The "Saks 5th Ave" of India... only more exclusive. Review on The Collective, Bangalore

So this is my second review on MS:)

What happens when you combine luxury, fashion, great service, and a massive three-storey building in a nice area?

You get "The Collective"

I was pleasantly surprised one day while driving to UB City for a rare day of shopping as I chanced upon The Collective, I recognized many of the designers listed on the window, and the words "End of Season Sale: 40-60% Off!" certainly caught my eye; so I thought I would take a look inside.

I walked in to see a very aesthetically pleasing showroom for bags, shoes, watches, belts, and other accessories from every known designer(ex. Mont Blanc, D&G, Hugo Boss, Armani, Kenneth Kole, etc.)

A man and a woman greeted me pleasantly as I walked in, as did the doorman, much to my surprise(Since the three years I've been in India that was the friendliest doorman I had ever met.) The sales representatives immediately asked me if they could help me find anything in particular, so I asked them where the men's clothing section was. The replied with "Which one? We have two, our casuals are on the first floor and the formals are on the second." Which was more than I had hoped for. While I prefer to dress formally on all occasions, I thought I would begin by checking out the first floor.

The first thing I noticed when wandering this floor was that it had a small cafe with a view of Vittal Mallaya Road, off to the side. I thought this was a pretty cool concept, (and one that would certainly have more relevance since the recent addition of women's clothing to The Collective.

Now, I'm used to paying exorbitant prices for my clothing, but when I looked at the prices of the polo t-shirts by Ralph Lauren, my heart sank. What was this place?! Charging rs.8k-10k for a polo that I would buy for 50 dollars(approx. rs. 1800) in the U.S.

Much to my relief, RL, and Hugo Boss were the only brands that were madly over priced. The other designers seemed to cost only about 10%-20% more than in the showrooms in Europe and U.S.(understandable as India taxes European products quite heavily.)

There was a reasonably large "sale" section and I managed to find a few things that I liked. The employees on this floor were also very kind and helpful

I skipped the floor with the hair salon, though I have heard good things about it.

The sales rep. who had helped me on the first floor came up to the second floor to help me as well, and on that note, I believe the employees of this store were some of the best trained I had ever seen(even outside of India!) They were all very helpful and friendly, and I noticed that they did not profile me either as I was wearing shorts and flip-flops(It was a really hot day) but I still received excellent service. The second floor had also had an immense shirt/tie selection from popular designers like Richard James, Armani Collezioni, Hugo Boss, Versace, Etro, and Dolce & Gabbana as well as more affordable brands like Simon Carter, Ted Baker, Louis Phillipe, and Charles Tyhrwhitt.(<- I think that's how it's spelled)

There was also a unique section for the Indian designers whose names I do not know, unfortunately.

Also, there was a counter for MTM(Made-to-Measure) suits by Armani Collezioni and Richard James, both had large selections of fabrics, and a sales rep. who actually knew what he was talking about.

I managed to find a few things that I liked on sale and I proceeded to check out. The sales reps. at the counter took down my information and I departed; extremely satisfied with my purchases.

My next visit was nearly 5 months later as I had exams, following my summer holidays and I was not in Bangalore again till September. I was awestruck by the fact that the staff remembered me even though I had only made a few small purchases way back in April. Needless to say, I enjoyed another session shopping at The Collective(with a friend this time.)

Since then I have frequented The Collective nearly every month till this one, as I am moving to Miami in two weeks. However I shall always remember that store and it's wonderful selection and staff.

The dry-cleaning services offered by The Collective were also excellent, and I have not found a better one in India since.

Pros:-

• Updated collections(latest)

  
  




• Massive selection

  
  




• Courteous & helpful Staff

  
  




• Beautifully designed interior

  
  

Cons:-

• Slightly over-priced