The idea of Khelo was conceptualized just a month before the pandemic hit the world, finally launching in September this year courtesy
Saddam Hossain
Publish : 23 Oct 2021, 06:19 PMUpdate : 23 Oct 2021, 06:21 PM
Khelo is making a play for effectively changing the narrative of the fashion industry through collaboration and producing sustainable products.
Motivated and inspired by Mother Earth, Khelo is driven by climate change to work harder and minimize the environmental impacts that the industry is contributing to.
The idea of Khelo was conceptualized just a month before the pandemic hit the world, finally launching in September this year.
“We believe this to be the first step towards a conscious collective and our aim is to provide fashionable products while keeping sustainability and Mother Earth as our core principles,” said Tawhid Rafiel Bakhtiar, co-founder and COO of Khelo.
Although buyers have already implemented policies and actions to fight climate change in their respective countries, here at home, the industries hardly have local brands taking a stance and working towards any reformation, even when Bangladesh is one of the biggest exporters of readymade garments (RMG) in the world. This is the driving philosophy behind Khelo.
Innovations
Khelo is one of the brands in the country that is manufacturing products made from natural fibre and non-virgin polyester by sourcing the material from the local market to reduce wastage.
If not re-used, the waste would be sent to landfills, thereby creating more pollution.
“We are striving to make sure that resources available in the local markets are properly utilized,” said Bakhtiar.
Moreover, Khelo is one of the first brands to use biodegradable packaging — the Biodegradable EcoVia — which preserves the garments while protecting the environment from toxic materials.
It is made from cotton-based apparel waste and plant-based materials that finally return to the soil after use, making it 100% biodegradable.
The packaging is also specially engineered to ensure home recycling and to ensure that Khelo helps mitigate the ongoing crisis of plastic pollution by providing a safer alternative.
Team and gender equality
Khelo has a young and energetic team of creatives, designers and managers.
“We have a whole community of partners and people who help to build the brand and the business. They are multi-faceted, multicultural, and most importantly, it is all inclusive as people from all walks of life come together to create Khelo,” said Bakhtiar.
He also said that positivity and love with ethics is what keeps Khelo together.
“We just launched but we have only received positive responses from our customers,” the COO added.
Khelo has partnered with Creative Conservation Alliance (CCA) — under the Khelo KONSERVATION initiative, for every apparel bought, a percentage is contributed to CCA to protect and preserve biodiversity.
Khelo is also contributing towards the conservation of critically endangered species in Bangladesh.
The company believes that gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessity for a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world.
Women are the key driving forces behind the growth of any organization and economy, the organization believes, and they are the pillars of an empathetic and kind society.
“At Khelo, 27 women have dedicated their time and effort to produce the garments collections,” said Bakhtiar.
In return, Khelo has pledged to take responsibility for their young children, sponsor their education and provide both physical and mental health counselling.
The organization has also been invited by Miss Earth Bangladesh to feature its products at the pageant through all the contestants wearing this sustainably made clothes.
Views on fast fashion
Fast fashion is inevitable in the modern globalized world and it caters to the needs and wants of a huge market place, according to Khelo.
Politics, economy and culture, all play a vital role towards this market.
And the organization believes that this consumer behaviour cannot be reversed. So, the consumers just have to become more conscious.
With the help of media, influencers, politicians, policy makers and ultimately the consumers to openly and effectively speak about sustainable practices, Khelo aims to help reduce excessive consumption.
The game plan
As a Bangladeshi brand, Khelo believes it has a major responsibility towards sustainability awareness.
“Our ancestors in this part of the world were masters of upcycling and recycling. The new generations disrupted that process and ruined the eco-system that existed for millennia,” said Bakhtiar.
In such a competitive market made for over-produced garments, sustainability and production will come at a higher cost but they have taken the responsibility and believe that their mission and vision will be supported by the Bangladeshi fashion market and enthusiasts.
Future plans for Khelo include implementing better innovations that will help design greener and cleaner products.
As a business, their aim is to help the economy but they would also like to take the responsibility to create awareness and drive the market towards sustainability.
