Sneaker culture in India

Vedant Lamba, 22, started a YouTube channel named 'Mainstreet TV' in 2017, which has grown into India's largest sneaker resale store as a result of its art gallery exhibit aesthetic and the country's growing sneaker craze culture

With his entrepreneurial quest and a futuristic design inspiration Vedant Lamba, Founder of The Mainstreet Marketplace speaks to IANSlife.

Vedant LambaVedant Lamba

Vedant: As a founding team, we were horrid with names. One of our team member's friends texted him once saying "Call it Mainstreet", and the rest is history. From there MainstreetTv, Marketplace, etc were just natural developments.

Tell us about your journey from Mainstreet TV to The Mainstreet Marketplace?

Vedant: In 2017, we launched our YouTube channel, Mainstreet TV. It became 'The Mainstreet Marketplace' four years later, and it was a natural extension of Mainstreet TV. 

The business never started because of our passion for YouTube and making films about sneakers. We started because we didn't think there was a sneaker culture in India, thus content came first, followed by commerce.

We moved from one thing to another very organically. Nothing was forced. I am just very grateful to be able to go with my gut and be where we are today, which is happy, hungry, and hunting.

How do you think the sneaker reselling culture is picking up in India? Any specific observations?

Vedant: It's incredibly similar to how gold and property work with Indians. Sneakers hold and rise in value, and provide status. Growth in this space has been exponential over the last few years. 

Our country is full of hustlers and this space is giving all of them an opportunity to make some money off this hustle. It's beautiful.

What do you believe the differences are between international and Indian sneaker culture?

Vedant: Just the stage of development. Indian sneaker culture is still at a very nascent stage. We are still to see our community develop stronger experiences, tastes, and experimentation with their style. It's so beautiful to watch this process play out.

Tell us about your personal style?

Vedant: Most people would argue that I don't have any style. But I am big on minimal aesthetics with deep functionality. I wear the same pants and shoes every day. My pants have pockets carved out specifically for my phones, spare change, membership cards, necessary and unnecessary accessories, etc. Makes my life real simple

Tell us about your clientele?

Vedant: It's the best part of everything we do. Our clientele is the best. We have the most wonderful community of customers. We spend a large portion of our time interacting with them and we have been so lucky to have such beautiful relationships with so many incredible people. 

We know we can count on them when we need them and they know they can count on us when and if they need anything from us ever. Trust goes 2 ways. 

Most people ask us about all our Bollywood clients and other celebrities - and all of that is extremely exciting, but the people we talk to every day - that's what gives us real fulfilment.

What would you be doing today if you weren't an entrepreneur? Anything else that you had planned?

Vedant: I always knew this is exactly what I wanted to do. I have been obsessed with the idea of starting a business for far too long now. 

But who knows, I am sure I'd enjoy being an engineer on a factory floor, a marketing executive, a sales representative. I find joy in all kinds of little things. Processes, marketing, branding, selling. So much fun!