Who knew a fallen tree, old cloth rags and scrap metal strips could turn into quirky adornments that can enhance your stylish outfit? Art director Kaushik Das, along with his associate Priyanka Dey started Two & Half, an accessory brand, at a time when Kolkata was further crippled by super cyclone Amphan during the ongoing pandemic.
The brand that started by making masks from discarded cloth scraps now boasts a range of accessories that adorn the shelves across four café’s and boutiques. “When the whole city was locked down, the film technicians were left without jobs. That was the time when I thought of doing something productive to support them. I thought of creating something with whatever scraps they had at home. That way, they were able to make a few bucks,” says Kaushik. “And that is how Two & Half started,” he adds. “When we make
sets for serials, films and advertisements — a lot of little things are used and the discarded materials are usually thrown away. We decided to use those to create something new at the lowest cost possible,” says Priyanka.
Currently, Two & Half has over 5,000 product designs which are niche, unique and handmade. Apart from masks, there are earrings, necklaces and chokers, jewellery sets, hair clips, brooches, fridge magnets and
bags. Among other scraps, denim is their signature raw material which is readily available in every household.
The whole brand is driven by passion and interest in creating something new every day from scratch.
Rs 99 onwards. Available online.