Fashion Expressions

Working out of D-9/2 in Okhla Industrial Area Phase 2 means there is never a quiet moment. Between the trucks moving outside and the sound of machines from the neighbors, it’s a very busy environment. Our unit is basically a large hall with different sections partitioned off for cutting and packing. We’ve got some sturdy tables and a lot of lighting because we need to see what we are doing when the sun starts to go down. The tea man comes around twice a day and that’s usually when everyone takes a five-minute break to stretch. It’s a dusty area, so we are always cleaning the surfaces, though it feels like a losing battle sometimes. We focus on the production side of things, making sure everything is cut and put together according to the notes we get from the designers. There are about twelve of us here most days. The rent in Okhla keeps going up, but this is where all the action is for the garment trade. Sometimes the cargo trucks get stuck in the narrow lanes, which makes for a lot of shouting and horn-honking outside our door. We just ignore it and keep moving with our tasks. It’s a hard-working place with a lot of fabric scraps on the floor by the end of the shift. That’s just life in the industrial phase. We keep a spare set of tools near the back door.