Something Old,Something New

But a browse through one summer afternoon tells a different story. Has the regal Taj’s shopping arcade lost some of its shimmer? The spectacular lobby of the hotel was not too crowded. Besides me,there was just one other lady at the shops; after spending over an hour browsing,she left without buying anything.

Two things need to be kept in mind when understanding the Taj’s status as a luxury-shopping haven today. The brutal terrorist attacks that held the historic hotel hostage for four days three years ago still hurt. The shock has resulted in excessive security measures and stepping into the hotel,even for Shamiana’s famous cold coffee,is arduous.

Also,Mumbai’s fast-growing retail-scape has allowed for newer spaces. Hermes opened a standalone flagship at Horniman Circle nearby,with the breath-stealing architecture of the Asiatic Library as its neighbour. The Palladium and the soon-to-unveil Shangri-La hotel in Lower Parel are busy,buzzy and show an enviable footfall.

Save for Louis Vuitton and possibly Mont Blanc,most of the other European labels are in transit here. Burberry and Moschino came and went quickly. Vuitton has been here for eight years,but Christian Dior less than two. Dior isn’t ready to let go of the premises as yet,but it’s firmly eyeing the new luxury mall that’s scheduled to open in the Bandra Kurla Complex in two years.

“There will always be something new. But it’s a very comfortable position for us to be in one of the most historical hotels of the world,” says Tikka Shatrujit Singh,Asia advisor to the Chairman,Louis Vuitton. “We’re very warmly received by the staff at the Taj,and our store is very well-positioned in the Heritage Wing,where anyone who’s anyone coming to Mumbai wants to stay. Moreover,the idea of travel,of royalty and of heritage,makes the Taj and Louis Vuitton a perfect fit,” he adds.

Dior’s store manager Rohini Yvonne is equally charmed by her location. Her staff and she are showing Diorissimo’s latest orange ostrich handbag to the other shopper here —an elegant silver-haired Indian lady who wore jeans and arrived in a Mercedes. It costs Rs 8.40 lakh and must be shown to a customer along with a glass of champagne and a box of macaroons. There is great service to be enjoyed in a brick-and-mortar store,but Yvonne is impressed by the online orders her store welcomes. “There are only eight pieces of this handbag in the world,and we have one in the store and two more via order,” she shows off.

Italian suit-maker Corneliani is inching towards its first anniversary at the Taj,but it also has another store at Santacruz’s Grand Hyatt. “Sales at both stores are on par,” says the shop girl of the superb suits that start at Rs 80,000.

Ermenegildo Zegna’s presence here,since 2007,may have lured Corneliani,Alfred Dunhill and Panerai to set up shop. But the Zegna staff misses the rear entrance which allowed for more customers; the hotel keeps it shut post the attacks now.

The Taj Mahal offers history,heritage and an ultra-luxurious location to shops and shoppers. But unless it keeps up with Mumbai’s changing demographic and retail atmosphere,it may get left behind as an old hat often does.