When one thinks of the Made In India tag, the picture in our heads isn’t usually pleasing. Overcrowded sweatshops, unequal pay and unethical treatment constitute just some of the invisible baggage, which is hidden from the price tags on our clothes and accessories. Being a female worker in the fashion industry of India is sometimes even worse. According to reports by Reuters and other agencies, fighting for recognition in the hyper masculine workspace entails physical and verbal abuse, and sometimes pay as less as a rupee per item. With the existence of such horrific reality in the background, Shivam Punjya’s behno addresses these concerns with his label. Redefining the ethos of Made In India and evoking a strong and tangible sense of sisterhood, the label ethically produces handbags, ensuring fair conditions and sustainable practices, in collaboration with the non-profit organisation Muni Seva Ashram in Gujarat, which also helped them devise new standards for manufacturing.
The inception of founder Shivam Punjya’s design journey is a tale rooted in his childhood. His household was one that appreciated finer details and the aesthetic of things. His mother was instrumental in developing taste for his brother and him. He adds, ‘At the time, I never would have imagined myself to find a career in fashion, as I wanted to be in the healthcare consulting space for the majority of my early twenties. But of course, life has its way of presenting opportunities when you least expect them.’ What motivated the creation of label behno were some watershed experiences during his academic life. He explains, ‘After studying political economics and global poverty at UC Berkeley, and working for an education advocacy non-profit based in India, I was intrigued by global health and social entrepreneurship. I soon found myself doing my thesis research in India, where I came to learn quite a bit about textiles workers, their families, and about the disparity that existed between what they were producing and what they were earning.’ This research, coupled with the tragic news of the Rana Plaza tragedy, which took the lives of over a thousand garment factory workers in Dhaka and injured over two thousand, led him to dismantle the status quo of unethical practices in India, which endanger the lives of these workers. The aim was concise — to be in product categories that would augment their social impact.
behno launched their Garment Worker Project in 2016, when the discourse around sustainability and ethics was rather sparse. However, according to Shivam, this was also the time the consumers of fashion were recognising their role in the industry. He invited fashion photographer Dan Smith and videographer Kent Mathews to MSA Ethos in Gujarat. He elucidates, ‘MSA Ethos is the factory that the behno team, along with a non-profit and an industry veteran built, incrementally implementing ‘The behno Standard'. Dan captured the unique stories of the garment workers at MSA Ethos through an emotional series of intimate portraits, while Kent documented their personal stories and the unique infrastructure of the factory through a documentary film. The goal was to humanise the team behind MSA Ethos.’ It launched at Sotheby’s with the singular intent of humanising and placing at the forefront those who manifest fashion in its tangible form, the powerhouse at the ‘back-end’ as Shivam calls them. As the project is close to its five year anniversary, the team is in the process of brainstorming, to further the conversation they had begun.
behno’s progressive ideology doesn’t just end here. The label also collaborates with the National Down Syndrome Society in New York, wherein twenty percent of their sales from the capsule collection goes back directly to the organisation, in a bid to promote the work that they do. Talking about this endeavour in particular, Shivam shares, ‘My sister has Down syndrome and she’s the jewel of my family. She’s brilliant, clever, funny, and full of life. You meet her and you’ll have to dance with her. She’s life. When she was born, the National Down Syndrome Society was a tremendous resource for my family, as the organisation is for so many other families. We wanted to see how we could evolve our business model as a social enterprise on the back-end with our manufacturing, to become more front-end focused as well.’
In terms of creativity and design, Shivam’s process is a fairly personal one. He’s someone who constantly takes mental notes of his tactile experiences, and attempts to link elements anew. He believes in the interconnectivity between the being and its surrounding. Driving his creativity further is travel, and while it is something on pause in the present moment, he has turned to literature as an outlet into a plethora of realities. He also adds, ‘I must acknowledge that part of my creative process, or rather behno’s creative process, relies on the power of coming together and thinking together. Whenever we have ideation sessions as a team, we always come up with beautiful solutions and approaches. I really do think that this drives a sense of togetherness, we know that something amazing emerges when people come together.’
The pandemic at hand has forced individuals to ask the tough questions and to finally recognise what was always in front of our eyes. Over the years, the landscape of fashion has shaped itself in a manner wherein sustainability and ethics are words that have become mere trends. With consumers slowly realising the downside of excessive consumption and its harmful impact on the environment, Shivam is hopeful the way forward has already been paved. ‘I’m not sure if people can keep up with the truth behind the brands they love and support. Greenwashing is becoming more and more prevalent, and it really comes down to consumers’ responsibility in holding the brands they love accountable. Asking questions allows us to place perspective on fashion, which I think is the first step towards making radical changes from a consumer perspective. As a brand, our responsibility is to of course stay true to our mission, but also hear the consumer narrative,’ he asserts.
On the personal front, the ongoing tumult has been a time for immense reflection for Shivam and also for his business model. At behno, they’ve had to make changes and continue to do so as they tread this murky moment, which has been tough for everyone. The team is taking their time to build space, community and taking a step back to understand the new normal everyone’s inevitably become a part of. They’re invested in building their blueprint for the future.
Text Unnati Saini
