Shweta Mahtani, the person behind online artisanal store, Elemental Stories, believes that there’s a gap in the market when it comes to fashion trunk showsthat focus on sustainability. This realisation was what led her to take her e-store offline through a series of pop-ups in Chennai, where she is based. Called Beyond Sustainable, the market comes to the city this weekend. “There’s a lot of room for conscious pop-ups that feature brands that are luxurious, trendy, festive, affordable and sustainable. That’s what made me want to take this step, though I knew changing the mindset of brands and people won’t be the easiest thing,” shares Shweta.
Over 30 labels will showcase their latest and signature collections at Beyond Sustainable and Shweta says that one of the highlights of the event is a collaboration with E-Waste Social founder Irum Maimuna. “E-Waste Social will place a bin at the venue, so people can drop their e-waste to be recycled,” she explains.
Some of the most interesting labels that will be part of the event are Kosataga and Dressfolk (who will present a range of saris), World of Ra (whimsical dresses, tops and trousers), Kiro Beauty (clean beauty) and The House of Ganges (vegan bags). Renow-ned names like Urvashi Kaur, Angadi Pret and Maddermuch will also be at the market. “We received a lot of messages asking us to come to Bengaluru, after our successful pop-ups in Chennai. So this year, we are taking a step towards expanding to other cities,” she says, signing off.
Entry free. July 1. At Taj MG Road