Women's Day: Mridula Pai on why thrifting works
Thrifting came naturally to her since her mother exposed her to it at a young age. “In Bangalore, there were garage sales. My mum took me to one of them and picked up a beautiful pair of enamel earrings which are now with me. That’s my first piece of thrifted jewellery”, recalls Mridula Pai who has been instrumental in bringing change in Kolkata society through her curated thrift store Love Me Twice by at Manoharpukur Road. We sat down with her to chat about her journey and the hurdles faced while breaking the prejudices.
How did the idea of starting a thrift space come to you?
We started Mono Calcutta first in 2019, which is a collective of sustainable labels from across India and there was a thrift rack there that kept selling out. When the pandemic hit, everyone was doing closet cleansing, including myself. I think the realisation dawned that we have an excessive amount of stuff and that’s how Love Me Twice was born in 2021.
What kind of curations can be seen?
We have a whole range of preloved things. From clothing, to jewellery, to accessories, footwear, saris, homeware and now books too! We also have a small range of luxury branded accessories like Alexander McQueen, Mulberry, Bottega Veneta etc. The aesthetic value of our products is what influences our curation most.
What’s the process of curating?
We give a checklist to those who want to give us the pieces. They have to make sure it’s washed and clean. We also have our process of steaming and cleaning. We don’t necessarily take in everything since it’s a curated store.
Did you see any concerns among the buyers when you started?
There’s been a huge change from when we started. It did not strike them immediately that it was a second-hand store. They eyed the labels available and we had to further explain. They would be shocked and moved on. From there to now having regular people come over to Love Me Twice, is a big leap. One can look at the quality and give a trial. We have done a lot of work trying to break these stigmas which is so woven into our culture.
What challenges do you face?
We are competing against retail brands that make the experience of shopping a good one. We wanted to give people that experience and that is why I hand-pick every single piece from among hundreds.
You do celebrity closets…
We choose ambassadors for the cause who give us pieces from their closets. We have collaborated with Karuna Ezara Parikh, Chitrangada Satarupa, Priyanka Bose, and Paramita Banerjee. We are doing a fitness closet by the biggest name in Zumba soon.
You have been instrumental in organizing an all-thrift pop-up in the city…
Closet Cleanse was a fun way to get into first-time thrifting. You will have the experience of clearing out your closet, selling the stuff, and shopping second-hand in a fun community-based way. I believe that you need to have physical spaces for thrifting because it makes people comfortable and adds value. The next one might be in April.
What is the pulse of the shoppers here?
Kolkata is conservative but people are giving us a chance. I also feel they need to show up a little more.