Transforming Recycled Plastic Bottles Into Affordable Fashion Bags
For her first business venture, Angana Maheshwari decided to fill what she perceived as a void in the fashion market.
“Mainly, the idea came to me during the pandemic, when I was looking for a bag that I wouldn’t have to spend a ton of money on, a bag that was strong, practical, had great design and, of course, was sustainable in its materials, and a brand that was honest and transparent in the way it communicates sustainability. I could find none of that.”
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With no previous manufacturing experience, the 27-year-old entrepreneur decided to dive headfirst into producing handbags and accessories made from recycled plastic bottles, and hardware from zinc alloy, which is fully recyclable.
Maheshwari, a graduate of the London School of Economics, researched the market and developed a business plan in early 2020, and landed on the name “Veganologie” for her company, to telegraph to consumers that its products were not made from animals or genuine leather. Veganologie is based in Dubai, where Maheshwari lives. She also founded Udaan, an online platform for adoptees to tell their stories, and was herself adopted.
Maheshwari recruited Sara Basar as Veganologie’s executive director and designer. Basar previously worked at Mehtap Elaidi, a fashion brand in Istanbul, Frabo Srl apparel in Italy, and at the atelier of Rami Al Ali in the UAE.
“Sara joined me in January 2021,” Maheshwari said. “We spent a full year developing our products, we officially started selling in January 2022. Creating a brand that communicates transparency and sustainability was very important. We have made it as the core value in Veganologie.”
The company uses suppliers that crush recycled plastic bottles into bits and pieces that are turned into a yarn that’s dipped into natural and organic dyes for color. The brand has received Global Recycled Standards and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals certifications.
The inaugural Veganologie collection, sold on the brand’s e-commerce, has 29 stock keeping units, including three handbags, two French wallets and two credit card holders, and six colorways including beige, empire red, mustard yellow, forest green, mineral gray and rust cinnamon. Prices range from $50 to $175.
The crossbody bags are made from 11 plastic bottles, wallets are made from four plastic bottles and cardholders are made from two plastic bottles. Even the dust bags are sustainable, each made from 10 recycled plastic bottles. Moreover, the packaging is 100 percent recycled and recyclable, Maheshwari said. The company ships globally for free, and has partnered with DHL Express for deliveries within five to seven business days.
Asked about the feel of the handbags, Basar said, “They’re strong, solid and waterproof, but it does have a suppleness to it. It feels rich. It has a great hand. In the collection, we have three types of different textures — a pebble touch, which is basically a print on the recycled plastic; a Saffiano touch, which is a very masculine type of grain, and then we have a light pebble texture. It feels like leather.” The bags have a unique monstera leaf design. “We try to keep it chic, simple and stylish. It’s a very modern look,” Basar said.
Though there’s only been a few weeks of selling so far, Maheshwari said the biggest response so far is from the U.S. “That being said, there is a growing consumer market here for sustainable fashion. Only today, the Crown Prince said he wants to provide free water for the entire city so we can remove plastic bottles. He’s set up stands in different parts of Dubai, promoting using your own bottles and refilling them with water. Businesses are also starting to charge for plastic bags, so there is growing change in Dubai, in the UAE. This is just the beginning. People are also more open to these new fashion ideas. Dubai is a very fashionable city. People are willing to buy what’s new, on trend and upcoming.
“But there’s got to be more transparency in handbags and fashion,” Maheshwari added. “There’s got to be more authenticity in the materials and the quality has to be there, and the style has to be something that can be enjoyed by a lot of people.
“The name Veganologie, to me, means clean fashion. Fashion doesn’t have to come at a cost to the planet, be it animals, the supply chain or the health of humans producing the fashion for us.”
Maheshwari said plans are already in place to grow the collection, albeit cautiously. Totes are on the drawing boards and could be added to the offering toward the end of this year, she said.
“In this kind of space, we would like to have laptop cases, phone cases, a travel collection, backpacks, weekender bags. And, of course, in bags, we could come up with many more styles. For now, because we are new, we’ve come out with basic ideas because we are trying to see what consumers want. We want to test the market. As we get the response, we hope to expand into other materials that are more exotic, and plant-based, like apple leather or cactus leather, it’s very unique.” She explained that those type of faux leathers are considered exotics. In the same way there are exotic leathers in handbags, there are exotic vegan leathers, too.
“As we grow, we would like to take more risks. It’s just the beginning for us. We are really excited to see where we can take it.”
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