STRAW India by Sonam Shah and Varun Bagri
STRAW India is an initiative born to bring together sustainable and handcrafted products from passionate and skilled artisans around the globe.
STRAW aims to narrate stories that take you on an incredible journey of artisans that celebrate sustainability, beautiful craftsmanship and modern design using traditional techniques. Joining forces with numerous brands that boast diverse artisan skills, Straw encourages ethically crafted, high-quality design oriented products. These products in turn create opportunities that not only help them grow their businesses through fair trade but also make the end consumer feel good about their choices.
“Together we decided to embark on a journey that was inspired by a combination of varied cultures, beautiful stories and creative people. Being extremely passionate about design and fine craftsmanship we decided to support and create a platform for brands that believed in sustainable handcrafted quality driven products that are truly one of a kind , hence STRAW was born.”- Sonam & Varun, Founders, STRAW India
Based out of Mumbai, STRAW was founded a year and a half ago and is driven by a small team where largely all the research, exploring and brainstorming is done by both the founders. STRAW chooses to collaborate with handpicked brands and artists who not only create products responsibly, in the sense keeping in mind the environmental, economic and social factors but also who adopt a sustainable lifestyle. This is their way of encouraging and working with smaller businesses irrespective of their location around the globe, which can sometimes be challenging logistically, but definitely worth every bit.
Inspired by a visit to the local tailor in Mumbai, STRAW India's recent collection 'BUT FIRST, RECYCLE' comprises products that are made out of leftover fabrics that would have otherwise been thrown away, probably added to landfill or landing up in the sea.
“We believe that artisans, like creativity have no boundaries. Therefore, we collaborate with artisans/brands from around the globe who handcraft in small batches adopting traditional techniques and ethically sourced raw materials native to their region. At STRAW we support and encourage these products that celebrate sustainability in the form of artisan empowerment, fair trade and above all its journey being environmentally conscious”. - Sonam shah, Co Founder,
STRAW India
Image Credits:
Bags: AAKS
Jewellery: YEWO
Fabric necklaces: STRAW India