The Luxury Handbag Brand Inspired By Indian Women Workers

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

Six years ago, one of the most catastrophic human disasters in the textile sector in its entire history occurred in Bangladesh. More than 1,300 people lost their lives when Rana Plaza, a garment factory where workers had previously complained about the state of the building, collapsed. At that time something clicked on Shivam Punjya, the founder of Behno. Discover its history and that of a luxury handbag brand that you should have on your fashion radar from now on.

You did not have a background or fashion studies when you started your accessories line, yours was the health of women and in particular of women who work in the textile sector. How did you end up creating your own fashion line?

I was studying at Duke University, a degree in women's reproductive health in India, when I had my first interaction with women working in Indian textile factories and realized that they made up a very important part of the sector. I did not give it much importance at that time, but when I returned to Durham (North Carolina) to write my thesis, Rana Plaza in Bangladesh collapsed and aroused in me an emotional reaction to a reality that I had just lived in the first person for just a few months before. I spoke to my parents about the terrible neglect of what had happened and their response was that I either found a way to be at peace with that atrocity or to do something about it.[…] As a family we decided to partner with incredible people and organizations to try to redefine what it means to manufacture in India.

How did you decide on the name, behno?

Where I am from, in India, many female fashion industry workers call each other by their first name followed by the suffix “behn”, which means sister in Gujarati, my mother tongue. There is something very beautiful in the communities that are created and grow in our factories.

How would you describe your bags and the women who carry them?

Our accessories are part of a movement that we call “the new luxury”, governed by 4 principles: modern classics, impact, heritage and quality. We want the consumer to enjoy these temporary pieces with a modern sensibility. All of our bags are made ethically, we spend a lot of time working with factories and artisans to implement the “behno standard,” which takes the textile worker and craftsman into account holistically. We also believe that both design and price should align with the Swedish lifestyle term "lagom", which means the quantity needed, not too little or too much. Finally, our bags are designed by artisans to last for years and years.

What inspired you to create your latest collection?

We were inspired by Le Corbusier's interpretation of Chandigarh, the first city in India to follow the modernist movement. Le Corbusier reimagined a vibrant, fast-paced, traditional Indian city as something more systematic, organized, and experimental. Those same principles make up the main elements of this collection: revisiting, re-evaluating and reinventing timeless shapes to create a modern and refined style.

It seems that all brands are trying to get on the sustainability train. Do you think there is really a shift towards a more socially and ecologically responsible industry?

Being sustainable and ethical cannot be a reflection or an initiative that you add to your current business model, it should be something inherent in that business model, its production and value chain. Many companies are launching corporate social responsibility initiatives, but at the end of the day it has to be done in a very genuine way, in conversation with the communities they work with to achieve real change. Social change cannot happen when a business is separated from its producers by thousands of miles and with little sustenance. With that said, I think more and more companies are getting to the heart of these issues or trying at least, and that's a very good start that should expand and become widespread.

You can get one of their bags on the website of the brand behno.com