Sustainable accessories label Mix Mitti is eco-friendly and animal-friendly too

It's sad but true that the fashion industry still remains the second most polluting sector in the world. But the good news is that the number of brands that are taking a step forward to save the Mother Earth is increasing steadily too. Adding to the growing number of sustainable, slow and green fashion labels is a young accessories brand called Mix Mitti.  This eco-friendly accessories label has been founded Shivangi Bajpai, who is also a wildlife photographer. The best part of buying from them is that a portion of the profits goes to animal welfare organisations.

On the eve of theWorld Environment Day, Mix Mitti has come up with an exclusive range to create awareness of the importance of wildlife through products having wildlife pictures clicked by Shivangi imprinted on them. We had a chat with this young designer-cum-entrepreneur about her brand's future plans. Excerpts:    

When did you start the brand and what was the inspiration behind it?

The idea of this brand came to me exactly this very day a year back from now, but it made it to the market in Dec 2019. I spent a portion of my childhood and teens in Kenya which just brought me a lot closer to animals, and I developed a passion for photographing them. Also with the current scenario where we every day listen how evil human acts are affecting the environment and animals, like the horrific act that took the life of a pregnant elephant, I believe in whatever way one can align their actions to the healing of mother earth, they certainly should. And this is what I as a designer and photographer thought could be my contribution. 

What are the accessories that you offer under the label? What are the various kinds of bags available? 

We offer a wide range including different bags, accessories and stationery. There are several designs in handbags, travel-friendly and multi-functional backpacks, camera bags and cabin bags, everyday office carrying laptop bags, laptop sleeves and notebooks. All are enhanced aesthetically by wildlife photographs which have been contributed by several renowned wildlife photographers out of goodwill.

You have also clicked the pictures that are imprinted on the bags? Tell us about that a little? 

Yeah, most of the pictures printed on our bags are clicked by me and we also collaborate once in a while with well-known wildlife photographers. People say I get a spark in my eyes when talking about wildlife and the spark has been there from the past four years that I have been travelling around with a camera in my hand to several jungles across India and Kenya. I like capturing their features and behaviour creating compositions that give out wildlife in an artistic way. 

How sustainable your brand is? What are the materials you use? 

Our products are animal-friendly, meaning omission of all animal products and by-products in the manufacturing. People often wrongfully assume that the vegan choice is also the most environmentally friendly choice but it's simply not true. However, we select bio-degradable materials, reducing our waste, and reusing as much as possible. Our major materials are cotton canvas, duck canvas and hemp fabric which are bio-degradable. We also plan to make use of woollen felt and jute in more of our designs as they are eco-friendly material. A portion of faux suede and PU which are animal-friendly materials and perfect substitutes to suede and leather respectively are also used to make our bags. Although these materials can’t be termed as very eco-friendly, they win hands down when it comes to animal welfare.  

What are your future plans regarding the brand?

As it has just been a few months since this label stepped in, my future plans are certainly dependant upon how our market revives from the current pandemic scenario. Times are tough and we all need to act wisely and sustainably to bring out the best from otherwise very worst conditions. I wonder if yet we don’t learn from it, when will we ever?  So, I hope for consistent growth. Meaningful fashion will be the new trend after this. 

You can check out and buy their products on mixmitti.com. Prices start from Rs 500 onwards.