Stories that sell

On a quiet lane near Ethiraj Salai, is the house where Thomas Philip and Thangam Philip display their wide range of aesthetic handicrafts collected from different parts of the country. What began as space for cane and bamboo furniture slowly evolved into an exclusive handicrafts showroom. “Storing furniture was not easy, as it occupied a lot of space. And selling handicrafts was always our thing. Hence the establishment,” Thomas recounts.

The store’s interiors are ethereally graceful and beautiful, filled with products and stories. Thomas says, “Almost all the handicrafts we sell are traditional ones from every part of the country.” Usually, products like these are found at travelling exhibitions, but this store is open all through the year.

“Most of the products are directly bought from the workers at cottage industries,” Thangam says. A key element of the store is the affordability of each product, not to mention the quality. And all these products, made, as the phrase goes, completely in India, celebrate the richness of the land.

The wares include recyclable notebooks made of elephant dung, handmade table mats and trays with a rice paper base.

The store also stocks products produced by the Blue Mango Trust, a social enterprise that aims to provide financial stability to women who are disabled, deserted, widowed or living with AIDS.

“We have a lot of customers who come to our store just to look for a product they had purchased previously. However, as our collection rotates continuously, they may not be available then,” laughs Thomas.