Home Brands Proudly Ours

With a common aspiration to make a difference, local brands like MIB Spirit, Home Junction, Biskut Factory and 6 Yards Story – have been able to win hearts within a short span of time. Nazifa Tasnim interviews entrepreneurs of four new brands to know their unique stories

MIB Spirit

After the tragic Rana Plaza incident in 2013 when the world was about to turn away from Bangladesh’s ready-made garments, a few people imbued with a patriotic spirit, were unwilling to give up. With clearly set goals to make an announcement of the “Made in Bangladesh” journey, the MIB Spirit was launched following an exhibition showcasing products made from garments wastes. Focused primarily on various types of bags, MIB Spirit, now produces laptop bags, office bags, designer bags, ladies’ bags, backpacks, totes, satchels, duffels, wallets, notebooks and accessories for men and women.

The MIB team call their products ‘Glocal’ – a blend of global and local. They believe in discovering new sustainable textiles, repurposed and rescued materials and turning them into eco-friendly and incorporable solutions to the people’s daily operations.

Ifat Ara Haidary, chief designer and studio coordinator of the brand, said, “We take an upcycling approach where materials are collected first and then decide what kinds of products are to be made out of it. There are five main styles that target various sections of people, depending on their personality and needs. Designs are made based on seasons, themes and availability of materials.” In future, the brand plans to introduce more products and represent Bangladesh on the global stage.

Home Junction

Home Junction, with its aesthetic and sophisticated designs, offer products that incorporates an element of ethnicity in contemporary designs. A concern of Alokito Hridoy Foundation, this brand aims to empower the lives of struggling women by engaging them in the production of jute-based home products.

Syeda Tasnima, director of Alokito Hridoy Foundation, shared her experience with Colors: “We were exploring ideas that were socially responsible. After several abortive \attempts, we came up with the idea of doing something with jute which despite its strong association with our culture and heritage is largely neglected and considered inferior. We also realized that there is a dearth of locally made home décor products in our country so the people resort to importing products. Thus we came up with the idea of making home décor products with jute.”

With seasonal designs that are minimalistic yet quirky and of fun, products of Home Junction include cushion covers, runners, mats, bean bag chairs, ottomans with storage and bedspreads, beanbag chairs with cotton and seating tools with jute. She added, “Behind each product, there is a story of hard labour and dedication of strong, struggling women. The return from Home Junction is spent on the education of the children at Alokito Hridoy Primary School where the students are the children of factory workers.”

Biskut Factory

Biskut Factory is the brainchild of a quirky, artsy, free-spirited individual who prefers to go only by his single name, Biskut. Operating from 2016, Biskut Factory customises day-to-day items with a folk-art finish. Sunglasses and Smartphone covers are their most popular products, but can pretty much jazz up any everyday object starting from bags, shoes, quilts, T-shirts, helmets, photo frames, teapots, miscellaneous boxes, trunks and any other surface that can be painted on and you want a touch of Biskut Factory in.

Biskut said, “Each design narrates stories of life, of love and peace where customers get a representation of themselves in the products they want. It’s a story that they carry around.” The avant-garde, approach to the iconic cultural heritage, has been lauded with great fanfare.

The primary attraction of his pieces is the explosive use of colors in folk motifs. A firm believer in living in the moment, Biskut, when asked about his forthcoming plans, maintains that he does not think about the future. For all the Biskut Factory lovers, their store is expected to be opened soon.

6 Yards Story

What started off in 2013 as a platform to share stories of craftsmen in Tant Ghor’s of Sirajganj with their 6-yard-long sarees, is now more known for its captivating design of jewelleries. Working with the purpose to promote traditional handmade jewellery, their collection plays around different elements giving rise to beautifully detailed and exquisitely contemporary jewellery with an ethnic twist. The products are hand crafted, a process which gives it a rare, one-of-a-kind, distinctive look meant to compliment the wearers’ feminine core.

With a keen eye for details, Lora Khan, the founder of this brand, shared with Colors that the inspiration for the designs is mostly taken from existing patterns of our country which are then infused with the global trend to give it a postmodern outlook. The jewelry is made from metals with mostly silver plating on them.

They also offer bridal jewelleries where Lora Khan personally works with each bride to come up with exclusive customized pieces. When asked about their future plans, Lora Khan said, “We want to serve more customers and be able to go for mass customization. There are also plans to work with other materials that are an intrinsic part of our heritage.”