6 questions about Individuality/

Sustainability/

Bodements

How does one sustain their identity in a world where the concept of embracing individuality is constantly regressed? Herd mentality peaks in every aspect of life as we evolve as a race, fashion being one of the industries at the forefront to be hit. With the rise of fast fashion and constant exposure to media, blatant imitation is normalized, standing out is shunned, looked down upon, and questioned.

Now combine the above complex equation with sustainability, a notion that transitioned from being a "trend" to a choice to become a lifestyle shortly. Over the last few years, sustainability has evolved tremendously and seeped into our daily lives, but it still has a long way to be fully inculcated in our lives. Currently, it still acts as a 'voluntary choice' one needs to actively make and often is co-related to a wide spectrum of adjectives, both positive and negative, from hopeful, essential to expensive, tedious.

A staunch advocate of both of the above, individuality and sustainability, we conversed with Divya Saini and questioned her about the importance of uniqueness, sustainable fashion, thrifting in India, and Bodements.

'One of a kind', the whole concept talks about being unique, which applies to Bodements in many ways. Business model wise (thrifting is not the most common concept in India), idealogy wise (pushing sustainability in a market that is relatively new to this), target audience wise (the biggest chunk of the population that has the spending power to afford luxury products, make these purchases as a social status symbol, not the audience that you are aiming at). What made you think of harping on this uniqueness and how has this been working for you?

Individualism is something I admired and resonated with since I was a kid. Each human is a character of their own unique story so why should they ever choose to look or feel the same. Clothes are a person's second skin. What we wear is a reflection of our values, beliefs, and our innate identity. When I started sourcing for Bodements, it was because I, as a person, resonated with each piece. It felt like being part of history and had a sense of nostalgia attached to it but more than that it was the fact of the possibility of no one in the world having the same garment as me. It made me feel special. I felt the need to share these unique treasures with the people of my country. How we look on the outside can have a lot with how you feel from the inside and I wanted everyone to feel special.

It's been a roller coaster of a journey. The lockdown did slow things down because we were in the process of opening India's first Vintage store but it also was a blessing in disguise because a lot of things are clearer now.

We miss doing pop-ups but the online sale and interactions are great as ever. I am working on two other projects under Bodements, hopefully, we'll be able to share something super soon.

Since we started, the vintage culture has grown tremendously with multiple online shops popping up. It kinda feels great to be one of the pioneers of Vintage Fashion in India.

Apart from the products, how else does the brand breathe sustainability?

We as a brand preach conscious consumption and truly want our customers to value their clothing, take care of it, and make it last.

We encourage our customers to buy less. I still remember suggesting to many of our customers at pop-ups who weren't able to decide what pieces to buy, to check if they really need the piece, or just sleep on it and if they still wanted the garment next morning, then go ahead make the purchase.

When it comes to our packaging it is made from 100% recycled cardboard, our tape is recycled paper and we use no plastic whatsoever. We even avoid using the extra paper that brands sometimes use for wrapping the garments because even though it looks aesthetically great, it is one-time use and often crushed and thrown as soon as one opens the package. Let's not forget all virgin paper comes from trees. We just want to refrain from any unnecessary consumption and wastage.

We also try to educate our customers about fast fashion and its adverse effects and how reusing, repurposing and upcycling clothing is the future. We cannot continue to consume in the manner we are doing right now, there need to be very calculated changes that need to take place.

Vintage is the future because there is nothing more sustainable than clothes that already exist.

How has Covid impacted people's inclination towards sustainability and Bodements?

To me, vintage is a lifestyle. It's the commitment you give to your clothes and yourself that you will be more conscious and aware. The entire world is moving towards vintage not only because of its unique factor but also because there isn’t anything more sustainable than vintage.

I feel that the situation we are in has sort of forced us to re-evaluate how we live our lives, travel, engage and how we consume. We are being forced to stay isolated and indoors and it feels like we are banished into our own houses to introspect the lifestyles we have been living which is leading people to be more conscious. The dopamine rush from a new purchase seems like a dream and we are very fairly surviving. We are already seeing big brands like Gucci and YSL canceling their shows and making a concrete statement on how they are moving away from the fast pace of fashion and embracing the slow movement. Everything is becoming more transparent and honestly, it was high time. I feel like the fashion industry has led too many reckless years without holding any responsibility towards its employees and its consumers. Earlier people were oblivious to the fast fashion fads; the negative impacts of our beloved industry but now people are more informed. We are in the Anthropocene, and every step we take towards our ecosystem matters. Vintage clothing is the most sustainable option that exists. What can be more ecological than reusing and not creating more garments that will eventually end up in landfills? It's the best option we have right now. Here's a fact: there are enough existing clothes on the surface of this earth to supply global demand for at least two decades and that's a conservative estimate.

Promoting a more ethical fashion industry and dressing up accordingly is not exciting, it's rewarding.Fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world and change is needed urgently. Bodements is committed to educating and propagating the mentality of slow fashion and responsible ethical consumer practices.

I also think the culture of vintage in India is growing at a very fast pace. There is a radical and inevitable change-taking place in the fashion industry. The millennial and gen z consumers are being more aware of the pressing issues that affect the world around them. Of course, there is an entire mass that is still unaware of the concept but we are here to educate them.

We encourage our customers to buy less. As a shop that preaches conscious consumption, we want our customers to commit to their clothes as the good friends they are!

What is your vision for Bodements in the near and distant future?

I wanted us to have a brick-and-mortar store because all vintage stores should have a store so people can try before they buy but with the pandemic, it does seem like a challenge. We do however now have a press showroom in Bandra where people can come on an appointment basis.We are also planning to get into home decor specializing in antique and vintage-inspired things, keep a tab on our Instagram for the updates.

As I mentioned earlier there are two projects I am working on but I'd like to keep them to myself for now

What else makes Bodements 'One of a kind'?

I think we have much more to offer than just being a shop. Each of our pieces is handpicked/curated by professional stylists from Mumbai and Paris and our selection process is very strenuous. We sometimes spend hours over a piece trying to make sure it's authentic.

One sustainable tip.

Buy less, Wear more

Concept, Art direction and photography: Two Odd
With : Bodements
Words Akshita Garud
Styling: Divya Saini
MUA : Ambika Kukrety
Hair : Kinjal Garg
Model : Aarzoo Thapa Inega.in
Photography : Aviraj Singh