Ribhav Kapur, the 38-year-old founding father of Econock — a Delhi-based luxurious emblem which makes sustainable equipment — has at all times been prone in opposition to eclectic but purposeful issues.
His coaching in type generation on the Nationwide Institute of Model Era (NIFT) in Mumbai supplied him to ship environment friendly results. For over a decade, this coaching got here in to hand on this planet of ‘haute couture’ running below famend clothier Manish Arora.
The whole lot, then again, modified for Ribhav in 2017 when he was once running on a collaborative challenge between Manish Arora and Swarovski, the legacy Austrian jewelry emblem.
Talking to The Higher India, Ribhav remembers, “We needed to do window installations for Swarovski the use of their crystals and beads. Because of unexpected causes, numerous beads and crystals which have been to be shipped via Swarovski were given caught in transit. We needed to improvise to satisfy the closing date for the installations. So, we contacted Swarovski and were given to understand concerning the crystal mud (a byproduct of creating crystals) which was once to be had in quite a lot of colors and sizes as smartly.”
“We made the installations the use of some beads and numerous crystal mud from Swarovski but even so previous fabrics and unused materials in-house,” he provides.
Having led operations for a primary clothier label for over a decade, Ribhav understood that optimising time and design high quality have been the main manufacturing parameters. A transparent focal point on design, high quality, price and time left little room to optimise wastage.
“It was once most effective this Swarovski challenge which required us to paintings with restricted sources, for whom we curated an set up. This was once in point of fact a eureka second for me. It gave me a point of view of the way restricted sources can empower inventive designing,” he remembers.
This interest led him clear of the sector of conventional haute couture to pursue a grasp’s level in sustainability from Malmö College in Sweden, the place he was once uncovered to “newfound wisdom on sustainable trade practices, the round economic system, and upcycling”.
“Combining my love for journey and innovation, I got down to construct my dream challenge — Econock, a emblem that creates sumptuous equipment via upcycling,” he provides.
Ribhav’s dream challenge started with upcycling scrap leather-based to make equipment. Established in 2020, Econock makes a spread of equipment comprising luggage, satchels, wallets, bracelets, telephone slings and passport circumstances, amongst others, in large part fabricated from scrap leather-based.
On the middle in their emblem is sustainability, capability and sturdiness. As their web page notes, “By way of making the most efficient use of discarded leather-based, materials and threads, we do away with the initiation of uncooked subject matter processing, leading to upcycling the present subject matter in opposition to a purposeful motive.”
Running with scrap leather-based
In step with a Govt of India web page, “The leather-based business in India accounts for round 13% of the sector’s leather-based manufacturing of hides/skins and handles tough annual manufacturing of about 3 billion sq. ft of leather-based.” When hired within the textile, garment and shoes business, then again, numerous scrap leather-based is generated throughout the manufacturing procedure.
Within the type business, Ribhav notes that wastage exists at each and every level from product designing to building and scaled manufacturing. Massive proportions of waste are generated to maximize earnings, in particular throughout scaled manufacturing, to avoid wasting time and prices in step with unit.
“We all know leather-based is notorious for being unhealthy for the surroundings. However what about scrap this is already provide and to be had? My imaginative and prescient was once to make use of this waste leather-based to make luxurious merchandise, and after numerous brainstorming, we got here up with our first assortment — Subtle Survivor — which marked the beginning of Econock’s adventure,” says Ribhav.
The principle supply subject matter Econock employs is leather-based scraps which can be oddly formed and sized. They’re most commonly stays and cut-outs of bigger leather-based skins.
“Take the instance of the Nora Tote Bag from our Subtle Survivor assortment. The bottom is created from waste leather-based. In the meantime, the 2 halves at the floor are comprised of a unmarried sheet of leather-based with the sure phase positioned at the higher panel and the rest waste utilised within the backside sections so that there’s 0 wastage,” explains Ribhav.
