Jagruti Designs

Jagruti is another one of the move-by-reputation designer boutiques that pepper the Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills area. Each one of them is definitely exclusive, since they all manage to run on fine profits with almost no advertising. The lady who runs Jagruti, Simran Jaggi, actually believes in limiting advertising to a couple of banners on the outside of the store when a sale season is on. This is because she intends to maintain the store's exclusivity, and not join any bandwagon.

She definitely succeeds incredibly well, going by her loyal clientele. Her range is expectedly attractive, and consists of unstitched salwar-kameez pieces, shoes and bags. A 6-year-old store, Jagruti has material with prices ranging from Rs. 450 to Rs. 5,000. She does not charge extra for designing and stitching the cloth bought here.

The fabrics span chiffon, georgette, crepes and lizzy bizzi (for daily wear). Simran has an eye for mirrors, sequins and spangles that adorn most of her collection. Not more than two colors in any style are available, a tactic to ensure exclusivity in Hyderabad. Wedding trousseaus are also done here.

Look at Jagruti as an alternative to an expensive Stanza if you are looking for party wear. Some fabrics are truly lush and rich, and would lend themselves very well to a little thoughtful tailoring. You could actually land yourself an eye-turning party outfit without much ado. And since the tailoring is free, this is a brilliantly economical, yet upscale store.

Pieces that caught my eye: a rather voluptuous red chiffon piece, just right for wedding wear, with vertical silk stripes and a nice gushing fall, at Rs. 2,000; and a feminine black and pink swirling print on white chiffon with small Swarowski crystals for Rs. 2,900.

The shoes are very cheap and very hip, picked up by Simran when she is traveling. There are many stringy designs and a few Rajasthani jootis.

Also note that Jagruti has real quick delivery capabilities for tailoring (2 hours if you wish), and with its 1-to-1 relationship philosophy with clients, can help co-design a very specific style that you might have a fetish for. Simran boasts of an understanding of clients that allows her to satisfy them without their articulating the specifics.

Do visit if you are tired of readymades, have some bright ideas about dresses, and want something chichi and exclusive.