Jellyfish and seahorses at Hermès

An Hermès wonderland under the sea

Visual artist Svabhu Kohli is based in Goa and over the years has built a reputation for their ability to dream up magical, natural wonderlands through mediums that include illustration, painting, installation art and more. The sea and all its flora and fauna were the inspiration for their latest transformation of Hermès’s New Delhi store windows into what the brand describes as “an immersive world, where the oceans and forests converge in harmony”. The handmade, ‘dancing’ installations feature jellyfish, seahorses, coral reefs, birds, and giant painterly blooms, some of which are made of the French maison’s most delicate silk foulards, skinny Twillys, and even a few little bags. This is Kohli’s first collaboration with the brand and, hopefully, the start of his own journey into the whimsical world of Hermès. —Butool Jamal

Venture Beyond by Svabhu Kohli is on display till January 10, 2027, at Hermès, The Chanakya Mall, New Delhi

Rakhi Sawant loves this lipstick and so will you

First, Kitty Su pioneered queer nightlife in India. Now, 15 years after it opened, it’s coming for our makeup bags with the launch of Kitty Su Beauty, courtesy of founders Cyril Feuillebois and Keshav Suri. New on the block, the beauty brand has drawn from the club’s maximalist and inclusive legacy to create an initial lineup of five lip products that will hold out longer than you on a Friday night out: a black matte lipstick if you’re feeling bold, a chrome gloss that doubles as a face highlighter or a smudge-proof red liquid lipstick called Hotline if you prefer a classic. Rakhi Sawant, for one, is a fan of Hotline. Kitty Su Beauty’s first offering is created in collaboration with drag artist Hash Brownie, who tells The Nod that she wants its products to “move between performance and everyday life”. She adds, “The brand was born from a cultural space, and we want everything we create to continue feeling connected to that world.” —Avani Thakkar

Available on kittysubeauty.com

The watch Hrithik Roshan would wear with jeans, a suit or a kurta

Rado’s new Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Chronograph is technically an adventure watch but thankfully doesn’t look like it requires hiking boots. The R32195202 style pairs a matte plasma high-tech ceramic bracelet with a rose-gold stainless-steel turning bezel and a blue ceramic dial with glow-in-the-dark Super-LumiNova accents. Powered by the R801 automatic movement, it’s water-resistant upto 300 metres too, should your idea of an adventure involve getting wet.

The first thing brand ambassador Hrithik Roshan noticed about the watch was “how light it felt, especially given the watch’s presence”. For the actor, the appeal lies in its versatility. “I like that it’s designed for adventure but doesn’t have to be limited to one. I could see myself wearing it while travelling somewhere with a little more space and nature around me. But what makes this watch interesting is that it can come with you on an adventure without looking like you’re wearing a watch just for that,” says Roshan.

Which is probably why he’d wear it just as happily away from the great outdoors. His default pairing? “Probably a T-shirt and jeans most often. I like the contrast between something technically sophisticated and a very simple outfit,” he says, though he’d wear it with a suit—or even a kurta—too. —Chloe Chou

Priced at ₹6,96,100. Available in-store

New stores, just in time for festive shopping

The national capital is now home to Hyderabad-based bridal designer Anushree Reddy’s new flagship store. Designed by Kavan Shah Design Studio, the Dhan Mill location is the designer’s second one in Delhi and fifth across the country. The store is just as romantic as Reddy’s collections, with sandy-pink arches, hand-painted ceilings, and vintage details running throughout the 7,000 sq ft space.

