Treś Chic, Eco-Chic
A story that defined a Product Designer
Hello everyone. It has been just over a month since I was officiated as a Product Designer in UX/UI. I, like the rest of the graduates, have started the application & interview process. We are excited to show off our skills and abilities, envisioning ourselves in a place amongst the company of peers. Currently I am working on a project within a capacity of a freelancer. Though I can not discuss as to what I am working on just yet, it definitely puts another feather to my cap. This article though is about something I did before I made a career change. Most people are not even aware of my prior incarnation, unless there is an opportunity to discuss the subject matter. Back then, I was a textile designer and launched a category of products that was considered to be quite innovative. So gather around everyone, Taz has a story to tell.
A long time ago….
On April 9th 2010 at the Marriott Hotel, the SAARC’s Women’s Association held the ‘Entrepreneur’s Morning’. This was where vendors were given a platform to showcase and sell their merchandise. It was at that place that I, Murtaza Bukhari, debuted the launch of ‘MBukhari’s Eco-Chic’. Eco-Chic was an ecological friendly series of handbags and clutches designed not only to be stylish, but to be conversational pieces.
As a graduate of Textile Design I had made it my mission to showcase on how society could re purpose their waste materials. No matter where we stay, we should simply not ignore to what happens after we have no use for them.This especially prevalent to packaging materials.Those discarded materials are often ‘swept under the rug’ and not given a second thought.
Due to the current market trends, many items require plastic based packaging in order for the content to not be damaged by the elements. But once the contents are taken out, the packaging itself is disposed off. They ultimately end up within large landfills. At worst, they pollute our landscape, be it land or sea. It is a systemic trend that at present, there isn’t a singular solution to manage wastage. Each nation and individuals alike try to tackle waste in their own manner. When I spent my time in Karachi, Pakistan, I noticed that like any other metropolis, they faced serious problems of plastic waste management. It polluted their landscape, not to mention how it created ghastly ecological hazards. The image below highlights the blights within that city.
I personally sought out my own solution. With my skill sets, and ever whirling mind at hand, I had gotten to figuring out the challenges and identify the opportunities. Dealing with ‘garbage’ is not what most people would set their goals on, but I was on the path that would foster truths and reveal the darker shades of society. After serious thoughts and considerations, I found a method to create dialogues on how packaging waste can be reused and repurposed.
The beginnings of MBukhari’s Eco-Chic
And so, my brand MBukhari’s Eco-Chic came into existence. Eco-Chic was to highlight on the possibilities of what we can do. I got my hands dirty, literally. I spent hours and days asking family, friends and strangers alike to give me everything related to my mission. Within weeks, I had accumulated sacks and bins full of plastic waste. Mind you that sometimes I found the most irrelevant things given to me, some outright questionable. But I suppose it was the thought that counted. I even reached out to manufacturing companies and inquired if they were willing to participate to my cause. I wish could mention their names but as it was, I was not part of their official list of social causes. Nonetheless these companies were most kind, often sending two trucks worth of rejected materials. I wish I had picture for that.
Now that I had sufficient amount of materials at hand, I rather quickly identified certain wastage that were suitable for what I intended to do. Items ranged from empty bread bags to detergent satchels. From cassette reels to cling wrap, all of these bits and pieces saw the potential of reusability. And yes all of the materials were cleansed of any hazards remnants. They were to be after all reincorporated into functional goods, only for more ‘glamorous’ purpose.
I had settled on converting waste materials into accessories, specifically handbags. It was because that particular category had the highest amount of exposure to the public eye. These items are a staple part of any wardrobe, and would be able to lend themselves well to any apparel clothing. My products were to bought by anyone. Be it someone choosing to be environmentally conscious, or simply looking to be fabulous. I was not here to shame anyone who may not follow a green mantra. If you bought my product, you had helped my cause, to spread the awareness. For that I thank you. These recycled items were to have functionality and usability for any purpose. They were meant to used for the day or for the night. Some would use my product as they would head to class. Others would grab that very stylish piece, heading of to a swanky party. I wanted my products to be utilized for whatever their individual needs were.
Handlooms or Hand of Dooms?!
The uniqueness about these products were that they were all hand-woven. With one sole personal handloom at my disposal I had embarked on the exploration within its confines. These types of looms have along history, since the birth of textiles. To this day there exists variations of looms, all mostly electrical and industrial in scale. But looms such as mine, are traditional, non-electrical. Much of their core features have remained unaltered and have withstood the test of time. I won’t get into the nitty and gritty aspect of the loom. Suffice to say that is very labor intensive. Being able to use a hand loom requires ‘blood, sweat and tears’ and I do mean this as a matter of fact. Just ask anyone who has seen me on the handloom, especially on certain dark days. I can recount a story when I went mildly bonkers. If it hadn’t been for my sister and her then fiancee, taking my exhausted self home, I probably would have woven up mile long catastrophe. Don’t worry I am quite alright and very much sound of mind. We creative sorts are extremely passionate of what we do. Sometimes we are never able to see our own limits. In the time that I had developed my brand, I was very fortunate to have support from those near me.
