Quirky lifestyle brand finds first brick and mortar home in equally quirky space — a 19th Century Colaba church
Lovebirds Studio launched the store at Wesley Church, Colaba, on Thursday. Pic/Bipin Kokate
Lovebirds Studio, a lifestyle brand, has found a head turning perch. The clothes store, known for its quirky clothing, opened its first brick ’n’ mortar Mumbai outpost inside Wesley Church premises in Colaba, on late Thursday evening. At the opening, the talk that dominated conversation, over finger food and wine, was as much about the location, a 19th Century church, as it was about sustainable sourced stylish clothing.
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This is a very unusual choice, but we are delighted. We had been looking for a spot for years in Mumbai, before the pandemic, but somehow could not zero in on the right space. Then, we found this. We are excited about this,” Lovebirds director-designer Gursi Singh said about the location.
Amrita Khanna, designer
The off-the-beaten-track space is part of the resplendent church building, which stands at a Colaba Causeway traffic light, next to the police station. It is opposite the Causeway strip, dense with shops and hawkers. For the designers, the bohemian vibe of the Causeway works big time. “We are looking at professionals, tourists, many walk-ins, besides our loyalists as possible buyers. We have an extremely eclectic following, and Colaba, with so many art galleries in the vicinity, fits in with what we are all about,” explained Singh.
The funds
Pastor and priest-in-charge Fr. Vijay Davidson said Wesley Church has two lifestyle outlets. “We have a watch store, Just In Time, in the front, and now the clothes store at another space. We had a bank where the watch store stands now, for nearly 40 years. The bank vacated in September last year.”
Davidson added that Lovebirds Studio, “is located in a space in our premises which housed an office a few years earlier. I am unsure of the name of the establishment. It was kept locked for years after that, and now we have this store. The designer, Amrita Khanna and her team have been wonderful. They repaired this space which had started looking shabby since it was locked, but the ethos of the space, the externals are untouched. Ms Khanna is actually a blessing for our church, with all the repairs and restoration.”
The church premises has two lifestyle shops, including a watch store. Pics/Bipin Kokate
Fr. Davidson brushed away any criticism about commercial gain and said, “We have always given out these spaces that can be accessed through separate entrances, from the main Church entrance. This money helps us for our different charity projects. We give ration to families on the streets, work in villages, and this winter we distributed blankets to the poor, there are many initiatives for which we need funds. Instead of leaving the space idle, we can generate money. Remember, no place of worship inside the church has been given out or disturbed in any way. There has been no compromise on that.”
He sees an upside to a different audience within the Church premises. “The heritage aspects, apparent even from the exterior, may strike buyers and they may be enthused to take a look and learn from the magnificent architecture of this building.”
The ‘real gem’
This is “a real gem,” said store designer Saurabh Dakshini, adding, “We did not want a conventional space.” Both Dakshini and Khanna said, “We are from Delhi and we got plenty of advice from well meaning people who told us Kala Ghoda may be the place we are looking for, as it is very artsy. We did not find anything that resonated with us there. We found this Wesley Church on the last day of our earlier visit to Mumbai,” said Khanna, as guests poured in for the launch, many dressed in the brand’s spunky clothing.
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