Mumbai is discovering the charm of on-the-go bazaars

Drop by your neighbourhood flea market to discover novel fashion brands, new ways of eating out, and off-beat but melodious music, writes Maithili Chakravarthy

There is a new addition to Mumbai’s effervescent cultural landscape—flea markets, night bazaars and open festivals. With this latest addition, people now have more to discover and experiment as these juna bazaars (as they are called in Pune) help bring creativity and socializing to one’s doorstep.

And Mumbai has been teeming with these flea markets and similar open festivals for a while now—The Lil Flea, for example, was where people experienced sartorial freedom and were inspired to push boundaries. Then there was the Indie Village 2018 which claimed to bring experimental “energies” under one roof.

It’s for everyone

Flea markets are not a new concept; they have been around for centuries. The idea behind the revival of flea market is to “bring together” several independent labels—be it fashion, home décor, cosmetics or any other lifestyle brand—which one might not find at a corner shop or a busy mall. Flea market can be called “experimental souks” that incorporate the concept of a pop-up market that allows upcoming entrepreneurs to set up a temporary shop and make a name for their brands in a world that still patronizes foreign fashion labels.

“Foster relationships” is the aim of Indie Village, as stated on its Facebook page. “We have designers from Rajasthan, Kolkata and from southern states, and from other parts of the country as well. It’s a creative space and we have a select number of brands. We usually try to get on board people who make something interesting. We look for bungalows, restaurants, and similar venues for our events. I have a keen eye for things and started researching brands—I love getting people together,” says Zoya Mendez, founder, Indie Village.

The Times Bandra Fest, too, seeks to help find a fan following for entrepreneurs whose wares may otherwise go unnoticed in a world of mass-produced goods. With its “open bazaar” atmosphere, the fest strives to be like an international flea market enabling buyers to make quirky purchases.

Growing community

Flea markets are gaining momentum to build a sense of community; unite sellers and buyers and help start-ups that might not garner enough patronage otherwise.

The maiden Mumbai Shopping Festival—which took place between January 12 – 31—was a shopping extravaganza replete with concerts and night markets. Organized by the Maharashtra state government, in association with Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation and event-management company OMCPL, the Mumbai Shopping Festival has been an initiative in the making for 15 years, which came to fruition this year.

The objective of the Mumbai Shopping Festival is to innovate shopping in the city, as well as encourage concepts of food trucks in India. According to the organisers, the festival’s goal was also to convert the city into a shopping paradise by using spaces intelligently for public pleasure.

“The MSF is about bringing the city together. It’s the first-ever festival of this stature. We wanted it to be a world-class festival. We got the CM’s approval and it took around three months to plan it. There’s no other geographic shopping festival of this kind anywhere else in the country. The festival took place at Worli, Malad and Powai among other areas in the city,” says Rahul Gomes, MD of OMCPL.

The festival was comparable to the ones in Dubai and Bangkok and made many working people quite happy. “I went for the night market at Inorbit mall in Malad. Such markets are convenient if you are working. You can shop till late,” says Purvi Shah, a satisfied MSF visitor and customer.

Some events like The Lil Flea expanded in scope to include movie screenings, plays and tree adoption. The organizers wanted The Lil Flea to be a one-stop-shop for their patrons by helping to organize fun activities over the weekends, such as DIY workshops, late night poetry readings, open mic events and stand-up comedies.

A quirk comes true

At the heart of most such festivals is quirk, and the spirit of utilizing the benefits of open air venues. Such events are organized at diverse venues—from the Jio Garden in Bandra Kurla Complex to the lawns of five-star hotels—to fully capture how a venue can be of use to such moving shopping festivals. For example, The Stepping Out Night Market curated by Shveta Salve at Taj Lands End, sells food from known Taj restaurants all around the country.

The idea of open air festivals is to provide patrons the right ambience—sea breeze, sea side, moonlight and the explosion of colours highlighted by pretty lighting.

Then there is the style quotient to each event. Being fashion forward is an important need for the youth today. So, there are fashion brands that need the patrons, and customers who want to have their personal style—not imitating the regular brands out in the market. One company that’s devoted primarily to this is Stylecracker. They curate the Boroughs and Lofts—a fashion and food festival that turned five this year—to give people access to eclectic fashion brands. Stylecracker has been trying to give people an innovative venue to shop and even engage personal stylists from the company. The company also teams up with Bombay Fusion – The Food Festival to curate the Borough’s eats, where a number of food brands together to whet a foodie’s appetite with imaginative grub ranging from jackfruit tacos to probiotics smoothies to fruit wines!

Ever expanding

Flea markets aim to encourage unknown brands that may not have a retail outlet to sell their goods. These markets scouring startups who use Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to promote their creations and double as tourist hotspots, bringing Mumbai on par with cities like Singapore and Venice where big malls and dazzling flea markets have become cultural landmarks.

“We use Facebook, Instagram and Google AdWords to build our brand. Our target audience is between 25–40 years, is socially conscious and well-travelled. There is a story to everything he or she buys. We come face to face with our primary target audience at festivals like The Lil Flea. We engage local artisans to make our shoes, where we give them access to technology and equipment aiming to create a more sustainable model of production,” says Hitesh Kenjale, co-founder of shoe brand Desi Hangover.

Getting a feast for eyes comes at a nominal price. The Lil Flea charges Rs300 per person, while the Stepping Out Night Market charges Rs249 per patron to let them roam about—and no pressure to buy anything.

According to Shah, the fee is just a way to get entrance. “I once did a pottery workshop at a festival. I always wanted to work with clay. I also attended a workshop on dreamcatchers—a foreign version of our evil eye. According to lore, dreamcatchers help filter out nightmares and helping dream only good dreams. A friend of mine attended a workshop on Mandala art,” she said.

“One can also do a lot of window shopping. One doesn’t feel awkward for not buying anything and can spend hours—even a whole day—at the market. The only problem is, sometimes in summers, it’s hot outside. It’s at those times that one doesn’t feel like going for an open-air event,” Shah adds.