Taz the Explorer
Ok I went on a little bit of a segue here. So lets get back to the exploration bit. I figured that the best way in exploring the waste materials was to further break them down to smaller pieces of strips. These strips are essentially woven together to create the panels. Those panels would serve as the outer shell of the bag. Believe me I had a lot of fun when it came to sampling as I got to create all sorts of patterns and yes even explored creating textures. I won’t get into the technicals because well, I want to protect my intellectual property. I will say that one material type proved to be my forever favourite.
The Pay Off
After gruelling months, the time came to select the best of the series that were to be transformed. Though I had been a Textile Designer, I was not trained in the art of stitching and sewing. That had to be outsourced, but even then I had to monitor some of the first iterations. My panels had to be treated as leather goods, as one false move would potentially compromise, if not damage them. Some panels were large in size, while others smaller. They were all created at specified widths and lengths. I’m pretty sure everyone suspects as to why. So without further do, here are some of the shots of what I presented to the world. I give you Eco-Chic
You can see that no one would be able to recognize exactly what the materials the bags were made from. I specifically set certain panels to either create a ‘camouflage’ or ‘textural’ design effect. They helped create a little more mystique to their looks. The panels I created were done in following specified segment of bags, Totes, Messengers and Clutches.
The shapes had to be simple and functional in order for the bags to work. There were also some technical restraints when it came to material use and flexibility. However the panels nonetheless proved to be very hardy, able to withstand harsh elements as well as the usual ‘wear & tear’ that any ordinary handbags may encounter. Bags are often in the front line, like beasts of burden, they need withstand the weight, and carry various belongings. Which leads me to the next segment.
‘Will it Baby?’
Now the title itself refers to whether or not a vehicle is suitable to carry an infant passenger, but it does serve well to this context. When someone opts to create sustainable, environmentally friendly goods, they have to see how long that item is able to last. It would be extremely foolish to not test the usability and lifespan of those products. Back then I didn’t quite test out my own products, but I was very fortunate to realize early on that these repurposed material were extremely resilient. That being said, I did encounter some hiccups. The panels themselves were perfectly fine. But there were a couple of minor issues with finishes and components. Some stitches were not even aligned, or zippers broke due to cheap quality. I could have easily spun off the stitches as being a ‘trait’ quality but that is simply a white lie. A cheap quality of zipper on the other hand, I would have been roasted alive in the present day. Social Media was very much in its infancy at that point so I am lucky to only have dealt with a couple of people who notified me of the defects. The zippers I managed to swap out but stitching wise, lets just say I am lucky to get away with it. The worst was a mock scolding and a kiss on the cheek. No it was not my mother.
Coming to the present
It has been a little over ten years now since I launched that brand. It did well for a time, but due to circumstances and the move back to Toronto, I had to place my brand into hibernation. As of present I have since switched my career trajectory and taken to the path of a UX/UI Designer. This I strongly believe is my truest calling. But credit is due in years I spent as a textile/apparel designer. Quite frankly I would not have been able to transition into my current role had it not been the foundational teachings of creative design. Those teachings gave me the resolve to develop my Eco-Chic brand oh so many years ago. Many of the core principles I learned in UX/UI echoed of what I had done in the past. These were identifying the challenges , finding the opportunities and building on solutions. They are present in today and with all design based practices. I have often mused on the path that I could have taken, had found my calling earlier. But had that been the case, then I would not be talking about what I did for Eco-Chic.
Final Thoughts
It is not to say that Eco-Chic will never come out of it slumber. There are many opportunities that can be seen. In order to do that though, a quite of bit of financial investment and logistics are needed to be planned out. Being innovative does require mass amounts of capital. As a solo weaver, the amount I created, while fulfilling, was an arduous task. I envision a more collective approach, where different operators come together, to arise ‘sleeping beauty’ from her slumber. Until then I am quite happy to talk about everything I learned from developing this brand. It really did lay the groundwork in the kind of designer I wanted to be. Ever in search of solutions and iterating on design concepts.
Epilogue
Thank you all in partaking in this read. I hope my readers can understand that there are many people who have come from all sorts of professional backgrounds to work within UX/UI, including myself. I gained new found skills but I will always covet the ones I learned before hand. UX/UI has coupled seamlessly to my core beliefs. So wherever I am, I share the past and present knowledge willingly. We do not have to be relegated to one career if there is a desire to do more. Do know that it is not an easy journey to take. It takes conviction, drive and an ample amount of support. And should that be true to my readers, I give you my support and good tidings. Till I post my next article here is a wee theme song, dedicated to everyone that has given me the courage and ‘roar’ power to what I do now.
Sayonara!
