Cecilia Morelli Parikh and Julie Leymarie co-founded Mumbai’s luxury concept store Le Mill in 2011, converting an old rice mill in Mumbai’s off-the-beaten-path Wadi Bunder area into a modish shopping destination, complete with an in-store florist and organic café. Reminiscent of concept stores such as Colette and 10 Corso Como, Le Mill stocks a carefully curated selection of luxury apparel and accessories alongside a range of home decor and furnishings, specially produced by local Indian designers. Le Mill is now also available online and continues to launch brands in India.
In February 2013, the trio opened a second location, stocking designers such as The Row, Erdem, 3.1 Phillip Lim and Azzedine Alaïa, in Mumbai’s upscale Breach Candy neighbourhood, although this location is now closed. In 2015, the original rice mill store moved to its current location, near Mumbai’s Yacht Club and the Gateway of India, neighbouring Mumbai's historic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Le Mill is one of the only retailers in India to stock global brands like Balenciaga and Dries Van Noten , with brands such as Saint Laurent and Balmain also being top sellers. Annual revenues grew 40 percent year on year, Parikh told Ordre in November 2018.
After graduating from the European Business School ESCP, Leymarie contributed to the growth of the luxury division of L’Oréal, where she worked for over 9 years. Since her arrival in India in 2008, Julie has headed the marketing division for the company’s luxury products. She developed the retail distribution strategy and launched Lancôme, Armani, Ralph Lauren , Diesel and Kiehl’s in India.
A graduate of Yale University with a sharp eye for fashion, Parikh earned her stripes as a buyer in the luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman working with brands such as Prada, Balenciaga, Chloé and Saint Laurent. After moving to Mumbai in 2007, Cecilia lent her expertise to help launch the Vogue and GQ titles for Condé Nast India.
