India’s First Gay Multi-Designer Store

The gay community in India is fascinated by their own love for shopping fashionable designer garments. The young, handsome and vivacious entrepreneur and a former student from London School of Fashion, Inder Vhatwar kick-starts India’s First Gay Multi-Designer Store, D’KLOSET. The store was inaugurated by his close friend and the brand ambassador of the LGBT Community, ex-Miss India Celina Jaitley post Christmas. Sourendra Kumar Das meets Inder and steers you about a unique shopping opportunity in the gayest way.

Mumbai streets offer astonishing variety of shops and boutiques but often gay guys look out of a safe space for shopping where they will not be judged for their looks and mannerisms. Nestled in the heart of a chic shopping district, near Mini Punjab in Bandra West, D’KLOSET is India’s First Gay Multi-Designer Store where one can be comfortable looking through the racks of gay-friendly apparel line or space where some straight and pushy salesman will not breath down the neck.

This store has international designs, trendy clothing, stylish accessories, foot-tapping shoes, and the likes that add to a whole lot of unique shopping experience for gay guys.

“The store is airy and tastefully done with an assortment and colourful clothing by some of the most renowned international designers’ brands, bling party wear, tee-shirts, trendy bags, sexy shoes, high fashion boxers and trunks, thongs, g-strings, swimwear collection, fun & sporty clothing for feminine tomboys too, head wears, belt, buckles, jewellery around neck or arm that a man would be happy to own,” revealed the vivacious and fashionable Inder Vhatwar, the owner of the multi-designer store and a former student from London College of Fashion.

D’KLOSET opened just before the Christmas 2010 with the purpose to offer something different in the men’s designer wear to ever growing gay community of young, funky and very individual fashion conscious crowd that Mumbai and the suburbs attracts. In just less than a week, it has become of one the coolest place to find funky men’s designer underwear, trunks, boxers and swimwear too. “In future we will also include more of gym wear, club wear, fragrances, accessories, flip flops and the likes as they are more in demand,” said a smiling Inder.

There are lots of kinky stuffs in the store too, but there are certain naughty items that go missing! “I know since we cater to the modern broad-minded generation, there is demand for many other fun toys too. But we could not include any sex toys or racy lingerie as it is still illegal according to the Indian law,” added Inder. However, there is ‘Comfort Zone’, a multi-coloured tiny sitting lounge outside the store where shoppers can sit and spend some quality time with their friends. Coffee too would be included into the menu, very soon!

There are often homophobic attitude of the society that makes it difficult for the members of the LGBT community to come out. Then how would Inder, in such conservative market conditions, come out of all shackles to scale up its business and shore up its marketing activities, forms the crux of the case study. However the young and spirited entrepreneur smiles when asked what is the gay guys’ to the stuff they can find here; as he explains that they have had an immediate following and had returning customers from the first day, and this even without much publicity.

D’KLOSET is situated on the 16th Road, opposite to the very famous Hawaiian Shack, near Linking Road in Bandra West, Mumbai. The store was inaugurated by Inder’s close friend and the brand ambassador for the LGBT Community, the Bollywood diva and ex-Miss India Celina Jaitley post Christmas. The youthful and gorgeous Inder invites all the readers of PINK PAGES nationwide and abroad to come for a grand gay shopping experience in 2011 as he promises “there’s in store a BIG SURPRISE for the NEW YEAR!”

Where is D’KLOSET? It’s Shop No 1, Villa Queenie, Plot No 369, 16th Road, opposite Hawain Shack, near Mini Punjab Restaurant, Bandra West, Mumbai: 400050, India.

Call 00919820319195 or email at dkloset@yahoo.com for more details, Explore online at www.dklosetonline.com or add them in facebook. The store remains open all days, from 11am to 10pm.