French Toast

Debutante designer Shehla Khan loves all things French. “I have always had an affinity towards Parisian fashion. In fact,Marie Antoinette continues to be the inspiration for my work,” she says. This love is evident in Khan’s newly-opened store,Shehlaa. Nestled in a pocket of Colaba,right behind Regal Cinema,the 350-square-foot store is reminiscent of the French Baroque style décor — right from the ornate chair,table,mirror and the chandelier to the pristine white curtains. Even as huge portraits of Khan’s childhood friend and muse Sonam Kapoor stare down,the wide variety of clothing on display is impressive.

“My store offers a mix of pret,primo (diffusion) and atelier (couture) collections since I wanted to design something for every category,” the 26-year-old reasons. While the Indian wear has hand-painted saris and embroidered salwar suits,the western wear section has well-cut dresses,tunics and shirts. The colour palette is mainly pastels (pink,peach,champagne and crème) with a dash of bright colours.

The biggest USP of the store is the extensive use of imported fabrics for the collections. “In keeping with the French theme,I have used fabrics such as Chantilly lace from France,tulle from Switzerland and chiffons from Italy,” Khan points out,adding that the other fabrics include georgette,net,satin and silk.

The embroideries on fabrics are hand-done — shadow work,chikankari,applique or badla work. Given that Khan comes from a family that has been into the embroideries business for over 25 years (with clients such as prominent European designers like Elie Saab and Valentino to name a few),this is no surprise. The prices start at Rs 5,000 and go up to

Rs 2 lakh,making the store a good option for those who love fashion with a French twist.