INTERVIEW WITH DEBONAIR THRIFT

Every year, the fashion industry contributes to millions of tons of waste generated by large multinational fast fashion brands. Recently, thrifting is one sustainable alternative that has emerged victorious amongst the masses- popularized by scores of YouTubers who go to their local Goodwill store, and do thrift hauls, displaying stunning, vintage pieces that make our hearts ache with envy. Devoid of thrift stores in most localities, India has witnessed the growth of online thrift stores which are a dream come true- with beautiful second hand clothing delivered at amazing prices to your doorstep. Today, Elixir presents our collaboration with Debonair Thrift, an online thrift store on Instagram that promises you corsets straight out of a 90's Vivienne Westwood collection. Soft, pastel Satin, lace trimmed edges, and delicately tied laces, with numerous colour options like white, black, mauve- and so, so much more- Debonair Thrifting also offers you bustiers, skirts, beautiful dresses and bralettes, all under 1k.

We reached out to the owner, Mansi Gupta, a 21 year old Psychology Post Graduate student- and had the privilege to garner first hand knowledge on how an online thrift store works. Passionate, and dedicated towards the cause of sustainability- Mansi gave us a lot of wonderful insights on her journey so far, and what motivated her to start the store. Here are some excerpts from the conversation.

C- What’s the best, most interesting item or the weirdest thing you’ve ever found second hand?

Mansi- The best item I have found is a vintage 80s 90 s theme dress which is made of black velvet and detailed with white lace and pearl with padded shoulder which is so beautiful hence I am very reluctant to sell it in the hope of being invited to an event this fancy . I have posted that on my profile, do check it out!

C- What do you love about thrifting?

Mansi- The joy of finding a beautiful abandoned or a new piece at such prices amazes me.

C- How did you start thrifting professionally and start your own store? How do you sell and buy second hand goods?

Mansi- I was inspired by an already existing thrift store dealing in corsets and bustiers that were so vintage and delicate and it just drew me towards them which led me to understanding the process and looking for suppliers . All my products are hand picked and I have various suppliers who gets them in bulk and then I select them for my thrifting family .

C- What’s the best way to introduce someone to thrift stores who is, for whatever reason, reluctant to buy used?

Mansi- I think at first every one is reluctant to buy second hand or upcycled garments, but when beautiful original vintage pieces with well reputed brands are available at such low prices- why would someone burn a hole in their pockets? And of course corsets are our major selling point .

Y- Do you think thrifting will get back to the offline mode after the pandemic? What would it mean for your business?

Mansi- It will be actually great to have thrifting offline back. That will create more opportunities for my business to grow, and introduce more awareness about the concept. The bigger the family- the bigger the work towards the environment.

Y- Which is the best customer experience that you’ve had?

Mansi- Some people just really appreciate the work even if they don’t buy . Their appreciation and love would be the best experience I have had .

Y- What are your views on Nakshatra and our collaboration?

Mansi- The collaboration with Nakshatra has actually been great . I am excited to see how many people will join the thrifting community and how much of a greater benefit it will be for the environment . I am really thankful to be the part of this collaboration, and I'm hoping for the best.

Store's handle : @debonair_thrift

Handled by : MANSI GUPTA (@mansigupta_23)

Age 21 ( psychology MA student )

- Chiransha Prasad and Yamica Chopra