It’s bound to get both annoying and overwhelming when Google throws up 8,84,00,000 ‘results’ for cufflinks, and all you want is the one perfect pair for your dad. That’s where on-ground stores like Attune and e-commerce websites like natty.in come in. The former, which launched two months ago in Delhi’s Khan Market, offers a physical space where designers who work closely with craftspeople can retail. Natty is an exclusively online platform for “small-scale creative entrepreneurs from across the country,” says Natisha Saraogi, who started the company in 2016, from Bengaluru.
This means, you’ll never see mass-produced goods, large commercial brands or even high-end couture at either. Saraogi defines a creative entrepreneur as “any kind of maker, designer, craftsperson, even a chef or social entrepreneur working with an NGO.” She and (Attune partners) Poonam Bahl and Neeta Chait consider themselves umbrellas, under which niche brands flourish. In essence, they are curators of objects of beauty and joy.
What’s backstage
These businesses have emerged at a time when India doesn’t really need to wear its ethnicity on its sleeve, and craft doesn’t necessarily mean terracotta lamps and tie-dye saris. It could just as easily mean a vintage brass instrument-turned-lamp and studio pottery, or a hand-beaten copper cookie jar and organic cotton baby bedsheets. It’s a fine-tuning of the Indian aesthetic that’s evolved from OTT kitsch, where “we no longer associate craft with raw handicraft,” says Bahl.
Design schools are now spread across the country, and designers are beginning to develop their own style, often rooted in tradition, but with an international appeal. The Attune team has spread the word through NIFT and NID to tell their alumni network about the space, so that young professionals have a platform to showcase their products as soon as they graduate. It’s equally about linking India’s smaller cities with the bigger ones. Saraogi speaks of Indore-based Woodin, which does handcrafted wood structures for watches.
These concept stores are also set in a context where maker-spaces and co-working offices inspire a seamless collaboration between sectors. For instance, The Lohasmith was introduced to Natty by a potential client. Meghna Malik, who co-founded the decor brand, says her company signed and sealed the deal within three days of being introduced. This startup speed is just one of the reasons young brands associate with such stores.
“As an independent new designer, I cannot imagine my products being sold through a physical store in Delhi/NCR. Attune gives me a great stepping stone to showcase my products and to let people know I am there, who I am and what my work is all about,” says Gayatri Iyer, who created Ahem, a stationery brand featuring artwork on each piece. “The marketing and PR for your products is the toughest. They invest time and money to do their best and make sure that our products get the maximum visibility,” she adds.
In the wings
Saraogi spent a year researching the brands she wanted on board, through pop-ups, exhibitions and online (especially Facebook pages), and now has about 160 brands on her e-commerce marketplace. She examines samples and looks at what the brand stands for before inviting them on-board. If they agree to the model (she handles marketing and logistics, for a fee), they are given access to the dashboard, where they upload images and descriptions of the products that will then be looked at by the Natty team and okayed.
The pair at Attune, which has 18 designers, have a vision of establishing freshers and so are open to letting them have a free hand. Based on what sells and what they hear from customers, they give feedback. “We were looking for wow-factor things, but the idea has gone ahead from there,” says Bahl. The store is now additionally seen as a space for designers and clients to interact and learn from each other. “If someone is doing up a home, and they want things personalised, they can come here and meet multiple designers and everyone can work as a team.”
The limelight
Brands retain their own identity and are happy that the curators actually promote their individuality. There’s always a card within the packaging, speaking about the product and the creator, because customers today are interested in “the story behind the products, why it’s a certain way,” says Saraogi. She speaks of the Peta-approved, vegan Arture that uses the lighter cork, instead of leather, while Chait talks of Studio Metallury, the brand that picks up old hardware and converts them into jewellery. However, neither store has a value judgement on what customers choose to buy, in terms of say, picking between a certified organic cotton and regular cotton outfit.
While offline pop-ups have done well for Natty (StyleCracker in Mumbai, Stylefile in Kolkata — where they found the best response), Attune plans to draw potential customers with promoting individual brands across social media. They will eventually launch a website, while Natty will start to ship internationally in the long-term.
