Did you know that the Indian Cricket Team’s kit during this year’s ICC Cricket World Cup was made entirely of recycled polyester?
The writing on the wall is unmistakably clear: either we respect the earth’s resources and handover a rich planet teeming with clean resources to our progeny or we perish along with it. There is more awareness today than ever before. Disposable incomes are rising . Knowledge is omnipresent, empowering citizens. But along with privileges comes responsibility. People are making informed choices and consciously veering towards sustainable products. Enter these brands that make fashionable eco-friendly bags and make our life much easier!
1. CleanPlanet
If utility is your lookout, CleanPlanet is your ideal destination. With laptop & tablet sleeves, vegetable bags, pouches and gift bags, they have you amply covered. Usually jute is the only material that comes to mind when we talk of environment friendly bags but CleanPlanet employs cotton, wool and even suit fabric and upcycled Kanjeevaram silks! These days one can see beautiful art adorn their bags such as ikat or BEST bus prints. BagsLounge had done a detailed feature on them here. Unless the material used is silk or the likes, they are supremely affordable.
2. WhiteLight
In addition to producing sustainable products, The WhiteLight lays tremendous importance on uplifting the lives of marginalized people of the society. Innovation is at the heart of their operations which has lead to many an interesting material – such as the one made as a blend of wool and audio-visual tapes. In short, they produce materials that most of us would not even imagine in our most wayward dreams. We have covered The WhiteLight too in one of our earlier posts. They are quite easy on the pocket too, as they hardly go over INR 1,500. And see how that little mint green pouch expands into a shopping bag!
3. Joy At Work
The women in rural India have massive creative potential that is yet to be tapped. It takes the discerning expertise of entrepreneurs like Devika Krishnan to spot them, launch profitable business ventures that are sustainable and turn around the lives of these women. Very interestingly, Joy At Work makes lifestyle accessories out of tetra packs, fabric waste and cement sacks. With bags as beautiful as these, where is the need to revert to those that put undue strain on the earth’s resources?
4. AllMine
Founded by Neha Ghuliani, AllMine is the maker of designer eco-friendly handbags. The roots of AllMine originate at the instance when Neha wished to have the same leather bags she liked in sustainable alternative materials. Their bags include shoulder bags, satchels, clutches, iPad sleeves and party bags in quirky yet artistic and stylish elements, a vibrant color palette and are in step with the latest trends. They even have the cutest sunglass cases we’ve ever set eyes on. Their SS’15 collection was literally a riot of color. And it gets better – they even customize! Talk of having the cake and eating it too! From what I have seen so far, the prices are well under INR 3,000.
5. Baggit
Possibly India’s first and largest brand of handbags that employs completely vegan materials, Baggit needs no introduction. They use faux leather, nylon, polyester and fabric in their products. I have always marveled at their rate of coming up with new designs that are also highly functional. With a debut at the Lakme Fashion Week last year and its foray into movies such as Bang Bang and 2 States, Baggit is poised to carry forward the torch of spreading awareness on sustainability. The target customer group would be more than willing to take in the message coming from a brand they have come to look up to for more than two decades. The prices seldom breach the INR 4K mark and stay intact for ages together. I tell you from personal experience.
So take a cue from our men in blue, indulge in guilt-free shopping, do your bit for the Earth and still race ahead in your fashion game!
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