And the award goes to… Myntra! At a glittering event in Mumbai this Friday, Myntra accepted the ET Panache Trendsetting Workplace Award, a news that comes as no surprise to anyone who has visited the Bangalore headquarters of India’s one-stop fashion destination.

From outside, the Myntra office looks like a typical tech park with its concrete and glass facade. However, the moment you step inside, you take a step backwards, thinking you have mistakenly stepped inside a glitzy mall!

The reception has the look of a high-end shopping store, complete with a Look Good Café and a live video shoot ramp. Names of famous models can be spotted on walls, while huge portraits of sports and fashion icon enliven the office space. Comic con screams the graffiti on a wall, while Diva announces a lounge. As you stumble upon a corridor, you could be mistaken for thinking it leads to a movie hall, looking at the neon lights. There are even mannequins and racks of clothes.

Just as the brand Myntra represents fashion to its fans, its office recreates the world of fashion across its four floors. Each floor showcases different aspects of the fashion business – like fashion brands, sports, editors and stylists.

The Myntra office also has one of the largest spaces dedicated to indoor games like badminton, snooker and foosball, besides a gym. There’s even indoor space to practice outdoor games like cricket, running and bicycling. Myntra also has its own cricket league – the Myntra Premier League – which sees high employee participation.

Asked to define his “trend-setting” office in an interview, Myntra CEO Ananth Narayanan says, “For me, a trend is an idea, invention, or differentiated approach, that fundamentally changes how people, organisations and society conduct themselves. Trends tend to shape and change the ecosystem permanently.”

When it comes to Myntra, Ananth elaborates, belonging as it does to “an industry like fashion, it is important to have a vibrant and open culture that spawns creativity and nurtures talent. Our culture and office are intertwined. Our vibrant and colourful office space underscores our commitment to create a vibrant and fun culture at work.”

“Given that our employees spend a considerable portion of their day in the office, it is important that the workspace reflect the culture one wants to build. We have a dedicated space at work for thinking and relaxing. People mix work and play without compromising on results,” he adds.

The trendsetting culture is not just about office design but extends to some pretty cool policies and perks as well. Women employees have the option of a six-month maternity leave and flexible work models upon return.

Over the years Myntra has built a truly differentiated culture which promotes innovation, risk taking, ownership and collaboration.  The key differentiators that enable such are a culture are the Myntra Values of Myntra First, Aim High, Make it Happen, Make Work Fun, Look Good & Relentless Focus on the Consumer.  Each of these values is deeply embedded into our systems and people practices.  Some key instances of living these values can be seen in the “Myntra Performance Management System” that is geared towards recognizing team performance by way of establishing team goals as opposed to individual goals, the Myntra Customer Immersion Program that ensures each employee understands the consumer by actually delivering products door to door, before officially onboarding.

Ananth elaborates further, “I see two big shifts in the workplace. First, the approach to doing business has changed from linear to non-linear. Secondly, organisations no longer view employees as resources, but as partners in their success. The emergence of technology giants (such as Google) and new age start-ups has played a big role in this.”

Undoubtedly, there will come a day when the Myntra office and work culture will be discussed with as much awe as we do Silicon Valley today.