Conscious Fashion Is So In, And This Bengaluru Duo Just Raised The Bar

Young Indians have outgrown the same-old shopping routine. We want so much more than just sifting through endless racks at a sterilely lit mall, only to land something that gives 'micro-trends final boss' energy. (Notice how everyone and their mother seems to have the same beige crochet button-up shirt?) Fast fashion is not just low-quality and uncreative; it is also a deeply problematic industry, notorious for exploiting the workers who make these clothes. Two Gen Z women from Bengaluru are on a mission to change that.

Radha Kashyap (26) and Divya Jalan's (24) recent pop-up, Moodboard, felt so refreshing in a world where "retail therapy" seems to be losing its shine. Let me set the mood for you. A monsoon Sunday evening, a room full of women hyping each other up, heaps of head-turning thrifted clothing and handmade jewellery, and matcha. What more could a girl ask for?

Radha, better known as the 'Thrifting 101 girl' online, is a marketing professional, content creator, and long-time thrift shopper whose dedication to conscious shopping began while studying fashion marketing in Singapore. "I learnt about the massive harms of the fashion industry and over-consumption, and realised there are many small things I can do to reduce the harm. Thrifting culture is big there, and I fell in love with it because it's sustainable and a more unique way to express yourself through your fashion."

Divya started her hand-crafted jewellery brand Not Just Bijoux in 2020, and has since been a hit among the fashion girlies. "I love making jewellery; my mom taught me how to do that, so she has been my business partner since the beginning. I started the brand during the COVID quarantine, and I built a very niche audience with whom I was able to communicate not just about my jewellery, but my tenets of ethical production, slow craftsmanship, and being very politically outspoken." 

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Radha passionately spoke about the idea behind their event. "Since I started making content, I've been featuring many thrift pages, and I realised that many of them have so many fantastic products, but no one can see them in person. I've always wanted to bring it to an in-person experience, because one of the biggest joys of thrifting is being able to go with your friends, spend time with each other, and shop."

Divya added that while events like this have already taken off in many other Indian cities, she and Radha wanted to fill that gap in Bengaluru. "I was in Delhi last year and went to a couple of next-door openings, like really cute fashion parties, and I fell in love with the community. I thought that damn, I have grown up in Bengaluru, and I know the people exist, but we just didn't know where to go." So, she has been organising many community gatherings in the city under her brand, Playground by NJB.

Mindful consumption is sexy

Radha spoke about how more young Indians want to better their style game without having to spend on another hyper-trendy garment that would ultimately end up in a landfill. "I align myself with thrifting because we're working with what's already there on this planet. There are so many clothes currently on this planet that we could all be building the most massive wardrobes, and we don't have to produce anything new."

"Young people today really care about thrifting. It's not just about careful consumption, which is a huge part of it, but it is also a fun social activity," expressed Radha. "At the event, I noticed that a lot of girls who were really into thrifting brought friends who were very new to it, and those friends really got really interested in it. I found that very endearing."

A large part of thrifting or shopping from local, small businesses is also about finding pieces that let you tell your own story. Whether you're a vintage enthusiast looking for corsets or a 'Y2K baddie' in search of a tracksuit set, thrifting is the place to look. "People feel that thrifting is the best way to express themselves," shared Radha. "A lot of [thrift store owners] are also designers who upcycle clothing and add their own special touch to it, so you can find really unique pieces."

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Gen-Z and community

Divya and Radha showcased about 10 carefully-picked homegrown thrift brands, jewellery (that might as well pass off as art) by Divya's very own company, and a line of sober yet totally addictive beverages brewed by Anokhi Bhardwaj (aka Your Matcha Mommy). Niche, curated events like this have recently been all the rage in Tier-1 India, and they aren’t just about shopping or partying; they’re about creating come-as-you-are spaces where like-minded people can just... vibe.

"I think younger people have become the biggest elephant in the room since COVID. I've seen a lot of us have kind of forgotten what life was like before [the pandemic], when we would go out and meet new people. I wanted to bring that feeling back," described Divya. "When you have a specific theme for an event, it also draws in a very specific crowd and creates a safe space for people to mingle. With 'Moodboard', we wanted to create something different, something girly and cool; a no-pressure event."

Radha chimed in, "In April, I went to another event hosted by Divya, and I went alone because sometimes you just have to put yourself out there and meet new people. There were a lot of girls who came on their own, a lot of whom were new to the city and didn't know how to make friends. I've grown up in Bengaluru, so I do have my support systems, but you don't realise that it's so hard to make new friends when you have spent that amount of time in the same city. I think that aspect is so important to events today." 

Growing this circle of shared values has been a driving force in Radha and Divya's journeys. At a time when fashion often feels like a cycle of copy-paste trends, these young women remind people that shopping could be intentional, rooted in community, and joyful. They prove that mindful consumption is not boring; it is expressive and liberating. So the next time you reach out for your phone to scroll through another fast-fashion haul, maybe consider swapping for a thrift rack and see what story you find instead.

Views expressed by the author are their own.