The House of Brahathi, located on Jumeirah Beach Road will showcase the creations of three young designers at an exhibition on May 24 and 25.
Dubai-based Muskan Gogia will display a line of colourful georgette and chiffon kurtis with delicate embroidery detailing, while Sejal Mehta from Mumbai will present her fresh and funky take on the sari with a range of cocktail, bridal and special occasion saris.
Natasha Shahani, also from Mumbai, will showcase a collection of chic Indo-western garments in comfortable knit fabrics. Titled Shy Princess, Shahani's collection includes tops and tunics embellished with crystals in jewel tones of ruby and emerald.
A space for women
"This exhibition is the first in a series of such events we have planned to provide a platform for budding designers from around the world to showcase their talent," said Vimala Narayanan, managing director of the store. "Brahathi is a Sanskrit word that means 'the universe is her'. I chose this name because this store is an ode to the woman and homemaker. We want to provide women with beautiful things for themselves, their home and their family. My long term vision is make this a space where women from all walks of life can express their talent and creativity," she added.
Narayanan herself was content to be a homemaker for three decades and it was her desire to express herself in her new home that led her to become an entrepreneur.
"While decorating our new home, I could not find the furniture I wanted in the stores here. So I got the frames from abroad and found craftsmen to give it the classical style detailing and finish that I wanted. Having found a good supplier and skilled craftsmen, I decided to set up a furniture business," she recalled.
Custom-made furniture
The House of Brahathi thus began as a store specialising in custom-made furniture. Their furniture range known as Krandasi offers exclusive pieces of classical reproduction furniture and is produced at an in-house manufacturing facility in the UAE.
"The frames are imported from a well known international supplier and then treated, polished and finished to create classical or contemporary looks. Our craftsmen are experts in carving, filigree work and texturing and we use real gold for the gilding," said Narayanan.
"We also have a range of upholstery fabrics and soft furnishing," she added.
Her search for fine quality upholstery led Narayanan to expand the store's offerings.
"While travelling across India to look for quality upholstery fabrics, I came across some excellent weavers, printers and little known designers. Hence, I decided to add hand-woven and hand-printed saris, textiles and garments to our range," said Narayanan.
Eclectic range
Besides furniture and upholstery, the store's eclectic range now includes brocade saris from Benares, Kanjeevarams, hand printed tussars, crepes, georgettes, chanderi and maheshwari weaves, kota and leheriya prints from Rajasthan, dupattas and stoles, silk jackets, anarkalis, Indo-western fusion garments, unstitched salwar suit sets, throws, cushions, bed linen, rugs and ethnic jewellery.
"Every item in our store is one-of-a-kind and hand-made. Yet our prices are reasonable because I personally buy the pieces directly from the weavers and designers," emphasised Narayanan.
More info
House of Brahathi is located on Jumeirah Beach Road, opposite KFC and Hardees. The store is open from 10am to 10pm on weekdays and from 5pm to 10pm on Fridays.
