A New Members-Only Space In Mumbai Caters To The Country's Creative Communities

A New Members-Only Space In Mumbai Caters To The Country's Creative Communities

For as long as one can remember, Bombay has always stood out for being home to the country’s largest population of creatives. Whether it’s the constant towering presence of the Hindi cinema industry – AKA Bollywood – or the numerous artists, poets, and writers that dot the streets of the city, armed with nothing but an unfazed determination and radical ideas. Each class of creatives has its own burgeoning ecosystem that is distinct from the others. And the idea of any of these ecosystems ever colliding has, so far, seemed like a fantasy. But with the city now opening its doors to India’s first Soho House, things might start to look different.

With 22 properties around the world, Soho House’s entry into Asia, and more specifically India, is monumental in more ways than one. An “inclusive members club” that caters to the city’s proliferating creative community, Soho House Mumbai is an 11-storey building in Juhu. Flanked by the Arabian Sea on one side and the city’s evergrowing bustle on the other, the House offers a luxurious experience in the form of 38 bedrooms, gymnasium, a spacious screening room and a rooftop pool.

As an initiative that encourages a youth-driven economy, many of Soho House Mumbai’s members are below the age of 27 like musician Naquita D’souza, jewellery designer Anushka Rajan and music producer Reuel Benedict, to name a few. Other members include Vogue India’s Bandana Tewari, documentary filmmaker and interior designer Shaana Levy Bhal, and restaurateur AD Singh.

Established in 1995 by Founder and CEO Nick Jones, Soho Houses across the world have come to represent a versatile embodiment of everything the creative industry has to offer. Each Soho House, albeit similar in its intention and objective, is a reflection of the city or country’s identity, culture and all that it has come to represent in the contemporary scheme of things something Linda Boronkay, director of Soho House Design, has achieved effortlessly.

With traditional Indian cement tiles, locally produced cane furniture, and walls clad in reclaimed sleeper wood, and retractable awnings overhead, the interiors are a beautiful mix of contemporary and vintage articles. Indian-inspired spices and flavours are all over the House’s food and drinks menu, with a special focus on ingredients that can be sourced locally ensuring that, just like the artists who are going to be a part of the community, the restaurant and bar too are as homegrown as can be.

While the idea of an ‘inclusive members-only’ club does seem a little self-contradictory, it actually is not. In fact, Soho House is far more than just a regular club membership. It’s a space for like-minded individuals, the upcoming generation of innovators (members or not) to come together and interact. “In a crowded place like Bombay, keeping your creativity alive, personally, gets very hard. The city demands a lot of energy because of various reasons. I see Soho House Mumbai as a safe haven to refuel your creativity and feed off the creative energy of various diverse people. A place where diversity is celebrated not suppressed and exploited,” says sculptor Durga Gawde.

Soho House is also a very path-breaking initiative in India, an opportunity that did not exist for the previous generation. As fashion designer Narendra Kumar, one of the above-27 members, tells us, “When I started out, it was just me myself and I given the very limited or entirely absent environment to interact with other creatives in disparate fields. I made it a point to communicate across every area and keep myself informed. However, for both the younger and the older generation right now, Soho House is a wonderful space to learn from and inspire each other.”

However, Soho House is not just for the members. People who aren’t members, but would like to immerse themselves in the Soho experience, can also book a room and enjoy the services for the duration of their stay and possibly stumble across opportunities like Reuel Benedict did, “At the house it feels natural to meet new people, share ideas and collaborate with them. I met Narendra Kumar Ahmed at one of the committee dinners and ended up working on the music for his show at Lakme Fashion week. It’s not something I would normally do and it was so different from the rest of my work but I took back so much from it. Opportunities like these are the reason why Soho House is so relevant to the creative community here in Bombay.”

But more than just being a luxury experience, Soho House Mumbai is a platform for the South East Asian artist community at large. The Soho House Mumbai Art Collection currently comprises 200 artworks 80% of which are the creations of artists from or based in South East Asia including the likes of Subodh Gupta, Bharti Kher, Thukral and Tagra, and many more.

Perhaps what’s even more fascinating about this art collection is that it’s not your traditional art gallery experience wherein you walk into a huge space and gander at breathtaking works of art. At Soho House Mumbai, traditional spaces merge to create something that’s very different from the status quo. These artworks will be displayed throughout the building, including the bedrooms, making art a common aspect of your everyday life.

Presently a powerhouse of creative synergies, Soho House Mumbai is a landmark as far as Mumbai is concerned. Not only does it place the city and India on the global map; it also allows for Soho House to develop into something unprecedented and unique.

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