Based in: Helsinki, Finland

Founded in: February, 2020

Founded by: Pukhraj Ranjan

Stores: www.moinamaste.com, Showroom - Room 101, Lapinlahdenpolku 8, 00180 Helsinki

Price range: Garments - 99€ to 249€, Accessories and Jewelry 20-80€

Instagram: @moinamaste

What is Moi Namaste and why did you start your brand?

The story of Moi Namaste truly starts at my wedding where we worked with two women-led, women-benefiting social enterprises - Aftertaste India and Sura Kanavu. The experience of sharing the stories of the women behind the products, playing a small part in providing livelihoods and engaging my global family with social enterprises got me motivated to start Moi Namaste.

For over a decade, I have worked with educators, innovators and the global educational community to help children thrive. In this new phase, I wanted to apply my learnings from the education and development world to create livelihood opportunities for women-benefitting self-help groups, women-centred craft communities, and NGOs across India. Through deep and meaningful relationships with Indian craftspeople, my brand creates dignified livelihood opportunities for artisans (mostly women), and planet positive lifestyle products.

What is your sustainability profile?

We are focus on creating Sustainable & Ethical clothing that is both people & planet positive.

The fashion industry is the world's second biggest polluting industry after the oil one. In 2018, the emission from the fashion industry reached 2.1 million tons. In comparison the fashion industry emission of CO₂ equals the entire amount of CO₂ from Germany, France and Great Britain altogether. If nothing gets done, the CO₂ emission is expected to increase to 2,7 billion tons in 2030.* (*Fashion on Climate 2020)

At Moi Namaste we believe that more and more people are looking for clothing and accessories that are both kind to the environment and the makers. For us, this is a beautiful opportunity to have a positive social and environmental impact. This is why we partner with small women-run, women-benefitting groups across India that provide safe, fair and dignified livelihood opportunities to both women and traditional craftspeople.

For materials, there is no better logic than using fabrics that already exist. From sarees to vintage quilts, we minimize environmental pollution by producing styles in already existing materials like vintage Indian sarees or sustainably certified materials like GOTS certified organic cotton fabrics.

Like all industries, producing clothes will always have an impact on the planet and its people. However, we are here to offer an alternative, a colourful beautiful one, where inherently eco-friendly, traditional, handcraft techniques are brought back to mainstream fashion and existing fabrics are used to reduce the stress of Mother Earth.

How and where are the products produced and how do you choose your design?

All Moi Namaste pieces are handcrafted in India using traditional, artisanal techniques, with a deliberate focus on women empowerment, ethical production and sustainability.

Part of our collection is co-created with our artisan partners, requiring minimal intervention. On the other hand, most of our garments - from colour choice to pattern/silhouette, are designed by Moi Namaste keeping the taste of our audience in mind. Of course, I love to call this process co-creation as we must work together to understand the skill set of our makers before we give any tech sheets or orders to them.

Who are your typical customer and what is the most popular item?

Our typical customer includes men and women who are globetrotters, have varied life experiences and truly consider themselves world citizens. Their style is inspired by their travels around the world and are extremely comfortable with not fitting “into the box”. Because of their experiences traveling, they also understand the inequity that exists within the world and they intend to use their privilege for the better. In short, our favourite customers are bold, conscious and coloruful. As for what they like best, our upcycled collection works well in the summers and upcycled jackets throughout the year!

What have been and are the major challenges with having your own ethical brand?

One of the biggest challenges has been finding the right production partners who believe in the values of ethical production, fair trade and sustainability. In India, there are approximately 2.2 million self-help groups (NABARD, 2006) representing 33 million members who have taken micro-finance services to start their own small businesses. Additionally, India is also home to nearly 7 million artisans making 40% of the global artisanal workforce. Sadly though, their income merely accounts for 2% of the 400 billion USD global handicraft industry (Dasra, 2013).

To me that only shows that wealth is not trickling down to the makers even though the business is growing.

As an organization, we or our artisan partners are not (yet!) registered as a Fair Trade enterprises, but our heart is in the right place. For those who are not aware, Fair Trade Enterprises are born for impact. They are social enterprises that fully practice Fair Trade. They impact one million livelihoods worldwide, 74% of whom are women. These enterprises transform local communities, pioneer upcycling, empower women, champion refugee rights and practice organic farming. These are the enterprises of the new economy. Deeply influenced by this value system and fair trade mindset, we follow and promote the Fair Trade principles in the way we work and who we partner with.

What motivates and inspires you?

Growth and opportunity inspires me in all senses. I love seeing myself become a better person everyday. As a teacher I loved seeing my kids grow and now I love seeing the role we play in the growth & development of women and craftspeople across India. There is a saying that says still water breeds disease, moving water life! I believe it is essential for us all to experience growth, happiness and opportunities to excel in life. I truly believe it to be my imperative to help people thrive, and through this work, thrive myself.

What do you think needs to change in the fashion industry for more small scale ethical brands to thrive and for us to end fast fashion?

So many things. As a systemic level, I think we need to hold big brands more accountable. From their carbon footprint to production quantities, to their human right guidelines - we need common terminology, common standards and common parameters for assessment. The issue in the fashion industry is that everyone follows their own dictionary. Therefore, for a brand they might not see their campaigns after greenwashing, but often they are!

At a brand level, small scale brands need to support each other. Only collectively we can make a dent in the fashion world. Community matters and often as a small business owner, I feel alone in the fight against fast fashion. But when I connect and collaborate with other small business owners, I feel hope. However, I do believe there is more competition than collaboration in this space, and I hope to change that in whatever little capacity that I can.

And finally, at a consumer level , I think the change needs to happen at a consumption level. How we consume clothes includes everything from how long we wear the clothes we own, how often we buy and from whom, we care for them especially wash/handle them, and how we pass it on to its next owner/donation pile/second hand store. We simply need to reeducate ourselves and the change in behavior will for sure follow.

What do you believe is “greenwashing” and what can producers and consumers do to avoid it?

Greenwashing is when a company markets itself or a specific product as environmentally friendly or ‘green’, when in fact it is still damaging to the environment. Now here is the twist. All products in one way or another are harmful to the environment. Some brands obnoxiously continue to use greenwashing marketing campaigns, whereas others, especially small brands like us, continue to be extremely critical of what we do and how we do it.

So as I said in my previous answer, I think we just need a dictionary for sustainability in the fashion industry with recommended limits. I understand this is not the easiest task on hand, but I do believe civil society, coalitions, maker unions, governments, brands and consumers can come together and find a solution, if we keep the wellbeing of Mother Earth (not our individual profits or gains) at the forefront.

What do you think is the most important thing to keep in mind if someone wants to create a more sustainable closet?

Only one thing is important to state, so I will share four.

Mindful living - Materials - Makers

Mindful living - There are way too many cool, pretty clothes out there. My suggestion would be to stay mindful. Only buy things that you really really REALLY want

Materials - Look at the labels. Check out the composition of the fabrics. Natural materials are far better for your skin, your energy and the environment. If you really want to buy something which is polyester, make a commitment you will own it for the next 10 years at least!

Makers - Support brands who take care of their makers. It is not the easiest aspect given most global brands work with factories, who in turn are responsible for their employees. But keep the pressure on and spend your money on brands that genuinely are trying their best!

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