Meanwhile, Quest Mall in Kolkata is now home to a new Bvlgari store. Inspired by the maison’s flagship on Via Condotti, the space is outfitted with Travertino and onyx marble counters, fluted walls that riff on ancient Roman columns, and an Andy Warhol painting. The main attraction is overhead: a Serpenti chandelier handcrafted in Murano glass with approximately 300 crystal wands. In addition to its Serpenti and Octo collections, the store also carries India-exclusive pieces, like the B.zero1 kada bracelet and Bvlgari mangalsutra, while VIP clients can avail of private appointments and the Roman jeweller’s carnet programme, which brings rare high-jewellery pieces to the city. —Khushi Vora

In Mumbai, Jaipur Rugs has expanded its footprint with a flagship housed in a restored Victorian-era warehouse in Lower Parel’s Empire Mills. “The next time you walk into the store, it may look completely different,” said Yogesh Chaudhary after I finished my walkthrough of the 20,000 sq ft space. The store is expansive and almost like an art gallery. Architect Pallavi Dean of Roar has taken the idea of repetition in weaving and translated it into geometric forms that repeat and scale up. Think stepped cuboid structures throughout the store, functioning as platforms, partitions, and walls. —Tanvi Parekh

Address:

Anushree Reddy, Dhan Mill Compound, 100 Feet Road, Chhatarpur, New Delhi - 110074

Bvlgari Kolkata Boutique, ground dloor, 33, Quest Mall, Syed Amir Ali Avenue, Park Circus, Kolkata - 700017

Jaipur Rugs, Empire Complex, 414, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai - 400013

Dad sneakers are back in the game

Everyone’s favourite ugly sneaker, the Asics Gel-Stratus MC, has finally landed in India. For your inner performative performance runner, the unisex shoe works just as well with a pair of tailored trousers as it does with jeans and a graphic tee. Its chunky silhouette, inspired by the brand’s Gel-Stratus archives, bridges the gap between 2010s technical running aesthetics and modern streetwear, with Asics’s signature Tiger Stripes in silver overlaid on breathable white mesh. The rearfoot Gel technology makes it a comfortable everyday option, whether you’re actually going anywhere near a running track or not. —Khushi Vora

Priced at ₹9,999; available on asics.co.in

Three stops to make on the art circuit this month

The art world is keeping things interesting this month. In Delhi, CMYK Bookstore’s Master Impressions brings together more than 60 prints and lithographs by Picasso, Miró, and Dalí, giving us a chance to see the more pared-back side of three artists we usually associate with much bigger, bolder works. The exhibition also looks at printmaking as an important part of each artist’s practice, from Picasso’s economy of line to Miró’s symbols and forms and Dalí’s meticulous Surrealism. Over in Mumbai, Yogesh Barve’s Tayen Tayen Fish at Art & Charlie looks at caste, class, and cultural inequality but approaches some pretty heavy subjects through humour and the absurdity of everyday life. Meanwhile, in Bengaluru, Kaash is showing Japanese weaver Chiaki Maki’s The Quiet Hand, featuring works created at her Uttarakhand studio, Ganga Maki. The exhibition explores her relationship with fibre, colour, and the landscape around her. —Sheya Kurian

Master Impressions will be on at CMYK Bookstore, New Delhi, till November 22

Tayen Tayen Fish will be on display at Art and Charlie, Mumbai, till October 25

The Quiet Hand will be on view at Kaash, Bengaluru, till November 21

Know thy neighbourhood

Mumbai peeps, if you’re too late for even a last-minute long weekend getaway planning, the city’s got your back. On until October 4, The Neighbourhood Festival will transform the suburbs of Bandra, Khar, and Santacruz into a walkable cultural festival. You may start your day attending a workshop and end up listening to a gig or watching a stand-up act or a movie. You can also choose to simply amble around the neighbourhood, people-watch or shop at the flea markets. Of course, with good food to keep you company, always. You can choose between a five-event pass for ₹799 or a 10-event pass for ₹999 and get access to 80-plus community events, including headlining acts by Rohan Joshi, Gini, Azeem Banatwalla, and Sahil Shah, among others. Participating venues include 3 Art House, Foot Locker, Gharaonda, Kold Karobar, Khar Comedy Club/Loft52, Foodsquare, The Den, and Laguna. Themed ‘The Neighbourhood Archive’, the second edition will look at the lesser-known histories of the three areas. It’s as hyperlocal as it gets. Go, step out on the streets this weekend. —Tanvi Parekh

The Neighbourhood Festival is on until October 4. Register here