HOW WAS URBAN MEDLEY CONCEIVED AS A BUSINESS?
Urban Medley was ideated based on a simple philosophy, to give back to the land I loved and originally come from, India. I started this curated platform to promote sustainable, handmade accessories from India and to bring to the global consumers, products made by artisans which balance tradition with contemporary design. Our products represent centuries-old forms of weaving and printing.
It is a journey to revive traditional art forms which are inherently sustainable.
More importantly, if this ecosystem is not preserved and protected it will simply die out leaving a huge void in our heritage.
WHY THE NAME URBAN MEDLEY?
The name of our brand ‘Urban Medley’ reflects the medley or collection of heritage, art, and fine craftsmanship which is beautiful, exclusive, and adds a little more color and fun to life.
WHAT DOES THE WORD “SUSTAINABILITY” MEAN TO YOU?
For me, sustainability is a concept of equity. Equity in terms of a sound balance between social, environmental, and economic perspectives along the entire value chain of a product.
For our brand more precisely, it means creating products that are mindful of the environment and the communities which are involved in the process.
It also includes understanding and preserving traditional forms of weaving and printing which will perish from the onslaught of fast fashion and big brands unless they are protected and promoted.
Our artisans are mostly not schooled professionally they often pass on their technique and craftsmanship – through apprentices, master to student, or one generation to the next.
Excessive commercialization can break this frail ecosystem hence it is important to allow it to flourish within its native ecosystem. It is exactly for this reason that our designers work with the artisans within their communities. Guide them on the use of designs and colors so that their products are appealing to a global consumer base.
HOW DO SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES IMPACT YOU AS A BRAND?
We are committed to selling maximum possible sustainable products only. I do not like saying 100% sustainable as that is difficult across all the parameters of a business.
Sustainable products are mostly more expensive than fast fashion products. This can be a huge hurdle for smaller brands as they are competing with the bigger players in the market. People have the notion that sustainable products are not the trendiest. These are issues we must constantly battle with.
Consumers need to understand that when a product is fairly made and the maker is given an honest remuneration for the labor, it will reflect on the product price. When a product is handmade that in itself makes it so much more exclusive than anything machine-made or mass produced.
It is not possible for us to give deep discounts this defeats the whole purpose.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS USED BY URBAN MEDLEY?
Brand Urban Medley is presently focussing on accessories made of two materials- Peace Silk and Organic Kala cotton.
Peace Silk It is not very commonly known. It is a cruelty-free way of making silk. Instead of boiling the cocoon in hot water while the silkworm is still alive, as is done in conventional silk, we wait for the silkworm to cut through the cocoon as it metamorphoses into a moth and discards the cocoon. The yarn is spun from the discarded cocoon and then woven into silk fabric. Spinning and weaving are done by hand and the silk yield in this method is much less than when you boil the cocoon- however as a process it is more ethical, cruelty-free, and sustainable. It retains the purest qualities of silk. Our scarves and capes are hand block printed on peace silk.
Cotton, as we are aware, is not one of the most sustainable simply because of the excessive amount of water required for its cultivation- however KALA organic cotton is an old-world cotton which is completely rain fed while using no synthetic fertilizer or pesticides. This is a resilient variety of cotton traditional to the Kutch region of Gujrat in Western India. This the cotton we use.
WHAT COULD YOU DO BETTER IN TERMS OF SUSTAINABILITY?
We would like to better inform our customers about the supply chain. Not just the fabric but inform them in greater details about the artisan behind each product. Going forward we would like to work more with recycled materials - as in making products out of used fabric and garments. Presently we are working only with new fabrics and materials.
WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN OBJECTIVES FOR THE NEXT 5 YEARS?
Increase the brand awareness amongst conscious consumers. Introduce our clientele to a wider collection of sustainable products made of hemp, bamboo, and Piñatex®. Create an exclusive range of products that truly stand out and are representative of traditional forms of art, weaving, and printing.
We also need to be financially viable as a brand or else we cannot continue to support our artisans.
Have a stronger voice within the sustainable ecosystem. Be a source of credible information for the consumers and help make them change their lifestyles and consumption pattern for a better greener world.
WHICH IS THE PRODUCT YOU ARE TRULY PROUD OF?
There is a long journey from the moment a product is conceived to the point we are ready to sell it. This journey includes research, designing, production and finally holding in our hands the finished item. Each step is so dear to us and we invest so much of our time and passion that we cannot but love each item equally. It is hence very important that each of our products finds a loving home and owner.