I have a confession to make. Long, long ago, I had this belief that recycled products are always dull and boring. That they are meant to work wonders for the environment but hardly support a cause for style and fashion. But the close look I’m having at upcycled stuff these days for this series not only shatters such myths, which by the way is shared by many others, but also compels us to embrace new ideas with an open mind, rather than with a mind held captive by stereotypical thinking. However, it’s fine – BagsLounge is here to spread awareness and lend a helping hand to further dispel such myths! 🙂
Bhairavi Malkani, the creative mind behind The Creative Box, was ahead of her time 10 years back, when she took the green route to entrepreneurship. While still in college, she started associating herself with noble causes mainly focused on the environment. What’s noteworthy is that Bhairavi didn’t get smug about her venture; with a genuine interest to spread awareness on ecological matters, she conducted art and craft workshops thus creating multitudes of green ambassadors. For her, conservation and upcycling need to go hand-in-hand. In her own words:
Basically, the idea is to create, from materials that would otherwise have been thrown away, entirely new things for any utility, décor or resale.
There is a popular line by Pauhlo Coehlo – ‘When you want something very badly, the entire Universe conspires to help you have it’. So the Universe conspired and landed her in a tailor’s shop where she chanced upon heaps of unwanted leftover fabric and convinced him to henceforth reserve all scrap for her! She figured out quickly that the same must be the case with the other tailors as well. And what beauty she spins out of it; all this without a formal training though she did hone her skills with a course from Nirmala Niketan. Take a look!
Creative Box is based out of Mumbai and is an active participant in events and exhibitions. They also take orders for customized bags. The art workshops continue to be an integral part of their workshops and are open for all age groups. Such work is bound to be recognized and the Creative Box has been covered in leading journals – print and online – of the country. Interestingly, Bhairavi reveals that some work she does herself on bags or home furnishings as special request from family is kept off her public page. I think every artist does have that reserved area of their artwork. But I’m sure if you personally get in touch with her and request, she’d be glad to show you her work!
Going forward, they plan to come up with their signature line of bags. We are all eyes! They intend to take small scale industries and talented artisans with limited means into the Creative Box fold to help promote their work. I must mention here that their home decor products can brighten the dullest corners, for example, these tea light holders:
I’ll step back now and let you savor the creations of children from their workshops – that’s how inspired they are!
All images are property of Creative Box and have been reproduced here with permission.
Add Comment