CHENNAI: The pleasant fragrance of lavender, chrysanthemum and lily came as a respite after an hour’s drive through the packed OMR, on a sultry Thursday noon, as we made our way into Holiday Inn. Courtesy, Flower Power that had adorned the entrance of Style Centre exhibition with a refreshing set-up.
Inside, the socially-distanced stalls had unique products on offer for Chennai’s shopping crowd. After a fair share of virtual exhibitions last year, the city is gradually getting back on its feet with offline pop-ups to satisfy shopaholics. This two-day luxury expo by Jupiter Events & Marketing was one such. “A majority of the brands are taking part for the first time. This is our small contribution towards empowerment. We hope to have more pop-ups like before,” said Satish Jupiter, founder, Jupiter Events & Marketing.
Offering an affordable mix of eco-conscious and sustainable products, the pop-up featured 33 brands, exhibiting a range of collection in clothing, footwear, accessories, skin care and artefacts. Sangiah, an Instagram brand run by fashion designer Miruthula Padmanabhan, had upcycled, floral and pastel-themed scrunchies in varying sizes. “Ours is a city-based start-up. We work with thoughtfully sourced materials and practise ethical labour. We will also be launching a maiden shirt line,” said Miruthula. Patrons were left spoilt for choice with most apparel stalls selling kids’ clothing, saris, kurtas and nightwear.
With the pandemic having placed the emphasis on personal care and grooming, it was not surprising to find organic skincare brands throwing light on products made out of naturally-souced ingredients. Vivikta’s variety of cosmetics and immunity-care products caught our eye. “None of them have preservatives. Our hair oils and body wash powders are popular. We also have golden milk powders, theertha powder and Sanjeevini mix that you can add to milk or water and consume for immunity,” shared the spokesperson.
Fashion pop-ups have long served as testing grounds for small-scale brands and entrepreneurs to experiment with and attract new audiences. A few brands used this platform to display their debut collection. HF Journey, a footwear brand, launched its women’s collection featuring chic flats and heels. But, one of our favourites was Tickled Panda, a homegrown, seven-month-old wine brand, born out of passion for wine-making. Founded by R Senthil Ram, the brand gave out samples of wine varieties with interesting flavours such as vanilla, rose, passionfruit and more. “The fruits are sourced from a farm in Kerala. I’ve been doing this for many years. We have wines matured for three and five years. We ship them across the city,” said Senthil.
This apart, the pop-up also had Plastic Free Madras, an eco-conscious organisation, spreading awareness on curbing single-use plastic. The team also showcased sustainable products such as toothbrushes, tongue cleaners and earbuds made out of bamboo. “All pop-ups must take up and address a social cause to educate people. I’ve done my share,” said Jupiter.