Did the first post on this lovely store leave you wanting more? Here goes, then :). I continue to talk to Madhavi, who’s baby this store is. When I ask her what makes her tick and what her greatest motivations are, she says, “My biggest motivations are my two little girls. The day I started the store 10 months ago, my younger one turned 6 months! I wanted to be a stay at home mum as well as a working mum. To have a little store Yellow Button was always a dream! The fact that I had zero retail experience didn’t deter me from starting something on my own that I knew I could be great at! (Now I get my girls to the store whenever I can and my older one (5 years) will help with sticking the labels, arranging earrings or stay busy with her own art work!)”. Is that sweet or what?
Says Madhavi, “Picking products is the most fun part of my job.” I can understand that, picking up products for a store like this would be my dream job! “It is also the toughest”, she says, “because I have to make sure they are different and they are unique and they stand out and also appealing to a larger audience. I want to have good quality products and be associated with artists/designers who not only make great products but are also nice people. I try to select products and promote products that are original work.”
It is a fun collection! And a lot of it is sourced from NGOs that Madhavi works with. Something close to my heart as well. Says Madhavi, “My interest in NGO’s started when I did a project on a women’s self-help group in Tamil Nadu when I was in college. During grad school I interned at the United Nations in NYC. I always thought I’ll continue in the development field, but got sucked into the corporate world and moved to a boutique investment firm after graduating from an MBA in finance (where I worked for more than 6 years). When I started the store, I knew for sure I wanted do a mix of products that were handmade and handcrafted by NGO’s as well a space where I could promote upcoming designers. Our shelf space is limited at the store, so as much as I would love to stock so many more products made by those talented crafts people out there, I will have to do in turns!”
What I also loved was that Madhavi has used old furniture and other objects, repurposed them to make either functional or plain beautiful accessories around the store. Like this old sewing machine stand which is now a table showing off bedspreads.
And this fan which, with its bright colours, completely livens up a space!
And this refurbished vintage chest which now displays the lovely collection of jewellery.
The store stocks plenty of recycled and upcycled products as well! Leaving you with one more glimpse of the store.
The Yellow Button store on Facebook | The website | Mail
House # 787, 12th Main, 1st Cross ,Near Sony Center, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore, India 560038
Happy shopping!