Katrina Kaif, ambassador and investor with Behno
For each tie, knot and method utilized in its luggage, Behno has a narrative. The worldwide purse label headquartered in New York — with manufacturing items throughout India — had its homecoming just lately, as Shivam Punjya, its founder, launched retail operations in India.
Lodged inside Behno’s signature knots are tales of how artisanal communities come collectively to champion a greater world forward of them whereas studying and standing up for one another. The “union” of artisanal communities is in keeping with Behno, which denotes sisterhood. “It comes from the phrase behen (sister) that ladies working in factories name one another,” says Shivam, who’s shuttling between Mumbai and New York “main a nomadic life.” However his coronary heart, identical to his creations, is rooted in India.
Shivam Punjya, founding father of Behno, with Katrina
In a kaleidoscope of colors — from basic white, black and tan to metallics and sweet crush tones — Behno’s luggage now have a seal of approval from Katrina Kaif, who, in March, grew to become an investor and likewise the model ambassador of the corporate. ”Katrina is a worldwide icon. She’s excited by aware consumption. She has determined to be extra intimately concerned and likewise has references for shoots,” says Shivam.
A former healthcare skilled, Shivam was in India in 2013 to analysis public insurance policies within the nation for a mission . He was working extensively with girls in Jaipur and Hyderabad. Most of them have been employees from the textile trade, he remembers. Shortly after the Rana Plaza constructing collapsed in Bangladesh, and brought about the dying of 1000-plus garment employees, Shivam was disturbed and couldn’t cease speaking about it. His household suggested him to both make peace with what occurred or leap in and do one thing. He selected the latter.
Finally Behno took form, beginning out as a ready-to-wear garment model. Shivam additionally got here up with what he calls The Behno Customary that lists six classes: girls’s rights, healthcare, garment employee social mobility, household planning, eco-consciousness, and employee satisfaction and advantages. He works with factories that embody these practices.
“We did about 5 ready-to-wear collections. We began designing purses to go together with the clothes in our look books. We observed shoppers have been gravitating in direction of the baggage. That was the explanation for us to pivot, he says. “The Indian market must entry a product at an accessible worth level. Behno’s luggage right here begin at ₹7,000. It took a while , and now we’re right here,” he says, including that some luggage are being particularly designed for the Indian market. “We need to ensure that all functionalities are lined.”
As a aware model, Behno has distanced itself from seasons. Whereas they drop new merchandise, replace colors and add silhouettes, it doesn’t proliferate like a rash each season. Right here, there isn’t a deadline on color or fashion. “For me, a purse is timeless. It’s purported to be worn as a lot as you’ll be able to.”
The quiet luxurious wave works nicely for Shivam as he doesn’t consider in loud logos. His designs are rooted in minimalism. ”Our luggage have debossed logos on them, preserving our parts extra minimal. There are hidden parts to the bag that solely the person will know: just like the wave element on our locks, which is seen when the flap is opened; or the inverse of our “b” brand positioned behind the flaps of our Ina collection…” he explains, including, “These delicate parts will stand the check of time. If a bag is clear and purposeful, you’ll be able to put on it with something, anytime,” he provides.
The merchandise are completely made in India, together with the leather-based, which can be sourced from right here. “We used to make use of imported leather-based. We’re wrapping up our sourcing from Venice. We work with three totally different tanneries in Chennai, every specialising in various kinds of leather-based,” explains Shivam, including that the baggage are manufactured in factories in Kolkata and Nashik. Whereas there’s a stigma hooked up to the leather-based trade, he’s glad to see extra girls becoming a member of one of many leather-based factories he works with in Calcutta. “Onboarding a manufacturing facility is an extended course of as we’re specific about high quality. Each rupee is invested in direction of craftsmanship. There’s coaching so that they get all the pieces proper, together with little particulars like how we do a sew line or edge portray. Luxurious, he believes, shouldn’t be outlined by worth level however craftsmanship.
He’s fast to level that each one the leather-based getting used is a by-product of the meals trade. A vegetarian who wears quite a lot of leather-based, Shivam says, “The cattle trade globally has grown 20 p.c 12 months on 12 months. This implies there’s going to be quite a lot of byproduct from this trade. If there’s waste it’s our accountability to make use of the waste mindfully reasonably than sending them to landfills.”