Manish Malhotra (left) and Raghavendra Rathore at the Aza inaugural party

A one-stop destination for the fashionable man, housing works of the who’s who of Indian design. That’s Aza Men for you, a brand new boutique from one of India ’s leading fashion houses.

After highly successful women’s wear stores in Mumbai and Delhi, the first Aza offering for men opened doors in Mumbai on November 28. Located at Kemps Corner in the fashion capital, the store was launched with a champagne-and-cheese evening.

The guest list was made up of the designers and a select few from the fashion world. Designers Raghavendra Rathore, Rohit Bal, Manish Malhotra, Narendra Kumar Ahmed, Prriya Awasthy, Manoviraj Khosla, Neeta Lulla and Rocky S, among others, were seen bonding over champagne and interacting with guests.

“Men’s wear is the next big thing in Indian fashion. Mark my words, the fashion weeks in the coming seasons will see a lot of emphasis on men’s clothes. We just need a few more stores like this all over the country to get ready for the men’s fashion boom,” smiled Rathore, who launched a line of classic and understated jackets and shirts at Aza Men.

Alka Nishar, founder of Aza, said: “This dedicated multi-designer store is for the man with a contemporary sense of style. Keeping in mind the needs of men with a tasteful eye for fashion, we bring together the most exclusive and sought-after designer collections.”

The 1,000-sq ft store is done up tastefully in cream and gold, with wood and mirrors used extensively.

The collection is a mix of big names and upcoming labels. There’s Rohit Bal, Manish Malhotra, Narendra Kumar Ahmed, Rocky S, Raghavendra Rathore, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Manoviraj Khosla, Savio Jon, Wendell Rodricks, Priyadarshini Rao, Varun Bahl, Lecoanet Hemant and Prriya Awasthy. Also on the racks are works by young designers Abhishek Dutta, Kunal Rawal, Abhishek Gupta, Manish Gupta and Samant Chauhan .

The mix offers choice for every genre of men’s clothing — from festive traditional wear to casuals and classic western formals.

The collections are, interestingly, not displayed according to designer labels but themes. So, there’s one rack full of black shirts and another one with only whites. For the festive winter months, there are sherwanis and kurtas. Jackets, both for winter and lighter ones, suits, lots of shirts of every variety, trousers… the range is extensive. “We have done up the display theme-wise because the customer walking in to pick up attire for a particular occasion would instantly know which racks to head for straightaway without wasting time,” added Alka.

To complement the clothes, there are accessories like belts and ties. The price tag reads Rs 3,000-plus.

“I had sent in a collection of festive kurtas and shirts a few days ago; the collection has already sold out before the official launch,” smiled Prriya.