social impact and sustainability, I have spent the last six years researching ways to empower disadvantaged women artisans. This has led me to collaborate with multiple NGOs based in India and the United Kingdom and has helped me finally develop the concept of my social enterprise, haav, to resolve exploitation issues faced by women artisans in the invisible supply chain. I'm applying for the Fashion Value Challenge to get support and guidance in building haav to solve these problems.
I completed my undergrad in textile design and worked with a variety of non-profits and social enterprises, which helped me gain understanding and experience working with people from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds. For 2.5 years, I worked as an Assistant Design Manager in one of Asia's largest manufacturing hubs, gaining retail and supply chain knowledge that helped me understand the further exploitation that occurs throughout the entire supply chain. I worked with clients such as Superdry, Marc O'Polo, Eden Park, Aigle, and M&S, which helped me understand the global market. The idea of starting my social enterprise influenced me to pursue a master's degree in Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the London College of Fashion. Currently a teaching fellow at the University of Southampton, I teach across the marketing, management, and leadership courses specialising in sustainable business practices, guiding students comprehensively on establishing and maintaining businesses with a strong emphasis on sustainability.

The most significant challenge in the fashion industry is climate change and sustainability. It should be normalised to the point where no fashion brand needs to label itself as a sustainable brand. For me, sustainability implies an ethical and transparent sustainable supply chain and production, as well as the use of only sustainable fabrics and resources. Because, as someone who has witnessed firsthand the exploitation of women artisans through the invisible supply chain, I believe that many times, people forget about the makers and communities who don't even realise they are being exploited. Second, sustainability is about creating products that belong in the circular design, rather than products where the designer's responsibility ends with the customer. Every fashion designer should understand how to create long-lasting products.
The award will assist me in developing my social enterprise, haav, as I seek mentors and stakeholders to guide me through my action plan.

I graduated from the London College of Fashion in July 2023.

Title of your idea: 'haav'
‘haav’ is a social enterprise that upcycles deadstock/surplus fabrics into one-off home decor products in collaboration with disadvantaged women communities in London and India through community building. The brand is using closed-loop recycling to reduce its environmental footprint following a circular economy model.

For haav, it started with two questions –
1. Why is it that something as natural, authentic and handcrafted textiles are being changed into fast homeware to pollute the environment?
2. Why are women artisans struggling to survive in the 'invisible supply chains'?

WHAT PROBLEMS AM I SOLVING?
1.Textile Waste = Pollution + Climate Change
2. Increased Rate Of Unemployability In Bame Community

BUSINESS MODEL:
We are focusing on cushion covers as a starting point. Each cushion cover will be in limited collections since it won't be possible to replicate the same design as we work with leftover textile waste fabrics. We are currently collaborating with three interior design decor brands in London, and one in India that supply us with their textile leftover fabrics which would have otherwise ended up in the landfill. We are also collaborating with a social enterprise manufacturer in India who does the block printing for us.

Initial strategy: The goal for the first year of the brand's launch is to establish the first production unit in London, recruiting and upskilling disadvantaged women communities. This is to provide employment opportunities for London's marginalised women community.
We are already collaborating with the EGNA charity and are in touch with the Tower Hamlets council. We have been conducting a workshop series in collaboration with the Eastleigh Gurkha Nepalese Association (EGNA) to provide machine sewing and upcycling training to a group of disadvantaged Nepali women in Southampton, UK. Ms Neha acted as the workshop facilitator and taught the skills to the women. The workshops provide an opportunity for the women to learn new skills such as domestic machine sewing and hand embroidery, which they used to co-create cushions by repurposing surplus fabrics. The workshops were successful in creating a safe and open space for the women to gather, share ideas, build good relationships within a community and gain confidence by learning a new skill that they can practise on their own. At the end of the workshop series, each participant individually co-created the upcycled cushions which they were proud of. The main highlight was when the women started teaching each other by assisting the participants who were falling behind, forming a beautiful bond. Every ‘haav’ product sold uplifts and empowers marginalized women communities in London.

Long-term strategy: haav's long term is to expand into other interior home decor product categories. haav’s vision is to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem where organizations with similar goals and values can collaborate to build meaningful, long-lasting networks for all.

OUTCOMES
haav’s products are created entirely out of deadstock fabrics sourced across London and India to keep these materials out of landfills for as long as possible, if not permanently. This will have a direct impact on the environment by helping it become cleaner and greener. haav creates job opportunities and upskills the disadvantaged women communities which have a direct impact on gender equality, reduced inequalities, decent work and economic growth in London and India.

VIABILITY - MARKET OPPORTUNITIES
haav conducted secondary research and used three tools to perform primary research to understand the UK market and client profile:
1. The founder worked as a sales associate for one of London’s leading sustainable home decor brands.
2. Conducted an online survey which resulted in 80% of participants showing interest in haav products.
3. Conducted more than 5 pop-ups and focus groups to test prototypes which resulted in almost 90% of customers wishing to buy the products.

Based on the findings, haav was able to identify the customer persona as follows:
-London and UK residents
-A wider age group as from the research was evident, young professionals who have disposable income and upper-middle-class people who shop.
-Social media influencers, millennials, and Gen Z consumers, who are keen to transform their impermanent spaces through decor and accessories.
-Target customers don’t follow fast homeware trends and purchase handcrafted home products with a conscious mindset. They value ethical trade methods, transparent supply chains, and gender equality, and oppose worker exploitation.
-Millennial Mainstream Group consisted of 14% (5.4M) of the buyer market.

Project stage:
I am in the process of launching my first official collection, other than the prototypes. We are moving into a small studio space as part of the BARI incubator, which allows us to use a space for this year. This enables us to keep our first collection in stock and launch by October 2024.