The launch of the new flagship Wendell Rodricks store in Mumbai also marked the launch of ‘Reminiscence’. We take you through the space and the sentiment.
Designer, environmental activist and author Wendell Rodricks who held his Goan cultural insignia close to his heart and home, ushered a new wave of resort chic in Indian fashion. And on a balmy late September evening, connoisseurs of the Wendell Rodricks label came together to celebrate the launch of the first stand-alone flagship store in Mumbai and bask in the warm legacy of the “guru of Indian minimalism”.
The store was launched by luxury fashion house, Purple Style Labs, the company that houses the fashion omni-channel platform, Pernia’s Pop-Up Shop and the label Hemant Trevedi, under their roster. The Mumbai-based luxury fashion house Purple Style Labs (PSL) acquired the 1989-launched resort wear label, Wendell Rodricks, in December 2020. Located in the heart of Juhu-Tara Road, the cosy 700-sq- ft store is the second stand-alone Wendell Rodricks boutique, after Panjim in Goa. The flagship Mumbai store effortlessly recreates the laidback and chic aesthetics of its Goan counterpart. Photo-frames portraying the designer’s muses and models over the years, as well as his past fashion campaigns and other personal memorabilia adorn the store.
In attendance were several of Rodricks’ long-time friends, clients and well-wishers from the fashion fraternity. Among those spotted were Bollywood actor, Malaika Arora, Rodricks’ husband, Jerome Marrel, fashion designers Hemant Trevedi and Gavin Miguel, HRH Samarjitsinh Gaekwad, fashion photographers, Farrokh Chothia and Sumeet Chopra, Fahad Samar, Marc Robinson, models, Candice Pinto, Shamita Singha, Kavita Kharayat, Sunny Kamble and Kiara Coehlo, TV actor Sahil Salathia, Yash Dongre, Riyad Kundanmal, Rij Eappen, as well as Abhishek and Abhinav Agarwal from Purple Style labs, amongst others. “The new Wendell Rodricks store in Juhu is the achievement of one of his dreams as he always wanted to have a stand-alone store in Mumbai. It is a great way to re-enter the retail space with Wendell’s timeless garments. And I am very happy with the look of the space, which will attract our patrons who cannot travel to Goa,” says Marrel.
On offer at the new Mumbai flagship store is the ‘Reminiscence’ collection, a resort wear range comprising billowing, breezy and contemporary silhouettes, infused with the signature trans-seasonal, minimalist, and trend-agnostic aesthetic of the label. “These reimagined WR classics are more than just investment and nostalgia pieces but rather, serve as wardrobe heroes that are meant to be worn time and time again. Think fun yet free-spirited styles splashed with striking colours and featuring whimsical lines, that will leave a lasting impression,” says Abhishek Agarwal, Founder and CEO, Purple Style Labs.
Rodricks upheld traditional Indian textiles and revived the Kunbi sari. Purple Style Labs intends to carry forward the legacy by working with his artisanal craft cluster in Goa. “A strong brand recall drove our decision to buy over the brand and we believe that this buyout will ensure that Wendell’s creative legacy lives on and his people, his WR team who he always invested in, like family, are taken care of,” signs off Agarwal. “Wendell’s legacy both through his brand and his upcoming Moda Goa Museum is the result of his hardwork and a commitment to the ideals he decided to follow,” adds Marrel thoughtfully.
“The new Wendell Rodricks store in Juhu is the achievement of one of his dreams as he always wanted to have a stand-alone store in Mumbai.”
– JEROME MARREL