Scandi-pink anti-fit dresses, child-safe play tents for the kids along with customisable cushions to match, whole leaf teas packaged in eco-friendly jute bags and all sorts of artisanal goodness—Natty.in offers up a carefully curated selection of products that range from fashion and photo prints to lifestyle and kids stuff, all made by creative entrepreneurs and indie brands you might not have come across before. In a market cluttered with an infusion of buzzword-friendly online marketplaces, the obvious question is—what makes natty.in any different from the rest? And apart from the refined almost mature-millennial aesthetic that flows through, the real differentiator, is its founder Natisha Saraogi. Here’s why:
She gets shopping fatigue…
“I am a consumer, and when I shopped, while I loved the mix of high street and high luxury designer brands as well, I was constantly looking for that element of quirk, you know, something that nailed my personal style. I don’t fit into a cookie-cutter mould, and most shoppers today don’t either. That’s when I realised that we needed a space for something more unique, for those emerging indie brands. And that’s where Natty.in comes in,” says Saraogi. Yes, trendy finds a clear space, so expect hipster-friendly succulent prints and light boxes, tropical-inspired stationery; but alongside are the delightful little discoveries miniature concrete houses and planters, and exquisitely crafted cocktail picks and napkin holders.
She shops for you…
Saraogi is constantly scouring the market, from Dastkar in the capital, to flea markets and pop ups. Facebook and Instagram proved faithful bedfellows, leading her to discovering designers and new artisanal brands just sprouting across the country. Too small to run their own e-commerce sites or too new to be on lust-lists—Saraogi has in a short span of time managed to create a sort of eco-system of the new-cool indie brands and designers. But what’s the basis on which products make the cut? Her starting point was handmade, but since that’s quite a disputed idea, mouse-made (made on a computer) soon entered her vocabulary as well. And while made-in-India products dominate, she’s now opening herself up to international brands as well. At the core of it, her curation is based on a very basic idea of the hyper urban and contemporary lifestyle and so restrictive labels have been discarded for a more visceral approach—so now it’s about the story behind the product and the brand. “I realised that I end up picking the object d’art; if a product has a story, and I want to tell that story, it’s on Natty.in,” she says. Label Ishana is the definite fashion favourite, and Himalayan botanical-inspired Junaili popular with the beauty lovers.
She is you…
“Millennials have a bad name. We’re self-obsessed, narcissistic, and what not. Sure we’re overexposed, because, you know, social media, internet, etc. But we’re also the conscious ones, who care about the environment, women’s empowerment, animal rights, ethical consumption and what not. And we like our products to reflect that,” Saraogi says. What makes Natty.in an almost familiar and even fun sort of shopping experience, is that she is her own consumer.
[“Source-vogue”]
