Vayu: Bikaner house’s sartorial haven

Rajasthani artefacts and handlooms have been quite the rage among the sartorially inclined and the fashion community. Now Bikaner House, the state building in Delhi houses a lifestyle store called Vayu to celebrate the state’s rich culture of handicrafts.  Not your regular airport styled store, the items in this place have been selected with curatorial wisdom — ikat backpacks, Japanese style print screens and a good collection of books on travel makes it obvious that a certain amount of thought has got into it. Curiously, designers who could have very well fit into this bohemian Jaipuri ethic (such as Jodi, or Raw Mango, for instance) aren’t selling from this store — people who would have certainly added value to a place that is otherwise refreshing to walk around in for its wonderful aesthetic. A fresh bouquet of purple flowers brings some innocence and immediacy to the store — an original thought in the décor section marred by the paucity of originality.
 On the other hand, most things in the store are affordable — it is possible to get a percussion instrument within Rs 600. It has a collection of valuable antiques secure behind glass cases, everything else is displayed casually around like a well stocked drawing room. Rows of sarees in chiffon, rich  colourful shawls and a collection of shirts for men called the White Champa collection take care of the store’s fashion quotient.
Vayu is a must visit for the store-browser, the person who likes to keep up with collections and trends of the city, but build a style of their own.