Essentially Indian
2022 • Window Display • Zivame
Essentially Indian is a window display concept designed for Zivame's summer collection. The concept interprets everyday Indian life through a contemporary retail lens, using architectural cues, colour, and narrative details to place lingerie within a familiar, lived-in context.
Rather than treating lingerie as an aspirational or occasion-led product, the display positions it as an everyday essential. By embedding the collection into a stylised streetscape inspired by Indian homes and neighbourhoods, the window reflects Zivame's understanding of the Indian woman as practical, expressive, and modern, while remaining culturally rooted.
The result is a visual environment where tradition and modernity coexist naturally, allowing the product to feel both relevant and personal.
Design Approach
The window was constructed using a layered approach to create depth, visual hierarchy, and storytelling within a limited retail frontage. Each layer played a distinct role in guiding the viewer's eye from the exterior into the narrative and product focus.
Layer 1: Base Architecture
The bottom-most layer formed the foundation of the display, comprising the primary row of stylised houses. This layer established the streetscape and anchored the colour story, creating a strong visual base for the composition.
Layer 2: Mid-depth Elevation
Resting on the base layer with an offset depth of approximately 6 inches, this layer introduced vertical variation and architectural rhythm. It helped break flatness and added dimensionality to the streetscape.
Layer 3: Foreground Fence
Positioned just behind the glass, the fence created a physical and visual threshold between the viewer and the scene. This layer added depth while framing the display and drawing attention inward.
Layer 4: Overhead Banner
Suspended above the composition, the banner reinforced the "Essentially Indian" theme and provided a clear contextual anchor for the story without overpowering the display.
Layer 5: Product Windows and Doors
Three-dimensional windows and door cut-outs housed the lingerie, embedding the product directly into the architectural environment. This placement reinforced the idea of lingerie as an everyday essential within the Indian domestic setting.
Layer 6: Foliage Accents
Artificial foliage was placed at varying depths across the display to soften the architectural forms, add texture, and enhance the sense of a lived-in, inhabited space.
