What was meant to be a quick stop in Hyderabad slowly turned into a five-day affair, with Panic Press finding an eager and curious audience at every turn. As the pop-up concluded its final day at Habitat Cafe in Banjara Hills, the energy still felt fresh, with people lingering to watch T-shirts come alive through live screen printing. It was here, on the last day of the extended pop-up, that CE caught up with Tanmay Acharya, co-founder of Panic Press, to talk about the journey so far, the idea behind the experience-led format, and more.
Speaking about the growing interest from the city, Tanmay reflects on how this marked his fourth visit to Hyderabad for events. “I think it has been quite overwhelming, to be honest. We came for a one-day event, but it extended across five days, which itself speaks of the demand. I see the audience valuing what we provide. We are based out of Bengaluru, but we have been travelling to different cities over the past year,” he says, adding that the audience here is slowly but surely connecting with what Panic Press offers.
Tanmay explains that the choice to bring a live printing experience, instead of a conventional retail set-up, was deliberate. “That is our forte, and conceptually, that is how we want to show up everywhere because conventional pop-ups feel very salesy to me, with no real interaction. Even though our core is design and merchandising, we value a hands-on approach as experience providers, much like the IKEA effect, where involvement in making what you purchase truly matters,” he explains.
At its core, Panic Press exists to bridge a gap, Tanmay noticed early on. “We produce most things in-house because the whole reason for starting was that, at our core, we are a design agency that saw a gap between what we designed and what was produced. To bridge this gap, Panic Press came into existence. Our parent company is Studio Sorted, a design and branding studio, and as its sister concern, we draw power from design, while I bring expertise in screen printing, joining both forces for good design and execution,” he expresses.
The pop-up also reflects the city it is in. Tanmay reveals that Hyderabad has already influenced exclusive designs that are inspired by the Tollywood film industry. “I have some exclusive ones that are very inspired by the film industry here, and every time I come here, I take inspiration during my downtime. Since we are a design house, we create fresh designs based on where we are. I take inspiration from everywhere,” he adds.
While challenges remain constant, Tanmay sees them as part of the process. “In the first year, there is everything except ease right now because, logistically and process-wise, there are all sorts of challenges, so we keep getting an influx of people joining us who help solve those problems. At the same time, every event becomes a learning experience, from store experience and flow to design and what clicks with people, while the quality of our garments keeps improving, making it a forever process of getting better every day,” he notes.
Looking ahead, Panic Press plans to expand into new garment categories and formats, pushing beyond predictable merchandise. With a physical store in Bengaluru and a packed calendar of festivals and pop-ups, Tanmay is open to growth across cities. For now, Hyderabad’s warm response feels like another sign that Panic Press is stitching together design, craft and experience.