Every week we have Youth Networking Sessions at Interconnect Cafe, at which we dive into tough topics, listen and learn from subject-matter-experts and share our views on topic of the week. This week was no different! It was all about sustainability and conscious living.
After our open discussion sessions & learning from each young adult member from around the world - we asked our young adult community to do a bit of homework! They were asked to send us a few sustainable & conscious brands that they are familiar with and/or use on a regular basis - such that we can share these brands within the community, expose more members to alternative solutions as well as empower the voice of sustainability! The brands sent to us are a follows.
We are sharing these with you via this blog, with the hopes that you check them out too! In an effort to be conscious alongside our Interconnect Youth Community, we pray that you look for alternatives to your daily life solutions too. Fingers crossed - this blogpost inspires!
P.S. Interconnect Cafe is a Networking Platform that connects and inspires young adults from around the world - with the purpose to broaden minds, make friends across borders, appreciate cultural differences and develop an understanding of how local thoughts can lead to global impacts. You can check out Interconnect Cafe at www.interconnectcafe.com and join us weekly for our worldwide networking sessions.
Nonsense Curry
There is no beginning to this blogpost, without addressing our collaboration partner for the 2-part series we did together at Interconnect Cafe. A brand that stands for all the things we believe in as well, and hence it was just a natural fit from our first conversation! Jolynn Carneiro, the creator of Nonsensecurry, was an absolute hit amongst the young adult community of ICC. So, here's a dive into the brand...
NonsenseCurry is lifestyle brand with a sustainable approach, that is dissected in four parts: Product Design, Aesthetics, SkinCurry & Curry Tunes. Where they create products made from khadi, by mounting the creatives/cartoons on them. This covers the Product Design aspect or as they call it 'Curry Creatives'.
Aesthetics or 'Curry House 101' is all about the home decor. This includes spot decorating and refurbishing using misfits-broken, odd or recycled items in order to extend the shelf life of items before they make the rounds to the landfills.
'SkinCurry' covers honest stories, slow fashion, mental health, self love, body image, beauty standards through conceptualized shoots or getups, along with 'Curry Tunes' which include song covers, jingles and original song compositions.
Overall, Jolynn is a master curator and as she likes to call herself (master) 'Lifestyle Designer'. With her ethical and conscious take on life itself, its hard to go wrong when choosing Nonsensecurry as the brand to refurbish your home and jhush-up your life... and wardrobe too.
"Nonsense is how I perceive life in a ludicrous manner and curry is my Goan origin and roots", Jolynn Carneiro.
And if I haven't said this before, their Instagram feed is a Nude-Earthytone lovers - absolute dream! You must checkout their feed here: https://www.instagram.com/nonsensecurry/
For more information on the brand, their super-funny-creatives, khaki products & lamps and so much more, check out their website: www.nonsensecurry.myinstamojo.com
B label by BOHECO
I couldn't put it better than they do on there website, so instead of paraphrasing them - I'm just going to quote them.
A clothing line for an individual who is miles ahead of a crowd that latches onto trends in vogue, where it is convenient to fall prey to the fetters of fast fashion. Such an individual prefers a change in path, a Plan B that helps them take a greener route where science meets fashion and style meets sustainability. We lay our considerations upfront in contrast to fast fashion: green products, stylish and contemporary. Our clothing line, B Label, takes a green route. Here, each garment is made with love, care and one of the strongest natural fibres on the planet. Hemp repels UV rays, resists mold and mildew, and is carbon-negative. We promise it’ll last you years. Choose Plan B now !
Featuring a line of evergreen style items and yet very on trend with their choice of material/fabric. Hemp is currently being featured as the sustainable material to work with in 2020-2021, along with it's medicinal and nutritional qualities. Hemp is everywhere and is absolutely miraculous! And B Label has done it complete justice by bring quality that will last you years.
You can check out their website on: https://www.blabel.in/
Mix Mitti
Mix Mitti has an absolutely gorgeous range of handbags, laptop bags, backpacks etc with unique prints as well as embroidered animal graphics & motifs. These rank very high on the scale of originality and yet tell a story that will be last the test of time.
More and more brands are realizing the importance of connection and storytelling in the marketing endeavors. It's how the human race has been transferring knowledge over decades! It's interesting to see a brand like Mix Mitti including that storytelling aspect to their product line directly.
At MixMitti we contribute a portion of your purchase to animal welfare and conservation as we believe it’s essential to give back to the nature. Every purchase at MixMitti has a purpose- whether it be supporting sustainable jobs for artisans in India, bringing awareness in an effort to save our species from ill activities and extinction or moving away from the quagmire of high street fashion into an ethical alternative of animal friendly and cruelty free fashion.
In the age of fast fashion and everything being on trend, Mix Mitti has found a way to deliver this with an absolute sense of the eternal (timeless). Here is how they put it -
MixMitti aims at bringing you exclusive range of high end lifestyle accessory products hand crafted by skilled artisans as an initiative of skill development and creating awareness towards life and global issues with the help of photography. An endearing aspect of the brand is the idea of crafting quality, cruelty-free products providing awareness through the images that are showcased on them. Our constant endeavor is to build a platform for ethical buying, while not compromising on fashion.
