At a time when every other fashion event comes dressed in words like conscious, sustainable and slow, curator Srila Chatterjee would rather dispense with the vocabulary altogether. For her, these are not themes added to a market. They are how Baro Market operates. The exhibition has travelled across the country as a tightly curated showcase of homegrown labels, craftspeople and conscious design, and its upcoming Chennai edition brings that sensibility to the city under the banner of clean fashion, circular clothing and playful storytelling. We caught up with Srila, founder and curator of Baro Market, to find out what shoppers can expect.
What began as an online showcase of small brands, artisans and artists has since grown into markets held across the country. Each exhibition, Srila says, is assembled from a larger pool of makers, with brands selected for their work, samples, pricing and fit within the wider selection. “No two things in the same pop-up are the same,” she says, explaining that Baro Market deliberately avoids overlap between brands working in similar crafts or categories. “We don’t sell space. It’s a place we present things we believe in, stories we love, people that do incredible things,” she adds, describing what sets a Baro Market pop-up apart. Every brand comes with its maker in tow, ready to talk through the process behind each piece. “It’s not just about the product but about why it became that, what it is and so much more,” she says.
Among some of the brands visitors can look forward to is Lata Sita, where circularity finds a strong voice, transforming pre-loved saris into contemporary, one-of-a-kind pieces. Chiu brings a more understated sensibility with clean, contemporary silhouettes, while Foolstop leans into the “playful” in the pop-up’s brief with unconventional, handcrafted designs built to spark conversation. Rounding off the line-up are Koorm and Nest, both steeped in mindful, artisanal living—the former through minimalist, functional objects, the latter through lifestyle pieces for the modern home. Beyond fashion, the edit moves between jewellery, homeware, art, children’s products and organic food.
For Srila, browsing is as much a part of the experience as buying. “You listen to stories and you just think of how fantastic it is that these kind of things actually exist in the country,” she says. “When you come into a Baro Market you don’t have to think about whether it’s a good buy or not. We’ve already done that work for you,” she adds. “I just hope our visitors can leave with the outlook of always shopping right and shopping good,” she says, summing up her hopes for the edition.
Entry free. August 27-29, till 8 pm. At The Folly, Amethyst, Royapettah.
Email: anoushkakundu@newindianexpress.com
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