Mubarak Baug opened its doors in early 2024 as the new flagship for the legendary Indian couture house Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla. Housed in the former Framjee Cawasjee Institute—a 20,000 sq ft heritage building that once served as a theatre—the store has been transformed into an immersive retail concept that feels more like an art gallery than a conventional boutique. The designers describe the space as a pure fantasy, a place where brass installations, mirrored jharokhas and hand-cut shola converge with a crystal chandelier to create a visual narrative that celebrates both Indian craftsmanship and unapologetic maximalism.
From theatrical theatre to couture palace: the anatomy of Mubarak Baug
The entry experience begins with an Inverted City motif, where brass elements appear to float from the ceiling, casting a warm metallic glow that is instantly softened by reflected light from the chandelier above. A winding staircase, lined with vintage photographs and framed crafts, leads visitors into the “Bombay Skyline Corridor”, a tribute to the designers’ beloved metropolis. At the heart of the venue lies the Wonder Room a hybrid gallery that houses couture pieces alongside hand-carved golden screens, colossal swan sculptures, and walls draped in tapestries made from atelier swatches. This layered approach blurs the line between fashion display and interior exhibition, offering an experiential retail journey that invites repeat exploration.
Every surface in the store is a canvas for collaboration. Jaipur-based arts collective Wolf supplied the metallic panels that construct the maze-like ambience, while visual artist Shilo Shiv Suleman animated the reflective surfaces. Murals by Shine Shivan add narrative depth, and a gem-inspired mirror crowns the fine jewellery vault, showcasing the brand’s latest collections in a setting that feels both opulent and intimate. Even the meeting rooms echo this extravagance, featuring embroidered panels and handcrafted screens that reinforce the designers’ obsession with texture and detail.
How Mubarak Baug mirrors the season’s dominant interior trends
While the store’s design is uniquely its own, it inadvertently maps onto several trends that dominated the Focus/26 showcase at Chelsea Harbour. First, the resurgence of flamestitch—a zig-zag motif dating back to the 17th century—finds a parallel in the store’s linear brass installations and mirrored latticework, which reinterpret the pattern in a three-dimensional, contemporary language. Second, the move toward softened metallics is evident in the brushed brass and aged gold finishes that dominate the interior, offering a “candle-light” quality rather than a high-gloss disco vibe.
Another notable trend is mobile lighting. The Wonder Room’s suspended chandeliers and portable lanterns echo the garden-friendly fixtures highlighted by brands like Porta Romana and Original BTC at Focus/26, allowing light to become a dynamic element that can be repositioned to alter mood and focus. The tactile dimension of the store also embraces the wild texture wave championed by Schumacher and Casamance—think hand-cut shola, layered mirrorwork, and embroidered swans that invite visitors to touch, not merely view.
Finally, the playful, romantic patterns favored by designers such as GP & J Baker manifest in the store’s curated murals and fabric installations. Bright, botanical motifs intermingle with traditional Indian motifs, creating a visual rhythm that feels both nostalgic and forward-looking. In this way, Mubarak Baug doesn’t merely follow trends; it amplifies them, presenting a maximalist vision that feels cohesive rather than chaotic.
Beyond the flagship: Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla’s broader design legacy
The designers’ foray into interiors predates Mubarak Baug by nearly four decades. Their first boutique, Mata Hari opened in 1986, and early collaborations with gallerist Bina Kilachand already hinted at a cross-disciplinary mindset. A landmark 1993 furniture exhibition at Bajaj Hall sold out within three hours, confirming their ability to translate couture sensibilities into spatial experiences. Since then, they have crafted residences for Indian film royalty, contributed to luxury developments like Lodha Ciel’s sky-villa, and designed airport terminals at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport.
Each interior project bears the hallmark of their maximalist aesthetic extravagant use of mirrorwork, resham embroidery reimagined in upholstery, and a fearless blend of traditional craft with contemporary form. The Wonder Room, named after a friend who described a Goan home as “a wonder,” now serves as a portable prototype for these ventures, appearing in homes across Goa, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Karjat. Mubarak Baug, named after Khosla’s ancestral Kapurthala mansion, is the most expansive canvas yet, allowing the duo to showcase the full spectrum of their design vocabulary in a single, public space.
In sum, the flagship does more than sell garments; it functions as a living manifesto of how Indian couture can intersect with global interior movements. By weaving together flamestitch patterns, soft metallic tones, mobile light fixtures, tactile textures, and whimsical motifs, Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla have created a destination that feels simultaneously historic, theatrical, and unmistakably modern.
