Indian designer label Raw Mango finally has a home in Chennai. The new store, located on Cenotaph Road in Teynampet, is spread over 5,400 sq. ft. and was executed by the in-house team, from design to architecture.
Photo Courtesy: Raw Mango
Exploring the stunning new store, LuxeBook spoke to Raw Mango’s founder and designer Sanjay Garg, who gave us a virtual tour of his new store and its collections while telling us about his views on sustainable fashion, Indian textiles and more.
Sanjay Garg, Raw Mango
Give us insights on your new store in Chennai?
Designed for residences and commercial spaces, governments and educational institutions, Teynampet area is situated along Anna Salai, the arterial road of Chennai that derives its name from Thennam and Pettai (Place of coconut trees) due to the coconut groves that once existed there. It is within this historic locality’s Cenotaph Road, that we have found our new home for Raw Mango in Chennai. Spread over 5400 sq. ft., the store is housed within a two-storied house dating back to the 1960s.
Photo Courtesy: Raw Mango
The design of the space was guided by the vernacularised Art Deco style of the original building and its micro-histories. The space and its elements are designed to be a container for diverse ideas, some even contradictory to co-exist. Found and collected curiosities from my personal collection are complemented by details inspired by various modernist and historic styles. The store features seven rooms that are connected with long galleries, each with its own purpose and distinct design that come together as a whole.
Raw Mango has a very unique aesthetic in terms of colour, patterns and even the models.
Raw Mango has never tried consciously tried to create a signature aesthetic. We experiment, and discover new forms, techniques, and colours and draw inspiration from diverse sources.
Photo Courtesy: Raw Mango
Do you think sustainability within the industry is being taken seriously?
Sustainability is not really a trend for us, it never has been. We have always been conscious of our existence. For it to become a foundation, there is still a lot of work to do, and not necessarily by designers alone. The media, government and weavers, all have a role to play. There are many pillars that need to work more cohesively together. Overall, there is a shift toward more conscious consumption on a mass level; one has to see how large-scale production can be sustainable as a baseline.
Photo Courtesy: Raw Mango
One of Raw Mango’s prominent traits is promoting Indian textiles.
Our relationship with Indian textiles started back in 2008. For the craft to survive, it requires constant design intervention from time to time. It needs to retain the values of the old but also be relevant in the present day, while holding value for the future. As a design house, we will keep our craft and the communities that create it very close to us, and build value for all involved, right from the weavers to the woman who wears Raw Mango. Choosing brands and designers that stand with, support and respect the craft traditions of India will help strengthen and safeguard our local economy and cultural identity.
Photo Courtesy: Raw Mango
What are your plans for the future?
We are looking at expanding in the country while scaling up our business to the international market via our website.
