Cocopelee is the latest addition to the city's burgeoning retail scene. But men will have to be content with carrying the shopping bags

Some of the best discoveries are made by accident. On an idle Saturday afternoon, a bumpy auto ride through Brunton Road led us to discover the three-month-old fashion boutique Cocopelee. Lest the name throws you for a loop, we are armed with an explanation. After all not everyone has a way with words like advertisement professional Poonam Jethwani who owns the store.


One-shoulder animal printed dress

Name calling
The name is a pun on Kokopelli, the south west American hunchbacked fertility deity who plays a flute. Poonam was expecting her second daughter, when she started working on the store. "Coco means chocolate, something every woman likes and Pelee is a Canadian island known for its wines. Both wine and dark chocolate are rich in antioxidants and release endorphins, the same effect shopping has on women," maintains Poonam who was toying with the idea of opening a boutique for five years.

All in a day's job
The 34-year-old is almost a super woman. She makes the rest of us look banal, inefficient and discomfortingly ordinary. Poonam juggles a hectic corporate life (she's been running the ad agency Questmedia Production for 12 years now), two cherubic kids and a store that's fast turning into a fashion destination to reckon with.

One for all
Cocopelee does not differentiate. It has something for women of all age groups, sizes and sensibilities. "It's for the five to the 90-year-olds. Initially I wanted it to be a kid's store. Later I thought, why restrict it to only kids. They eventually grow up," she reasons.u00a0

The 'Inside' Story
So a concept store for fashionistas of all age groups was born. The two-storeyed store with whitewashed walls has dollops of pink in the form of ruffled cushions and sofas. Hardly surprising given that Poonam has personally worked on the store for over a year giving attention to every detail. Go on to the second floor and you'll find a cart shaped glass table with a setee when your legs tire after some heavy duty shopping. It's incredible how an old house has been remodeled into a swanky boutique that stores merchandises from across the world. "Bangalore didn't have a high end boutique that caters to women of all age groups. The brands mass manufacture clothes. My stuff is so exclusive that everybody who walks in won't want to leave without anything in their shopping bags," says Poonam.