Hidesign has recently opened its boutique store at the International Bengaluru airport. An impressive work of art and architecture, Hidesign’s new store is one of India’s most unique concept stores to be set up by a luxury brand. Created using natural materials and spread over an area of approx 700 sq. ft. the store exudes the values of the iconic leather brand: luxury, heritage, craftsmanship, and warmth. The Hidesign store is the brand’s 10th exclusive store in Bangalore. The region is among the 3 most important markets for Hidesign in India after Delhi and Mumbai and contributes to 20% of sales.
The Bengaluru airport store is the 5th store at an airport across India and forms an important part of the brand’s growth plans. At present air travellers contribute to about 10% of the total sales. The opportunity of interacting with the well-informed, cosmopolitan consumer who appreciates well-made, handcrafted products and is sensitive to ecological issues has encouraged Hidesign to be present in major airports across India. The brand speaks to the active lifestyle of the career driven modern man and woman.
Dilip Kapur, President of Hidesign says: “The new Hidesign retail outlet at the terminal showcases the brand’s iconic products. This store is especially designed for the airport and tells a story about our values and the city of Pondicherry. The store will also introduce our designers and showcase our iconic bags. Everything at the store is created with natural elements and is built by hand. Going forward we will use this format everywhere. Most of the space is designed using leather and natural wood and we had to get it especially made to be fire resistant”.
An extensive collection of bags ranging from handbags for women, duffels and travel bags on wheels, laptop bags, messengers, cross bodies and briefcases for men is available at the store, along with the recently launched sunglasses and a range of small leather goods including wallets, belts, and card holders. The new store has created a beautiful display of orchard tables that showcase newly launched styles from Hidesign.
THE STORE DESIGN
Taking only 30 days to construct, the store has been custom designed by the Hidesign architecture team. Features such as a teakwood cash counter with a solid wood canopy that touches the ceiling, wooden display shelves, and the embedding of the solid brass Hidesign ‘bull’ logo onto the teakwood floor are true to their ethos of custom designed exclusive stores. Glowing custom-made solid brass display racks merge beautifully with the trademark warm and cheerful colour scheme of the store in brown, tan, cream and white. As common with all Hidesign stores, the fixtures of the store are hand-made in natural materials such as wood, solid brass and natural grain leather, creating a fresh and unusual look that the brand is recognized for.
A cherished project of the Group’s President, Dilip Kapur, this new store aims to curate some of the most significant milestones from Hidesign’s past through museum pieces strewn across the store. There is a special space dedicated to the 3 designers of the brand- Dilip Kapur, Alberto Ciaschini and Fabian Lintott with their photographs and quotes on their design sensibilities. The nature wall highlights the brand’s green story showcasing the foliage, water bodies and fauna at Hidesign in Pondicherry. A large display screen will be placed for the first time at a Hidesign store to narrate the brand story, along with specially produced videos detailing the making of the product at the eco-friendly Hidesign atelier. The store invites you to take a peek into the brand’s heritage through an illustrated map of Pondicherry on one side and plaques of the city’s street names embedded on the wood floor.
Hidesign has always been closely connected with art, whether in design, nature of the product, concepts behind the design of stores, or in their advertising campaign, all thematically representing the values that the brand stands for.
