38 APRIL 2018 / TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM
/ insider intel /
built around a central courtyard, where Kaur
curates living spaces that blend India’s diverse
craft heritage with a contemporary aesthetic.
Mod club chairs are upholstered in block-
printed cotton; midcentury sofas are paired
with Art Deco tables and Mughal miniatures;
Suzani embroidery, Moroccan pillows,
handloomed duvets and kaftans drape vintage
Burmese teak beds. In spite of her genre- and
era-bending aesthetics, Kaur’s space is
surprisingly uncluttered and tranquil. In a city
perennially dodging a bad rap for stuffy
markets, stif ling heat and acrid pollution, Kaur
delivers a rare commodity: a breath of fresh air.
Similarly, Nicobar, a year-old fashion and
lifestyle brand that already has stores across
the country, bases its design studio in a former
farmhouse. Here, the production team dreams
up collections sitting outdoors in nature-filled
courtyards. While their seaside-themed
306-square-meter f lagship store just opened in
Chanayapuri, Nicobar premiered in Delhi back
in 2016, opening a store in Meharchand Market,
a vintage shopping district where old-school
tailors and chai wallahs rub shoulders with a
burgeoning hipster scene. Among the din and
drama of the market, the petit glass-frontedFROM TOP: A saree vendor at
Shahpur Jat; a mural at Lodhi
Colony. OPPOSITE: Waiting outside
Meharchand Market.