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Maithili Ahluwalia

Founder, Bungalow Eight

The former management consultant opened a ‘global yet local’ store with modern, eclectic takes on traditional Indian design.

Biography

Since launching chic lifestyle boutique Bungalow 8 next to her childhood home in Mumbai, Maithili Ahluwaila has successfully launched two in-house labels and has built a steady following of patrons, which has included the likes of Vivienne Westwood , Suzy Menkes and Madonna.

A graduate of Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, where she obtained a degree in economics and sociology in 2000, and the London School of Economics, Ahluwalia initially pursued a career in consulting. She secured a job in New York with Easton’s, a boutique marketing and business development firm.

After returning to India in 2003, Ahluwalia set up Bungalow 8 with the help of family and friends. Initially launched as an interiors store, a chance encounter in Paris with Mathieu Gugumus Leguillon, a former group designer at Lanvin and Saint Laurent, led to Ahluwalia overseeing the launch of her first in-house fashion line “Bungalow.” The first collection for was released in 2009 with a menswear range released in early 2011.

Now housed in a majestic colonial building located in the heart of Mumbai's cultural centre Colaba, Bungalow 8 provides a unique shopping experience set out over three floors filled with modern and contemporary Indian offerings in home furnishings, antiques and artisanal jewellery. In 2006, Bungalow 8 expanded into a 2500 sq. ft retail space at 1, Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Ahluwalia announced that Bungalow 8 is closing down in April 2019, citing the challenges of balancing retail experience with the immediacy of social media.

Career

Bungalow 8

Bungalow 8

Founder

2003 - 2019

Mumbai, India

Education

London School of Economics

London School of Economics

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore College

Vital Statistics

Nationality

India

Location
India
Member since
2013

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The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.