“We consider that the fad business must take into accout whilst growing new merchandise and designs and be all ears to the wastage this is generated. Our function is to create an international the place haute couture is synonymous with sustainability, the place each and every piece is thoughtfully crafted to minimise waste and be environmentally aware,” he provides.
Talking to The Higher India, Gouri Rawat, the inventive head at Econock, talks concerning the number of running with scrap leather-based and why their emblem went forward with it.
“Once we first labored with scrap leather-based, numerous occasions other people puzzled our number of subject matter. They requested us why we couldn’t use extra vegan fabrics. We don’t endorse using leather-based however scraps (waste) exist. Even with new-age fabrics like cork, we will be able to’t put out of your mind the facet of scraps being provide as a result of they’re harming the surroundings as smartly. Our paintings is to upcycle those scrap fabrics and get rid of waste that results in landfills,” explains Gouri.
She is going on so as to add, “With scrap leather-based, we’ve began reinventing floor elaborations and strategies to seek out tactics of upcycling this waste.”
However no longer all scrap leather-based is identical, and given the truth that they’re a luxurious emblem, a definite level of high quality is anticipated. To verify high quality, Ribhav notes that Econock resources scrap leather-based from famend leather-based buyers for export and business providers in Paharganj and Noida.
“We’ve constructed mutually really helpful relationships through which now we have monetised their discards, thereby setting up a competent and sustainable provide chain. As of now, we most effective use leather-based scraps. We don’t recycle previous leather-based to make new merchandise as a result of that calls for an in depth [chemical] remedy procedure. Alternatively, we do be offering customisation of previous leather-based luggage for our consumers in order that they are able to reuse them in new avatars,” he claims.
Sourcing scrap leather-based, then again, is a problem. The main problem, in line with Ribhav, is discovering top of the range scraps and business byproducts to make sure the sturdiness in their merchandise.
As he explains, “Moreover, we are facing demanding situations in sorting and utilising the various scraps, which frequently are available in quite a lot of sizes and abnormal shapes.”
“We meticulously kind those fabrics, the use of higher panels for larger silhouettes and medium ones for smaller luggage. Even the tiniest bits of waste generated throughout our manufacturing procedure are repurposed as floor elaborations, thus making sure 0 wastage,” he provides.
No Econock with out conventional artisans
A standout function of Econock is its skill to marry sustainability with a wealthy tapestry of conventional craftsmanship and experience.
As Ribhav notes, “At Econock, our artisans play a pivotal function in infusing our merchandise with a wealthy tapestry of conventional craftsmanship and experience. They specialize in quite a lot of conventional crafts, with a selected focal point on leather-based craftsmanship. Our professional leatherworkers grow to be leather-based scraps into beautiful equipment, using their experience in slicing, sewing, and enhancing to make sure high quality and sturdiness.”
“Past conventional crafts, our artisans additionally include upcycling innovation, discovering inventive tactics to repurpose even the tiniest waste fabrics, leading to distinctive floor elaborations and main points. Their numerous abilities and creativity are instrumental in making our choices unique, unique and sustainable,” he provides.
Take the instance of Alim Ashraf, a conventional leather-based craftsman and local of Muzaffarpur, Bihar, who discovered the best way to paintings with leather-based running in a small-scale unit together with his circle of relatives. At Econock, his paintings starts with sourcing the scrap subject matter and bringing it to their studio.
“Right here, we paintings with our in-house designers who give us a caricature of what they would like. We carve out a trend accordingly, lower the scrap subject matter, piece them in combination, after which we increase the overall product,” he says.
Additionally, he has purchased into the concept that of upcycling however notes that there are demanding situations to be encountered that aren’t provide when running for a standard company.
“What we do is acquire items of scrap leather-based, are compatible them, and extra fine-tune them to increase new merchandise. This takes some effort. With recent leather-based, you’ll be able to mildew it then again you prefer. While you paintings with scrap leather-based, then again, you’ve gotten restricted flexibility. It’s important to work out the best way to craft a brand new piece from the restricted subject matter to be had in order that it looks as if part of the design and no longer misplaced,” he provides.
