Express News Service
CHENNAI: Coasters imprinted with the Triumph of Labour statue, t-shirts and tote bags screen-printed with iconic landmarks, mugs and badges digitally-printed with filter kaapi davarahs, keychains embossed with idlis and vadais, mouse pads designed with faces of Tamil Cinema…Chennaigaga continues to surprise us with its quirky take on the city, its heritage, culture and people.
While this year’s Madras-themed merchandise featuring Carnatic music celebrations, south Indian cuisine, the city’s skyline and more were floating about social media during the Madras month celebrations in August, Sujata Tarakesan, the founder, tells us why the souvenir collection is timeless.
“It’s been a decade since we kicked off this brand and we’ve been celebrating Chennai every day since then. Around Madras month, things heat up because locals also want to top up their collection. While it’s usually the moving population that enjoys the souvenirs, we’ve had a great local customer base. Everybody has that sense of belonging here.”
Over the decade, the souvenir venture has gradually evolved into a platform for personalised gifting. Illustrations, pop art, abstract, caricature, fonts, doodles…the brand does not shy away from exploring different art forms and styles in its merchandise and that’s what makes it appealing to people of all age groups.
“We were the first to introduce Tamil-themed utility products at a reasonable price. Now, it’s become a competitive market with multiple players exploring many themes. But, we’ve dedicatedly been focussing only on namma Madras and the many things it has got to offer. From Napier Bridge, sikku kolam, witty dialogues, Chennai Super Kings to black-and-yellow auto rickshaws, we’ve tried to incorporate the diverse elements of the city. However, t-shirts have been our best sellers,” she enthuses.
Chennaigaga has shut its physical retail store and completely moved online after the pandemic. “We were badly hit by the Covid crisis. But, the collection will no longer be limited to one location now. Orders have been coming in from Madhya Pradesh to Malaysia. Having said that, the memories we’ve had at our shop will stay etched forever. Right now, we want Chennaigaga to not just be a product brand but an experience. Translating it digitally is our priority,” says Sujata, hoping to continue delivering a slice of Madras to Chennaiites around the world.
For details, visit: Chennaigaga.com
Source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2021/sep/16/going-gaga-overmadras-merchandise-2359275.html
