Always wanted a leather skirt that fit you perfectly? Or a diary that had Robert Frost’s poem A Late Walk scribbled on its cover in the font ‘Harrington’? Well, you can now have this and more as Rhea Dhanbhoora & Dev Goswami show you how to customise your life
While anything that you want is available on the many racks of stores across the city, you have to agree that custom-made products have an inimitable charm. Customisation gives you a sense of royalty. Something that is tailor-made to your specifications, has the exact texture you love, is precisely the size you want, is of a specific shade that you spent years trying to spot in a barrage of other hues and most importantly, it is made just for you. Each layer of it embodies your personality. When it comes to clothes, customisation is a centuries-old process. However, now you can slip your personality into everything you own. From that peacock motif on your heels to the skull shaped zipper of your bag — even the little things can be customised. Take a look at some of these great customisation companies and brands that help personalise almost everything under the sun. Take your pick and get started.
SLIP INTO AN ARTISTIC SKIRT
Searching for a skirt with a good fit, at a good price, can be quite a task. But Artisan, a new company founded by twenty-something school friends Mubaishra and Nishita, is here to save the day. The label brings an eclectic mix of modern and feminine skirts that are so well tailored, you’ll never want to shop anywhere else. They source the globe for inspiration, work with refined prints, delicate cuts and shapes that can fit exactly how you want it to. Crafted to precision and delivered to your doorstep in little brown paper bags, everything from start to finish is high-end, except their delightful prices, which make them even more tempting to buy. You can get a high waist skirt with leather detail for as little as Rs 850, with their prices ranging from that to around Rs 2,000, a small price to pay for the exact style and fit you desire. They also offer custom designing services.
Contact [email protected]/ 9619041468/ 9820946662
WORK THAT BAG
How would you like to have a designer bag — the designer in question being you? Toteteca Bagworks make this possible with their custom made bags. You can pick the shape, design and colour and don’t worry about missing out on the designer name tag — you can add that too, at no extra cost! You can get a monogram stitched inside the lining or on a hanging tag. Prices start at an affordable Rs 900 and go up to Rs 3,400 depending on what you choose.
Contact www.toteteca.com
BEST FOOT FORWARD
Sheetal Mistry Solanki is an artist and has always loved to paint — not just on canvas but on everything! She slowly found that customising her own accessories, clothes, bags and shoes was what she wanted to do. After taking a few orders, she started a little company, dedicated to her father, called Polka Bee. Running it as a family business with her dad and sisters, she customises unique, highly creative pieces. While she customises everything from furniture to bags and trays, we fell in love with her creatively painted shoes. Pricing depends on the requirement and design as well as the detail and product you choose. They deliver internationally, so no matter where you are, you can get a hand painted product. If we were you, we’d be logging on as quickly as possible to get a pair of her beautifully designed shoes.
Contact www.polkabee.com
WHIMSICAL WALLS
Whether you want your wall to look like it’s part of a Middle Eastern palace or an art deco living room in New York, Shelly’s Walls has something for you. Starting from Rs 500 per square foot, the service offers wall tattoos that are easy to install and change. They have several designs to choose from, or you can go ahead and design your own. The best part is that you can use the decals on any surface from walls and ceilings to hardwood, concrete, furniture, metal and even fan blades.
Contact [email protected]/ 9833988533/ 9833988433
FOR THE LITTLE ‘PIPAL’
Personalise the things that your little boy or girl has around them by logging on to www.thepipal.com. The child friendly site offers a wide variety of customisable products for children ranging from nursery items, such as bedding and diaper bags to bedroom furnishings, robes, backpacks and bathroom accessories. We were impressed enough at first glance to continue to browse through it. Did we mention they also offer complete bedroom solutions? The service takes care of everything from start to finish, allowing you to mix and match to customise your child’s bedroom. Prices range from Rs 450-Rs 2,500, but you’ll be paying Rs 50-Rs 100 for each customisation that you make.
Contact 08968737777
WRITE RIGHT
When we first heard about Doodle, we thought — ah, someone who can write our names on the front of a book. Nice, but why is it such a big deal? And then, we logged on and had a look. Doodle Diaries will surprise you with its fun, colourful, quirky designs and if you’ve already got something in mind, they’re the best place to visit. Browse through their designs, mix and match, pick your own and tell them what you want imprinted on it to make your dream journal. Priced between Rs 275-Rs 395, what’s better than a personal diary that’s, well, personalised?!
Where www.doodlemakeyourowndiary.com
THE GADGET CONNECTION
Customising your gadgets can be about more than colourful covers and cases if you log on to one of the several customised skin sites in the city. Select your picture or design and upload it onto either Skinzpert.com or The Skin Mantra, both of which offer the option to choose dimensions and get your laptop/phone skin right to your doorstep. For laptops, Skinzpert costs Rs 449 per skin while The Skin Mantra costs Rs 364.
Contact www.skinzpert.com and www.theskinmantra.com
GETTING PERSONAL
Even gifts mean more when they’re personalised. www.ourshop.in and www.engrave.com offer a number of picture based personalised services for products such as mugs, pillow cases, plates, calendars and much more. The prices are in the `300 to `1,000 range. We particularly like the jigsaw puzzles where you can decide what image it forms.
RIGHT ON TEE
Do you have a cool quote that you’d like on a t-shirt or a funky design that you can’t find anywhere? Well, stop hunting and create your own customised t-shirt. We recommend ilogo and 99Shirts. Ilogo is perfect for beginners and gives you a simple round-neck t-shirt to personalise. You can choose the colour, add text or a picture and position them as you prefer. You even have the option to add outlines, choose from different fonts and pick from a variety of text shapes. The cost depends on the number of changes you make. But, look to spend anywhere between Rs 200 to Rs 1,000. 99Shirts too has similar features but is not just limited to crew-neck tees. They also have polos, v-necks, full sleeves, sleeveless t-shirts and cricket jerseys. The price ranges between Rs 400-Rs 1,000.
Where www.ilogo.in and www.99shirts.com
THE PERFECT SHIRT
When it comes to formal wear, a perfectly fitting shirt is a must-have in every man’s wardrobe. However, you’d think that as far custom-made shirts go, all you’ll get is a shirt sewn for your size. Wrong! From the kind of fabric and the cuts to the detailing and monogramming, there’s a lot you can do with shirts to make them truly personalised. One such service is offered by Louis Philippe. It uses the existing fits which you can personalise by choosing the collar, cuff, placket and pocket options. You can also get your initials monogrammed. The price ranges from Rs 4,000 to Rs 15,000.
If you’d like more options, check out SS Homme. The whole process is akin to designing a shirt from scratch. It starts off with a stylist taking you through a variety of fabric options. Once you choose the fabric, you will get to tell the stylist your construction and design preferences based on which they will design your shirt. What’s more is that you can add a number of funky buttons and cuffs that will add more to the personalised experience. The cost depends on the fabric you choose and will be upwards of Rs 3,500.
Contact Louis Philippe: 67033649; SS Homme: 9820811263