Good Practices
Our aim is to reduce our impact and care for the planet, and we do this by integrating responsible practices in our manufacturing processes and taking care of people.
We operate with integrity. We operate with love.
Celebrating Textiles, Artistry, Culture & Heritage
Our hearts are obsessed with the fabrics that weave culture. NBNW was born out of the appreciation and wonder of learning about the people and processes that produce Indian handmade textiles from across the country. This includes the details that are involved in the intricate textile processes, the artisans’ thinking, energy and craftsmanship and how it all comes together to tell a story in our cultural heritage. This obsession has expanded to worldwide culture with the core of our work being rooted in India.
Building Relationships & Operating with Love
Without understanding and respecting the people behind the art, the work doesn’t mean much. Half of our love for the final piece comes from who’s making it. We believe that the energy that goes into every single piece is felt and experienced as part of that process. If we are drawn to working with people, we are intending to be there for the long run. Building real relationships takes time and energy and we give it our all to create a family which operates with integrity, solidarity and love.
Process is Everything
We started this work way before social media sharing was a thing! A major reason we were called to build NBNW was to share the magical processes of these art forms. We try our very best to document the process behind everything we make to share with you. Once you get to witness the way things are being made, the goal is to honour everything with more respect and be mindful of who and how we support each other. The process always inspires us to keep these parts of culture alive in our own little way, and although it is much simpler to skip many parts of the handmade process, it goes against the very reason we create.
Applaud Diversity
A part of why we created NBNW was to build a platform that the teenage versions of ourselves would be inspired by. We were blessed to grow up amongst immigrant communities of Toronto and raised around all shapes, colours, genders, ethnicities and people from around the globe. We never related to the many of the images bombarded in our faces back then and so from day one, it was a non-negotiable to put out visuals and create work that resonated for us, by us. We have always and will continue to do our best in trying to represent as many people around us that don’t get to see themselves in the public eye, always prioritizing the BIPOC communities.
Show, Not Tell
There’s a lot of noise out here. With so many blessings and travesties happening in this wild world we try our best to use our platform to be a space of justice and joy. Through every step we are aiming to be more mindful in what type of fabrics and processes we work with, the nature of the people we align with and the types of collaborations and communities we are building. We hope the slow and steady consistency in how we work and what we create is a clear way of sharing how we show up in this world without having to always say it in words.
Feminine Leadership & Empowerment
As female founders, we face all those extra fun fences that they never tell you about when thinking about running your own business. We still live in a highly capitalist patriarchy, which is just a fact.
Understanding how to navigate this and staying true to our values, we gladly get to make up our own rules and ways of working. We take this very seriously and have been creating a working environment and culture that respects people, and preserves processes and the environment as best we can. We do not tolerate any form of disrespect, hatred, greed or exploitation.
Building a small business with our values and systems takes a lot of energy and care and we are constantly checking ourselves, re-evaluating what isn’t working and have no problem accepting things as they are, striving to make them better for everyone in the process.
Less is More
Let’s be real, this world needs no more things to be made. Being conscious of this reality yet still wanting to highlight and contribute to culture through design, we are mindful of steering clear of over-consumption and production. We make small batches of fabrics and have a group of incredible in-house producers that put their love, sweat and skills into every single piece. The majority of our pieces are made-to-order with a few signature styles staying ready in stock. We upcycle our fabrics when they need the love and collect all our scrap fabrics to re-purpose them into new products. Our design work might be maximal however we try our very best to keep our production as minimal as possible.
Share the Love
We hope that every single piece you purchase from NBNW is worn with love, provides joy and creates lovely memories. If there is a time in which you want to move on, we encourage you to gift, tailor, upcycle or donate your piece for it to continue living and being loved. There is so much energy and care that goes into every single piece and our dream is for it to carry forward a story for as long as possible.