In London’s historic Burlington Arcade, Ananya Malhotra’s new flagship boutique feels both inevitable and deeply personal — a return as much as a progression. “It obviously feels quite surreal,” says the designer. “I’ve always dreamt of having a store. London’s where I went to university for jewellery, and it’s where I began my design journey,” adds the Central Saint Martins graduate. The city has long been her “design home” — the place where she sits and creates, even as her inspirations travel between continents and her Indian roots.
The arcade itself was a deliberate choice. Practicality played its part: The brand had already maintained an office and by-appointment space nearby, and clients were comfortable in the area. But it was also instinctive. Long considered a jewellery haven, the arcade is being revitalised with younger energy. “It felt very right for the brand,” informs Ananya.
The idea had sat on a vision board for two to three years, though the process itself took closer to a year and a half. Six months were spent searching for the right address; one promising space slipped away at the last minute. Yet what followed proved better suited — stronger frontage, the right proportions for a brand of her scale. “Time really flew,” shares Ananya. “Even towards the very end, we were wondering, oh my gosh, are we ready? It was a very big first nervous step.”
Although the store signals growth, the brand’s core codes remain intact. “One of the things that stayed constant is obviously the love for coloured gemstones and also working with multiple materials,” she says. That design language — specially cut cabochons, inlays of black onyx or frosted crystal, and unexpected pairings — continues to define her work. What has changed is scale and confidence. Early collections comprised only a handful of pieces; today, they have expanded, along with Malhotra’s appetite for experimentation. “I always love to do more experimental, large pieces,” she explains. “Having the store and having gained the trust of our clients have given me the ability to do those pieces and to really experiment. That’s where my creativity really gets to run a bit wild.”
The Mogra collection has been a constant, with mother-of-pearl at its heart. A recent limited-edition drop in pink mother-of-pearl — difficult to source — brought renewed energy. “I’ve had clients request me to repeat some of those pieces, and I haven’t been able to source that again,” she says. The rarity only heightened its appeal.
Her Chakra bracelet became an organic phenomenon. Launched before the pandemic, it sold out entirely at a Doha show in 2020. “I think people are always drawn to something that they feel very connected to and has some kind of meaning,” she reflects. Whether gifted or self-purchased, it “doesn’t just feel like a hollow purchase.” Emotional resonance, she believes, is key to her brand’s success.
That evolution is effectively captured in the new edition of Magnificent Jewels' high jewellery collection, created specifically for the store’s opening. Conceived as annual expressions rooted in core lines, they chart her growing technical and creative ambition. The first centred on Scatter, a line highlighting coloured diamonds. “I was always in love with the unusual shades of diamonds,” says the gemmologist, wanting to celebrate their chromatic nuance. The following year’s Carved collection drew on India’s gemstone-carving heritage; she designed her own facets for the stones, reimagining traditional techniques through a contemporary lens. Mogra translated into high jewellery, serves as a reminder that even as the scale increases, the brand’s constants endure.
Equally telling is how Ananya has translated her aesthetic and spiritual codes into the physical space in collaboration with London-based interior designer Rosanna Bossom. “It was a really important part of our brief,” Bossom shares. Spiritual elements surface immediately: A lacquer table etched with astrology motifs in brass; two floors, each containing a design element tied to the brand’s foundations. Muted hues of ochre mustard yellow, Ikat prints, block printing techniques, and carefully chosen colour schemes nod to Ananya’s heritage without feeling literal. “The brand’s still an international brand,” the interior designer notes, “but the materials, techniques, and palette carry the imprint of home.”
“Ananya envisioned the space as a home rather than a traditional retail store, creating an environment that feels warm, intimate and welcoming. Subtle astrological details are thoughtfully woven throughout the interiors, adding layers of meaning without overwhelming the aesthetic,” Bossom adds. “The layout was designed in accordance with the principles of Vastu Shastra, which informed the placement and flow of each element.”
The two-story boutique houses carefully curated spaces. The entrance features cabinets crafted with brass etchings of astrological charts, while all joinery is bespoke, perfectly framing the jewellery. An antiqued pink mirror leads upstairs to a tea bar, and lighting throughout creates a gentle atmosphere.
Ananya Tea Bar reinforces that sense of welcome. The Constellation Suite — hand-embroidered in Chennai by the second-generation atelier Julia and Sita, specialists in hand embroidery for couture and interiors — extends that vision. Ananya’s brief was to distil the essence of the brand into a space that feels cosy and transporting. That sense of intimacy has always been central to her retail philosophy. Before the flagship, she sold jewellery from a modest by-appointment office in London, where clients would “linger for hours,” because it felt “warm and personal.” “I didn’t want it to feel like a regular retail shop. I wanted it to feel like you were in someone’s house. I wanted to build something intimate — a space where people can slow down and connect with the jewellery,” says the designer, who divides her time between Chennai, London, and Miami.
In the Burlington Arcade, Ananya’s flagship store, shaped by colour, warmth, and spirituality, mirrors the quiet confidence of a designer who has come full circle.