Bhavini N. Parikh started her sustainable brand ‘Bunko Junko’ in Mumbai in 2017. The brand creates everyday fashion garments out of textile waste. Through textile waste upcycling, Bhavini not only saves the environment but also works towards the upliftment of socially and economically weak women.
Bhavini‘s entrepreneurial journey began by launching a ‘toy library’. She, then, presented cookery and craft shows on a Gujarati television channel. Her tenure at Shoppers Stop and AND Fashion allowed her to interact with socially and economically weak women. A responsible businesswoman, she made them a part of her enterprise ‘Bunko Junko’.
Initially, it was a garment unit called ‘BN Fashion’. Textile waste caught her attention while working for the big brands. The thought of repurposing it eventually led her to the genre of sustainable and ethical fashion.
Bunko Junko is not a mere fashion brand. It envisions women empowerment. More than 3000 women from rural areas are working at the stitching and tailoring divisions of this venture. Bunko Junko sells women’s wear items like kurta and jacket, home furnishing products such as rugs, bedspreads and wall hangings and accessories like laptop bags, clutches, earrings and bangles.
Bhavini utilised the possibilities of digital space for the brand’s marketing. Sending the product pictures through the WhatsApp business account accelerated the brand’s growth and customer base. According to Bhavini, sustainability is neither a next-generation job nor a trend, but duty.
