Aranyani; The First Luxury International Handbag Brand from India, opens its doors with their first concept store in Mayfair, London
Aranyani, the first luxury international handbag brand from India, launched in Autumn, with a focus to create a sustainable legacy. The brand has now opened its doors to their first concept store in London (21 Bruton St, Mayfair) to coincide with launching their AW22/23 collection. The name Aranyani means ‘The Goddess of the Forest’ which is synonymous with the brand’s focus on sustainable artistry, nature and quality.
The Aranyani flagship store is located in London’s exclusive Mayfair district and is split across two levels. The ground floor area (550sq ft) is primarily given for retail — creating a calm and inviting space to showcase the exquisite quality and artisanal skills used to make each bag, whilst the lower ground floor space (850 sq ft) caters for a VIP experience, allowing the customisation of the product, in a luxurious yet approachable environment.
The store experience was based on the idea of a journey through Aranyani’s forest. A conceptual narrative that allowed the design team to consider light, colour, material and the sensory landscape as the customer moves through the spaces. The customer starts their journey at the forest edge as they enter the store, moving deeper under the canopy as they explore – this is a place of curiosity and intrigue with a range of bags beautifully illuminated on elegant, tiered shelving as if resting on the branches of trees. The space draws the customer into the central ‘glade’, a sculptural area of soft light that illuminates hero products on large slabs of British stone and Irish marble.
A luxurious consultation room is located on the lower ground floor, housing a library of Aranyani’s leather finishes, gemstones and other details that embellish the bags. Here a group of friends can enjoy the relaxed seating and discuss their unique requirements for a bespoke piece, giving the store a VIP experience.
Whilst the design involves a rich palette of locally sourced materials, that were selected with sustainability in mind, and a reverence to the natural environment – reflecting the brands ethical credentials. Most key finishes are sourced locally within the UK, which was a refreshing challenge for the design team, and care was taken to find the right selection of British stones, naturally based wall finishes and ethically sourced materials. Celebrating British suppliers helps give the spaces a unique sense of place and links it to the local landscape.
Haresh Mirpuri, Founder and Creative Director of Aranyani, said: “The opening of our first store in Mayfair is our commitment to our global audience to our brand. The store embodies the values, aesthetics and the experience that we wish to share with everyone. Aranyani is the life force phenomenon, seen, smelt and felt yet never visible. Through the store we hope to share the experience more effectively. Welcome to our world of Aranyani.”
In keeping with the brand’s spirit and identity, they bring together the best heritage artistry from India and craft them on their bags in a contemporary aesthetic. Their design principles are inspired by nature and crafted by tradition. Based in India and incorporating traditional design techniques, they use the finest Italian leather to design timeless pieces with international appeal to create five capsule collections: The Classic, The Carnival, The Golden Trails, The Stone Drops and The Kesuda.
The Classic Collection is handcrafted using calf napa leather and lined with water-resistant leather, the hardware is of antique-gold finish giving it a classic look, whilst The Carnival Collection is inspired by the ballad, the opportunities and the amazing miracles of nature, a harmonious combination of hand-painting, hand-embroidery and 24K gold-gliding. The Golden Trails Collection is inspired by the heritage gold gilding artwork found in the palaces of India and the champa flowers found as trails in the forest. The marriage of this exotic flower found in the forests, combined with the 24k gold gilding technique is the inspiration behind the artistry of the Golden Trails Collection, whilst The Stone Drops Collection features hand-cut precious stones that are set on the medallion-like jewels, following the Hemachandra numeric pattern found in nature. The medallion is of antique gold finish bejewelled with the smoky quartz gemstone. The Kesuda collection is inspired by the Kesuda flower which is said to have over 21 medicinal properties. Celebrating this flower’s exquisite, natural beauty and multifarious uses, Aranyani’s embroiderers and painters create the Kesuda design using 7 different hand-embroidery techniques and more than 3000 hand-stitches with threads in different vibrant colours, making up The Kesuda Collection.
Aranyani’s atelier provides an inspiring and enriching environment for artisans and craftsmen to collaborate and create masterpieces. Each Aranyani handbag is the result of their collective inspiration, talent and dedicated craftsmanship. By adopting the atelier format of making bespoke pieces, they embrace SAI (Service, Awareness, and Inclusivity) values. Their vision is to create a sustainable legacy in the luxury fashion industry for future generations by providing an exquisite experience of modern luxury.
Discover more at aranyani.com.