Impressed via Kintsugi
Underlying all their paintings is a design philosophy impressed via Kintsugi — a conventional Eastern artwork shape used to fix damaged pottery with valuable metals — inside the realm of waste fabrics.
“We’ve tailored this strategy to mend and rejuvenate discarded fabrics, crafting them into a collection of utilitarian equipment. This means no longer most effective breathes new lifestyles into waste fabrics but additionally embraces and accentuates the inherent wonderful thing about imperfections, aligning completely with Econock’s ethos of sustainability and transformation,” says Ribhav.
“We’re dedicated to sustainable type and growing high-end, experimental items the use of waste fabrics. Our designs prioritise capability and longevity with numerous silhouettes. Our assortment highlights leading edge upcycling ways with easy shapes and purposeful main points” he provides.
As Gouri notes, “Once we began this emblem, we had this concept of running round sustainability. Coming from a design background, my preliminary ideas have been to create items which can be so eclectic in nature and smartly idea out that folks can be surprised to determine merchandise like those are created from waste. This was once the design philosophy that roughly went into our merchandise. As an example, Noir Et Blanc includes a monochromatic means, whilst Gold Riddance makes use of daring gold tones. We exhibit craftsmanship in our Top-Braid all-upcycled leather-based line.”
“Our equipment want to be very utilitarian and they are able to’t be simply a part of any other fad. We don’t need to create equipment that will sooner or later finally end up in landfills as soon as a seasonal pattern has handed. They’re sturdy when it comes to subject matter, utilitarian when it comes to their capability, and design-wise, they’re archival in order that they continue to be on your cloth cabinet for a very long time,” she provides.
Shifting forward, then again, they’re increasing their product vary to incorporate jewelry crafted from scrap leather-based and steel, and feature evolved a brand new cloth constructed from waste threads. Emblematic in their new product vary is their upcoming assortment ‘Advent of Eve’, which reimagines the tale of Eve (from Adam and Eve) via upcycled equipment.
“May we display Eve in a extra tough mild as a result of she has been overpassed a number of occasions in historical past? We would have liked to couple that concept with how other people frequently put out of your mind or disregard waste as smartly and that’s how we got here up with a complete storyline,” she provides. The method hired within the introduction in their Eve assortment takes inspiration from the concept that of Kintsugi.
“We attempted to use the similar thought with scraps and sign up for them with golden embroidery to make sure there’s 0 wastage. We’ve created a complete cloth from waste threads popping out of shirts and T-shirts. Once you take a look at our assortment, you’ll be able to already see that there are smaller scraps in bits and items and a golden mild this is gleaming from within it. That appeared like a good way to introduce the introduction of Eve in her maximum tough shape,” she says.
Having a look forward
The transfer into jewelry is a part of their higher evolution as a emblem. Econock to begin with began off with making upcycled luggage, however not too long ago tapped into smaller equipment.
“Now not everybody can come up with the money for our upcycled bag however other people have requested us whether or not shall we make smaller utilitarian equipment. This is after we got here up with a small vary of equipment like a wine case for gifting and smaller shuttle equipment, like telephone slings and passport circumstances, that folks would simply need to purchase. They may be able to be a part of the bigger Econock neighborhood despite the fact that they are able to’t come up with the money for our upcycled luggage and as a substitute purchase our smaller items. With ladies decorating numerous equipment, we made up our minds to create a jewelry line as smartly,” explains Gouri.
In spite of taking those steps into new product territory, Econock stays a bootstrapped challenge. “We need to construct this organically. However down the road we’re willing to discover companions and buyers who’re in synergy with the values we’re seeking to inculcate right here,” says Ribhav.
In an international of rapid type and costly clothier labels, right here’s a self-sufficient emblem focusing fully on gradual, round and sustainable type alternatives. Potential companions and buyers will want to perceive this in the event that they need to collaborate with Econock.
(Edited via Pranita Bhat; Photographs courtesy Econock)