Flea markets; they were traditionally defined as bazaars where space was rented out to people who wanted to sell their merchandise, especially used goods, collectibles, and vintage dresses. Today, though, flea markets have taken a life and form of their own. The version 2.0 of flea markets are more pop-up bazaars, art and music festivals with amazing shopping on the side; these weekend gigs are an eclectic mix of culture and individuality, niche bands and art installations, gourmet food and next-gen fashion designers.
Walk in to one of the many flea markets being organized in the city today and you are let amazed by the sheer creative brilliance of up and coming designers. These markets then become not only selling platforms, but also branding and marketing venues.
Take for instance ZaPalooza. Initially conceptualized as an arts and music platform (Palooza translates to a wild crazy party with a lot of people), the organizers took a conscious decision to push artists and artworks of all forms, which led to its current form of being one of the go-to places for people to discover their new favourite designer. Jeffery Curtis, the co-founder of the festival says, “We have always laid emphasis on pushing things that were handmade, original, and undoubtedly creative. Voguesutra which is an entity we started in our last edition is a fashion festival to showcase upcoming fashion designers and labels.”
Flea markets have become a place for the creative amongst us to come out and play. And it is a sentiment echoed unanimously by every organizer. Durgesh Khandelwal is the festival director of The Wassup Flea, which he says was founded for exactly this reason. “We started the festival out of a passion to work with creative exhibitors. Then, there was no apt platform for creative brands from up and coming entrepreneurs, especially at economical prices. We wanted to disrupt the whole five-star hotel exhibition model, where vendors have to pay through their nose for space.”
And the vendors agree. Manali Shah is the founder of Threadology, a two-month old fashion label which is already making waves amongst the boho, fusion-loving crowd in the city, and in the past two months she has exhibited at two markets. “Flea markets have a very indie feel about them. And they aren’t intimidating for the customer or the vendor. A normal fashion exhibition has very typical bridal stuff going on. The energy and vibe at flea markets complements my label and the work I do.”
The energetic, colourful aura that surrounds flea markets is undeniable and it can be credited to not only the festival-like feeling which comes from bands, art installations, and workshops, but also the careful curation by organizers. The Shor Bazaar team which is organizing it’s 5th edition this month says, “We received 400-500 applications for only 15 stalls. We ensure that our curation is of the highest standard and that we push new names each time. We try to have no more than 3 vendors in a certain category, ensure that there is a difference in the designs showcased, and avoid repetition of vendors in consecutive editions of the market.”
Curation is definitely key. Says Curtis, “At ZaPalooza, we curate our vendors very carefully. The quality of products needs to be top-notch and our audience needs to find value and beauty in it. Our vendors come back to us because they know that the crowd that walks in an appreciative crowd. They know that we do everything we can to promote the brand’s visibility.”
The quality of the crowd is something that pulls Kirti Kulkarni, the owner of lifestyle label Earthlike to flea markets. She adds, “Not only are the locations of these markets good, they also have an excellent reach and great contacts. For me it also, gives me a chance to receive feedback directly from the people buying the product. And I don’t have to worry about margin sharing which would happen in a normal pop-up set up at a store.”
Against the background of a beautiful, sun-drenched afternoon, a kaleidoscope of colours, Instagram-worthy backgrounds, artwork that captures your imagination, and music that invigorates, an opportunity to shop from hundreds of lifestyle and fashion brands is a tempting proposition, and the city’s audience of flea market denizens is increasingly spoilt for choice. It’s a choice that fashion entrepreneurs and flea market organizers are more than happy to provide. Talk about a win-win!
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