Saheli Ethnic Indian Wear and Beauty Salon is a family destination for Indian fashion on Stanmore Road in Richmond, Christchurch, pairing a boutique of clothing for men, women and children with a beauty salon and deep shelves of jewellery, beauty products, handloom and pooja essentials. The name Saheli — Hindi for a close female friend — sets the tone for a shop built around outfitting whole families for weddings, festivals and everyday life.
The women's range runs from silk, cotton, readymade and heavy-work sarees to bridal and party lehengas, Anarkali and straight suits, stitched Punjabi suits, sharara sets, kurtis in regular and plus sizes, and a whole wall of dupattas from phulkari to bridal. Men will find sherwanis, indo-western outfits, kurta pajamas with or without jackets, dhotis and jubbas, plus the groom's finishing touches — pagdis, sehra, kalgi and moti mala. Dedicated kids' sections cover boys and girls, from newborn kurtas to garba chaniya cholis and Krishna costumes.
Beyond clothing, the store stocks fashion and bridal jewellery (bangles, jhumkas, necklaces, maang tikkas, mangalsutra and wedding ritual items), footwear like Punjabi juttis and party heels, unstitched fabrics from brocade to georgette, Mamaearth skincare, henna, attar perfumes, handloom bed sheets and quilts, pooja thalis, rakhi and Diwali decorations. Visit in store Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 7pm (closed Mondays), or browse and buy online at saheli.co.nz, where accounts, wishlists and gift cards make gifting easy. Seasonal coupon offers run both in store and online.
On Stanmore Road in Richmond, Christchurch, Saheli Ethnic Indian Wear and Beauty Salon does exactly what its name promises — and then quite a lot more. 'Saheli' is the Hindi word for a close female friend, and the shop lives up to it: the sort of place where a family can walk in needing outfits for a wedding and leave with clothes for everyone, bangles to match, henna for the mehndi night, and a warm quilt for the guest room. Clothing for men, women and children sits alongside jewellery, beauty products, handloom, footwear, fabrics and pooja items, all under one roof and mirrored by a full online store at saheli.co.nz.
The women's section is the heart of the store. Sarees come in silk, cotton, netting, plain and printed styles, Kerala set sarees, readymade drapes and heavy-work pieces for weddings, with petticoats and blouses to complete them. Lehengas span casual and party wear through to heavily worked bridal designs, alongside chaniya choli for garba nights.
Salwar kameez loyalists can choose from Anarkali, straight-cut, churidar, palazzo and sharara suits, stitched Punjabi suits, gowns, abayas and unstitched dress materials for tailoring. Kurtis come in short, Anarkali, party-set and plus-size fits, and the dupatta wall runs from phulkari and bridal to plain, embroidered, netting and Pakistani styles. Woolen shawls, hijaabs, leggings, tops and maternity feeding nighties round out the everyday range.
Men are well catered for too. Festive and wedding wear includes sherwanis, indo-western outfits, suits and waistcoats, while the kurta rack covers classic kurta pajama sets, sets with jackets, guru shirts, dhotis and jubbas — plus fabrics if you'd rather tailor your own.
The groom's checklist is handled in detail: pagdis and sherwani dupattas, sehra, turban kalangi and kalgi, moti mala necklaces, turban fabric, woolen shawls and mundra studs. Finish the look with a pair of Punjabi or fancy juttis from the footwear section.
Kids get their own departments. Boys can pick from suits, kurta pajamas with or without jackets, dhotis and newborn kurte, while girls' racks hold frocks, Punjabi and sharara suits, gowns, lehengas, chaniya choli garba dresses and Kerala-style dresses. Krishna costumes appear for festival dress-ups, and accessories — baby nazaria, hair clips, bangles and anklets — complete the smallest outfits.
The jewellery counters cover bangles in glass, metal, brass, velvet, oxidised and gold-look finishes, jhumkas and studs, chokers, rani haars, South Indian and Punjabi designs, and full bridal and semi-bridal necklace sets. Wedding extras include kalire, chooda, mangalsutra, nose pins and naths, floral jewellery and ritual items, with hair ornaments from maang tikkas and passa to gajras and prandi.
The beauty side of the name shows in a well-stocked personal care section: Mamaearth products, face washes, facial kits, sheet masks, bleach, face packs, hair spa creams, henna, attar perfumes and makeup including kajal, sindoor, lipsticks and foundations.
There's more still for the home and the temple: cotton and fleno winter bed sheets, duvet sets, kids' sheets and quilts in the handloom range; karwachauth and decorated thalis, rakhi, rumala sahib, Laddu Gopal ji dresses, shagun envelopes, rudraksha malas, dandiya sticks and Diwali decorations among the pooja and festival items. Gift cards are available when you'd rather let someone choose.
The store on Stanmore Rd opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 7pm and closes on Mondays. If you like to shortlist first, browse saheli.co.nz — you can create an account, build a wishlist and order online, with the same seasonal coupon offers applying in store and online. Watch for promotions like the WINTER10 flat discount or the HANDLOOM20 handloom clearance code, and check the site banner for whatever is running when you visit.