Filter – The Store_Ajoy Advani

Tucked away in the narrow lanes of the Kala Ghoda art district in Fort, Filter is a retail space that houses the carefully selected works of illustrators, photographers, graphic designers and innovators. The products range from one-off pieces of furniture, framed limited-edition prints and stationery to t-shirts, posters and collectors’ paraphernalia. Besides these collections, Filter has its own in-house brand under the same name that produces a selection of mousepads, diaries, chocolates and sketchbooks. It’s everything a design store ought to be, with the mundane conveniently filtered out.

With digital technology rapidly infiltrating lives – we’ve already been witness to iPad-toting toddlers reading nursery rhymes at the swipe of a button – Filter decided to revive the art of putting pen to paper rather than stylus to screen. Its brand Literarian takes pride in the traditional art of reading, and uses long-forgotten printing techniques and unique materials to create a brand based on a literary theme. What you get are a range of de-bossed bookmarks, bookplates, Shakespeare exercise books and vintage notebooks that you can enjoy for months without recharging.

What you get are a range of de-bossed bookmarks, bookplates, Shakespeare exercise books and vintage notebooks that you can enjoy for months without recharging.

Also in store, a brand of t-shirts that go under a label called Egg. It is a collective of talented graphic designers with fresh ideas and the creative vision to make products that are unique, expressive and individualistic. The designs reflect an understanding and insight of the world and how we perceive it today. Every design, no matter how diverse, has a common aim to make a statement be it graphic, written or otherwise. Every product is true to itself in attitude, form and the message it wants to deliver.

Being located in the heart of the tourist district, Filter also houses a brand called The South Bombay Company that has unique products that cater to luxe travellers and backpackers alike. The company designs maps that are as informative as they are beautiful to look at. As well as baggage tags and notebooks with heritage monuments and buildings from around the area. Filter doubles up as a gallery from time to time to host the works of artists, fashion designers and photographers, both celebrated and new to the scene. The space is the brainchild of Alok Nanda, the Managing Director of Alok Nanda and Company, a design and advertising consultancy that focuses its energies and years of expertise on building brands in the gilded sphere of lifestyle and luxury. Its unique blend of advertising and design has helped create seamless expressions via identity, packaging and merchandising for various clients which has helped provide the right foundation to experiment with retail.

Filter. Shop No.3, 43 V B Gandhi Marg, Behind Rhythm House, Next to the Synagogue, Fort. Tel: 22887070. E: info@filtershop.in W: filtershop.in FB: Filtershop Twitter: @lovefiltershop Timings: 11 am to 7.30 pm, Monday to Saturday.  Closed Sunday.

– By Ajoy Advani- Creative Director at Alok Nanda and Company

Starting out as an unpaid intern for a year at Ambience Advertising in 1997, Ajoy Advani has since made a paltry sum at Enhance Advertising and Trikaya Grey (now Grey Worldwide) as a lowly copywriter before working his way to Creative Director at Alok Nanda and Company since the start of 2000. He’s worked on ideas, collateral and campaigns for Times Music, Pergo Floor Laminates, Pringles Chips, Wrangler, Lee, Reds Jeans, Tommy Hilfiger, Arrow, Nautica, Barista Espresso Bars, The Bombay Store, Vh1, Channel V, Lodha Realtors, Taj Mahal Hotels & Resorts, Crossword Bookstores, Hello Magazine, Qua Mineral Water, Red Bull & Evian – to name a few. In addition to his daily routine and coffee breaks at ANC, Ajoy also doubles up as Creative Director of Filter – the quirky, minimalist design store in Kala Ghoda started by Alok Nanda in December 2011. With design, curating, communication and store displays keeping him occupied most of his waking hours. Ajoy has attended the mandatory workshops, bagged some awards along the way and always believed in raising the bar when it comes to creativity. But most of the time he’s just at the bar ordering drinks.

Thank you so very much Ajoy for sharing this with us! We love your store and look forward to visiting it again and joining you at the bar soon! Keep the drinks ready! Hahaha…Cheers! The OCOW TEAM