All in all, a brand that inspires! You can find out more about their creator/designer on the About Us page of their website and check out their beautiful Instagram feed on: https://www.instagram.com/mixmitti/
Lucy & Yak
Lucy and Yak has the most fabulously illustrated story which moved my heart - from their friendship factory in India and the absolute responsibility they have shown towards their growing team of employees & staff. You have to check out their tailor directory... you just have to. Here's the link: https://lucyandyak.com/pages/brothers-collective-2-pics
With their bold designs, and strong core values in support of various causes and issues like Anti-Racism that trickles down their entire operational pyramid. Lucy & Yak is setting a standard of what a modern-age conscious brand look and feel should be like.
And ohh my goodness... they've made dungaree's for the everyday folk, cool again! They are absolutely making waves with their sustainable fashion pieces. I'm going to take a second to feature some of their products below... and let them do the talking.
Betting their items have said enough. Go get some of your own bright yellow-green-prink dungarees today, here's their website to check out: https://lucyandyak.com/
P.S. They are size inclusive. For all your curvy gals out there... here's one for you!
P.P.S. Team Lucy & Yak if you are reading this - thank you for setting the bar at exactly where is should be. Thank you!
We Are We Wear
'We Are We Wear' is a lingerie and swimwear brand that champions body diversity with sizes ranging from XS - 3XL . They have also taken a more sustainable approach to fashion through their Eco Edit and Evolve Collection, by using fabrics made from unwanted waste materials such as fishing nets, industrial plastics and fabric scraps.
This blows my mind! And they are absolutely sexy too. Link: https://wearewewear.com/
What particularly also impressed me, was their BOOB TAPE! Which is not only a great product but also skin color & skin tone inclusive. This speaks volumes about the new-age, strong entrepreneurs behind 'What Are We Wear'! Conscious and inclusive of every customer & client that ever reaches out to them. More information of these strong women leaders can be found on the 'About Us' page of their website.
Featuring 'We Are We Wear' in this blogpost fills me up with great joy! More power to you girlies. You can check out their fabulous Instagram feed on: https://www.instagram.com/wearewewear/
No Nasties
There is no way a smile doesn't creep onto your face when you see an Instagram Handle and the line below it goes.... Organic + Fairtrade + Vegan + Carbon-Neutral Clothing. That sounds like beautiful music!
The more I jumped into their website, the more I was taken in by their activities. It pleases me to see companies that are good, not just as a CSR-activity but good at core of all their activities. They are driven by the desire to be non-nasty and better for the planet, fellow beings and yet produce greatly designed garments.
Each of the above bold statements made in their IG Bio beautifully explains the steps they are taking to make a difference. Also a must mention is, they are the first Fairtrade recognized company in India. Link to read more: https://www.nonasties.in/pages/why-are-we-doing-this
So if you are in the market for some basics, and all year round timeline pieces. A stop by No Nasties would be the way to go!
It's the real deal.
Link to check out their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nonasties/
P.S. It warms my heart to see friends modeling their pieces.
Doodlage
By far the most fascinating brand from the bunch! It blows my mind to see ingenuity the way you do at Doodlage - piecing together waste to create anew. Makes me wonder, has the statement: someone else's trash could be another's treasure, ever rung truer? then the items & garments they are literally piecing together at Doodlage.
We at Doodlage, Upcycle factory waste into short limited edition collections. Recycle post consumer waste and post cutting scraps into new fabrics to create season-less well finished garments made for longevity. What we waste is segregated and converted into accessories, soft furnishing products and paper to make our packaging or stationery products. All our pieces and fabrics are made with ethical production units and our packaging is designed to be plastic free.
What's even more exciting to see is the work they are doing with other brands out there - through all the collaborations and projects. From working towards Zero Waste, to upcycling customer return at Decathlon. When you inspire others on the journey you are on, that is a true testament for the mission! All of this and more, can be found under the 'Journal' and 'Collaborations' Tabs of their website. A must check out section for DIY ideas too! Link: https://doodlage.in/
Here's a collage of their pieces, pieced together. (See what I did there ;)
Questions To Ask Yourself Before Buying New Clothing: 1. Who Made This? 2. What Fabrics Are Used? 3. Will This Piece Last 30 Wears Or Longer? 4. What all can I wear it with? Is this a versatile product? These questions are an effective way to reduce buying from unethical, fast fashion brands. They can also help us to open our eyes to the realities of the fashion industry and take a stand against the exploitation of hard working people and help get them a fair wage.
Link to Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doodlageofficial/
Show them some love on Instagram & stop by their online store too. Do them and all of us too, the honor of 'asking why before you buy'.
As I conclude this not too long blogpost, I'd like to apologize - I know that this blog is in no way going to do justice to the immensity of the work each of the brands & companies are doing and achieving daily. My humble hope is that this blog will start the conversation and/or put a spotlight on alternative brands which will lead to be a better life, better choices, a more conscious lifestyle & fingers-crossed a healthier planet for us all. (ICC Members take note.)
In the same breath, I'd like to say a big big thank you! To these conscious, sustainable companies for making better decisions so that we may one day see the fruits from the flowers, of the seeds you'll have sown for us all. Thank you thank you thank you!
For all those of you who have read till here, a big hug from me! Please reach out to these companies and support their endeavors - the deserve it! And to all you Interconnect Cafe Community Members who introduced me to these brands, I say - what an adventure this has been for me! Its opened up a whole new world, so thank you! See you at the next session. Much Love, Ayesha XX