Multi-designer studio Mono Calcutta is going big on thrift

Mono Calcutta works on two levels when it comes to sustainable or green fashion. Besides offering exclusive stock from select city designers who have been enthusiastically following sustainable fashion it also acts as a thrift wing that is gaining in momentum in this post-pandemic era. So, you can find contemporary silhouettes from homegrown labels like Lata Sita, Sienna, Bobo Calcutta, Shweta Agarwal, besides a big repository of high-end fashion at the 1,000 sq ft address on Manohar Pukur Road.

Co-owner Mridula Pai, who has rejigged Mono’s edit, tells us, “We started off with designers from Kolkata, a small thrift rack and one-month residency for outstation labels. Soon, we realised that it doesn’t make much sense for the outstation designers to stock for just four weeks, hence we are extending that duration to three or four months, turning the main collection more eclectic”. You can find tops, tunics, shirts and even hand-woven saris from different regions.

Mono also stocks personalised compact travel edits curated by the owners that can give you a sneak peek into different cultures and traditions. There are also minimalist jewellery lines from a few homegrown brands. Thrust on thrift Started in 2019, Mono is now going big on thrift with Love Me Twice. Elaborating on the thought behind expanding the thrift line, Mridula offers, “Thrift is something we feel deeply about. We started working on the collection during the lockdown, not concentrating on sourcing from designers but getting designer stuff in excellent condition from fashionistas across the country and beyond. The result is we have multinational labels like Zara, Chemistry, Forever 21, Old Navy among others that have been barely worn. We, in fact, have some clothes with the tags intact”.

From women’s apparel to jewellery and accessories to shoes, the collection has it all. Mridula wants to make the thrift concept big in this city. She tells us, “The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries. It contributes to 10 per cent of greenhouse gases. In fact, it is even more polluting than international flights and shipping put together. In the West, thrifting is common, only in India, we have reservations about it. In this age of fast fashion when we have an excess of everything, we need to give a push to thrift for the sake of the planet”. Mono is also planning to grow its presence online and have a section for kids as well.

Rs1,000 onwards for Mono
and Love Me Twice Rs100 onwards