This last fortnight has been a tremendously exciting one for shopaholics. Mumbai’s Palladium mall, home to Zara, Burberry and Jimmy Choo, has made room for international mammoths, Swedish high-street hero H&M, American luxury brand Coach and Japanese design store Muji.
However, while the hysterical frenzy was reserved for teenagers waiting for H&M to open its doors, the quiet thrill of Muji was felt amongst a vast population of urban Indian thirty-somethings (me included), who stood in long queues patiently, baskets stacked with organic white shirts and wooden salad bowls.
I was brave, yes brave, enough to combat crazy weekend traffic in Lower Parel, a three-hour wait at Jamie Oliver’s Pizzeria and a 10-minute long security check queue to lay my hands on minimal Japanese products. Muji is a store that’s been on my shopping checklist each time I’ve been to a global hotspot like London or Bangkok, so it was definitely on my to-do list for a rainy opening weekend.
The question, ‘What is Muji?’ gets answered as soon as you enter the mall with a walk-through installation deciphering the no-logo, no-frills, user-driven design philosophy. The concept was born out of the intersection of two distinct stances: no brand ( Mujirushi ) and the value of good items ( ryohin ). Located on a prime corner of the third floor, the warmly lit store is inviting. As one walks in, friendly staff thrust handy grey baskets into unsuspecting hands.
Browsing through throngs of fans trying to make sense of aisles of neatly stacked merchandise, and toddlers running amok while parents debate over soy sauce holders doesn’t induce the Zen feeling a Muji store crawl usually commands.
However, ambience aside, this place is organisation heaven: from filing folders to stackable wicker baskets in different sizes to clear plastic make-up boxes. After all, every hostess worth her salt needs a foldable linen basket in natural beige to hold rolled-up white fluffy guest towels.
As I make my way to the home and kitchen section, there’s plenty that fits into a hipster’s dream: coffee percolators, square Acadia wood plates, beautifully designed chopsticks. What else can one drink their matcha (green tea) from, if not from a delicate white tumbler that fits perfectly into your cupped palms? At Rs. 2,990, the cotton duvet covers don’t feel overpriced, just yet. When IKEA takes over India, this thought may change.
For now, Muji gives one lots of want, maybe not as much need. This last decade, our homes have become accustomed to the elegant Indian aesthetic mastered by Good Earth. Here, in the home section, you will find an antithesis to that design in its no-fuss minimalism and instructional stickers on products. The only sign of any Indian design is in the store behind the cash counter where beautifully carved block-print slabs are coloured a neutral grey.
Given the size of the store, it’s surprising to find the vast array of merchandise the buyers have managed to pack in. The section one can give an easy miss to is the women’s clothing. It’s stocked with boring jersey basics in neutral hues and stripes or the over-sized sack dresses that, frankly, I can’t see flattering anyone. For men though, it might be an alternative to GAP to hoard their staples: organic cotton shirts in white, light blue and grey, underwear and the trademark right-angle socks that don’t budge once on.
If nothing, the stationery will lure you in. Founded in 1980 in Japan, Muji has learnt to master the art of must-have knickknacks. While you may not actually end up ever kicking off a scrapbook to find use for cute stamps with LOVE and SWEET, stock up on the A6 spiral craft notebooks; Rs. 290 is a small price to pay for recycled paper and a piece of good design.
The author is an independent fashion consultant and Editor of The Juice Magazine
