Right off the bat, we tell Manimala Vemury that the first thing that caught our attention about her venture The Falooda Closet was the name itself. Whatever she was trying to achieve, it is working. But the point to keep our attention is that a 23-year-old smitten by the tie-dye technique is happy to spread the love in a way that she knows will work, through an Instagram page @thefaloodacloset.
T-shirts, her mother's saris, bedsheets — nothing was spared in the Vemury household, indeed many things were sacrificed so that Manimala could perfect the art of tye-dye. And perfect it she did. "It all started as a project to salvage that white kurta with indelible stains or a bedsheet that was too faded to use. I pestered tailors to teach me the technique. This was back when I was ten years old," says the youngster who is currently pursuing her Master's in Genetics from Osmania University. So it's not a technique that suddenly captivated Manimala, it's something that she has learnt to perfect over the years. So, why not share the perfection? With this thought, she initiated The Falooda Closet in December 2020. "I wanted a name that is inherently Indian yet reflects modernity as well," she explains. "Also, I love Narnia!" she chirps in.
It looks like the word about the closet is now spreading because Manimala has over 100 orders since she started and not just from Telangana, but also from Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Pune and even Assam. "Whatever I do is made-to-order. The problem arises when people expect the exact same design, but with tie-dye, the maximum percentage of replication we can achieve is 90%. For me, however, the real fun starts when the customer and I collaborate and I customise it for them," says the youngster who is always up for a good challenge and dreads monotony. While the tie-dye technique she employs is pretty straightforward, there are specific designs that require specific tying methods so it all boils down to what customers want.
"I guess what I am really trying with The Falooda Closet is to make wearable art a thing. Also, tie-dye has been around for ages and I hope that it gets its due soon enough. I want to do my bit to spread awareness for it," says Manimala.
For more on her check out instagram.com/thefaloodacloset
