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Najooka Javier and her mother, Manjusha Javier, aim to promote their eco-friendly ways with their joint venture called ‘Tohfa’, that deals with sustainably made accessories and home decor.
Sustainability has become the clarion call for the world as we gear up to fight environmental degradation. While several organisations are working on a global level to bring about change, there are many who are doing the same locally. There are several brands on social media that have used beautiful cloth fabrics in various ways, from creating fashionable outfits to creative home decor items and accessories.
An example of this is a homegrown venture based out of Mumbai is named ‘Tohfa.’ The word means ‘gift’ in Urdu and the products stay true to it. It was started by a mother-daughter duo named Najooka and Manjusha Javier.
Promoting An Eco-Friendly Lifestyle
Being environmental friendly has been the motto for the Javier household from the very beginning. Najooka explained how living sustainably has been an integral part of her life. Speaking to The Logical Indian, she said, “I am very particular about it, or rather, it’s been in the family. The way we live in general we always prefer to live on more sustainable and eco-friendly lines. That’s just how we’ve been brought up.”
The Javier women wanted to do a business together for a while now. They were just looking for the right time and the opportunity to do so. When her mother lost her job, they thought it was the perfect time to come up with the brand. With the venture, they wanted to stand out from the rest. Najooka further added, “We did not want to do something that was kind of typical like a saree business, dresses, etc because we felt that our creativity will be limited in doing that. So, I would say both my mother and I wanted to do something interesting.”
Creative Use Of Indian Fabrics
In 2017 when ‘Tohfa’ kicked off, there were not many brands that focussed on using desi fabrics to make accessories. Therefore, this gave the duo the impetus to show the public what they have never seen before. “I feel home decor, or, even the personal accessories that we use, we pile up on a lot of plastic. They definitely take a longer to degrade,” Javier gave the reason for using such materials for the products.
Some of the accessories included make-up organisers, makeup bags, spectacles case, cushion covers, laptop sleeves. The fabrics not only make it eco-friendly but adds an aesthetic value as well.
One of their popular products is the Sanitary Napkin Case. “We were the first ones to actually introduce this in our circles. Obviously, they were available abroad but they were not very popular here,” said Najooka. Not only that, these were a hit in their first few exhibitions where people could not stop buying them as their demand increased.
Another popular item are the buntings that are made with the clothing material. Unlike their real counterparts, the popping colours make them a better alternative as the flowers die down eventually. The cloth decorations can be reused occasionally as they can be washed and preserved, without compromising on their beauty.
Other notable items are the coasters, hot pot containers, among many others.
Small Steps Towards Long-Term Change
For the Javiers, this is their contribution towards making the world a better place. Four years down the lane, the brand has only grown with leaps and bounds. Their team has gone on from being just the two of them to have more employees with them.
After the initial logistical challenges, there has been no turning back for them. “I think the short-term goal was to sustain ourselves. Now, our long-term goal is to impact as many lives as possible. One is to provide employment to people and utilise their skills or train them in the same so that they could sustain themselves,” Najooka concluded, adding that the brand wants to promote sustainable ways of living for all intents and purpose.
Article Credit: thelogicalindian