Khelo is also looking to expand to neighbouring countries with similar markets and slowly globalize the designs.
Khelo makes a play for sustainable fashion
Khelo is making a play for effectively changing the narrative of the fashion industry through collaboration and producing sustainable products.
Motivated and inspired by Mother Earth, Khelo is driven by climate change to work harder and minimize the environmental impacts that the industry is contributing to.
The idea of Khelo was conceptualized just a month before the pandemic hit the world, finally launching in September this year.
“We believe this to be the first step towards a conscious collective and our aim is to provide fashionable products while keeping sustainability and Mother Earth as our core principles,” said Tawhid Rafiel Bakhtiar, co-founder and COO of Khelo.
Although buyers have already implemented policies and actions to fight climate change in their respective countries, here at home, the industries hardly have local brands taking a stance and working towards any reformation, even when Bangladesh is one of the biggest exporters of readymade garments (RMG) in the world. This is the driving philosophy behind Khelo.
Innovations
Khelo is one of the brands in the country that is manufacturing products made from natural fibre and non-virgin polyester by sourcing the material from the local market to reduce wastage.
If not re-used, the waste would be sent to landfills, thereby creating more pollution.
“We are striving to make sure that resources available in the local markets are properly utilized,” said Bakhtiar.
Moreover, Khelo is one of the first brands to use biodegradable packaging — the Biodegradable EcoVia — which preserves the garments while protecting the environment from toxic materials.
It is made from cotton-based apparel waste and plant-based materials that finally return to the soil after use, making it 100% biodegradable.
The packaging is also specially engineered to ensure home recycling and to ensure that Khelo helps mitigate the ongoing crisis of plastic pollution by providing a safer alternative.
Team and gender equality
Khelo has a young and energetic team of creatives, designers and managers.
“We have a whole community of partners and people who help to build the brand and the business. They are multi-faceted, multicultural, and most importantly, it is all inclusive as people from all walks of life come together to create Khelo,” said Bakhtiar.
He also said that positivity and love with ethics is what keeps Khelo together.
“We just launched but we have only received positive responses from our customers,” the COO added.
Khelo has partnered with Creative Conservation Alliance (CCA) — under the Khelo KONSERVATION initiative, for every apparel bought, a percentage is contributed to CCA to protect and preserve biodiversity.
Khelo is also contributing towards the conservation of critically endangered species in Bangladesh.
The company believes that gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessity for a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world.
Women are the key driving forces behind the growth of any organization and economy, the organization believes, and they are the pillars of an empathetic and kind society.
“At Khelo, 27 women have dedicated their time and effort to produce the garments collections,” said Bakhtiar.
In return, Khelo has pledged to take responsibility for their young children, sponsor their education and provide both physical and mental health counselling.
The organization has also been invited by Miss Earth Bangladesh to feature its products at the pageant through all the contestants wearing this sustainably made clothes.
Views on fast fashion
Fast fashion is inevitable in the modern globalized world and it caters to the needs and wants of a huge market place, according to Khelo.
Politics, economy and culture, all play a vital role towards this market.
And the organization believes that this consumer behaviour cannot be reversed. So, the consumers just have to become more conscious.
With the help of media, influencers, politicians, policy makers and ultimately the consumers to openly and effectively speak about sustainable practices, Khelo aims to help reduce excessive consumption.
The game plan
As a Bangladeshi brand, Khelo believes it has a major responsibility towards sustainability awareness.
“Our ancestors in this part of the world were masters of upcycling and recycling. The new generations disrupted that process and ruined the eco-system that existed for millennia,” said Bakhtiar.
In such a competitive market made for over-produced garments, sustainability and production will come at a higher cost but they have taken the responsibility and believe that their mission and vision will be supported by the Bangladeshi fashion market and enthusiasts.
Future plans for Khelo include implementing better innovations that will help design greener and cleaner products.
As a business, their aim is to help the economy but they would also like to take the responsibility to create awareness and drive the market towards sustainability.
Khelo is also looking to expand to neighbouring countries with similar markets and slowly globalize the designs.
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