there's a lot of competition around you. 

There is competition everywhere, whether I open in Bandra or any other location. Despite being a crowded market, each store has its own voice and aesthetic. The designers might overlap, but the curation and the edit brought into each multi-designer boutique differs vastly. It's all about how you pick and present the garments. Additionally, I've learned in the past decade of being in the business that in a city like Mumbai, more importance has to be given to customer experience. It's always about quick sales or who is getting the product first—it's a race. For me, it doesn't matter if the products arrive later. It's more important to get the best garments that portray your store and your voice and let the customer have a great experience. I aim for clients to have a hassle-free international shopping experience.

How does your edit from other multi-brand boutiques in the area? 

Every store sets its own tone—for instance, one multi-brand boutique could have an edit rooted in sustainability while another could be for the very elevated customer, and a third could have no voice as such but a large mix of designers. Aashni + Co is about sophisticated and understated elegance but is also affordable. So, even if a designer has a particular aesthetic, we pick pieces that resonate with ours. For example, Mayyur Girotra has a very vibrant and busy aesthetic, but we opt for garments that are more understated from his brand. Our offering is for the elevated buyer, but that doesn't mean it's unaffordable. We have pieces that start from ₹10,000. It's for someone who can look at a simple silk outfit and is okay to spend ₹20,000 on it without thinking that there is no embroidery on it  but who understands that this is made from the best silk. We also have designer exclusives, like Shantanu Goenka's Kashmir line, which is only available at our store in Mumbai.

When selecting the work of emerging designers to stock, what do you look for? 

The most important thing with new designers is the pricing of the pieces. Nobody wants to see a name they haven't heard of before priced atrociously, no matter how exquisite the garment is. Before I see the designer's pieces, I see the price point. For a designer who is, let's say, two years old, to price something at four or five lakhs—that doesn't work for me. 

How will your store enhance the customer's shopping experience? 

It's the simple things. For instance, when you walk into the store, you don't need to ask anyone for a phone charger; sockets are everywhere. Furthermore, we have a very strong tiered loyalty programme beyond simply offering a discount. We provide luxury experiences. I haven't come across stores in Mumbai with a great loyalty programme. 

You also plan on showcasing talent from the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council). 

We want to introduce two to three designers from the GCC every season in the contemporary category. There's a lot of talent in the Middle East, and the designers create some great contemporary wear. For example, I'm seeing a significant rise in silhouettes like kaftans, and I think it's a predominantly Arab silhouette. While we do great kaftans here, the fabrics, finishing and patterns from the GCC can also be looked at in India. The idea is to bring a fresh offering regularly.

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