Women, Fashion and Sustainability – Can Style and Sustainability Co-exist?

The awareness on climatic change and environmental degradation has demanded a need to practice sustainability on a large scale.  

It is believed that any damage to the environment has a severe effect on women.  On one hand, women act as the first responders of the crisis and take measures to tackle the problem and on other hand they stand in the forefront to take charge of sustainability.   Sustainability, having laid footprints on the sectors of energy resources, industrial manufacturing, food and consumer goods, transportation and healthcare in India, has also stepped into the fashion industry too.  

Beej, a sustainable Indian accessory brand, founded by Arundhati Kumar on January 20, 2020, offers sustainable accessories like bag, wallets and clutches made out of pineapple leaves, cactus leaves, cork and other sustainable materials.  The founder, who takes sustainability at each step at Beej, believes “style and sustainability can and must co-exists”.  A great idea is born with a small spark.  Likewise, the idea of sustainable accessories conceived after witnessing the effects of climatic change on her Europe trip.  Considering sustainability and fashion Arundhati says,

“Beej is India’s first premium sustainable accessories brand on a mission to make sustainability a mainstream fashion choice”.

Arundhati was clear on using environment friendly and sustainable materials for her accessories.  Hence the materials used at Beej are vegan, which are largely sourced from Pinatex (made from Pineapple leaves), Desserto (Cactus leather) and cork (made from bark of oak trees).  All these materials are plant-based and biodegradable.  Recycled yarns are used for lining and recycled PETs are used as zipper.  In order to minimize the use of metals and hardwares, logos of Beej are either embroidered or embossed.

Taking it up the notch, the brand is about to create sustainable accessory collection and are in talks with leading Indian designers.  Products of Beej are available on Nykaa Boutique, Tata Indi- Luxe and Brown Living.

Image Courtesy : Beejliving