WHY I started an eco brand.
Why did I start UNNU Handmade?
This was one of the first pieces of fabric that I printed before I decided to start UNNU Handmade. Previously I had been designing repeat patterns digitally and was hoping to get more involved in the surface pattern design space, however there was something that didn’t feel quite right about it…
I’ve cared a lot about the environment since I first found out about climate change and try to live as eco consciously as possible. Some of the ways in which I try to do my part are:
Working part time at an organic bulk food store where the aim is to use your own containers instead of buying in plastic packages.
I have a worm farm where we compost all of our food scraps. Because of those two things we barely generate any garbage which makes me very happy!
I’ve been a vegetarian since I was a child which started as an animal rights thing but now equally important to me is the environmental impact animal agriculture has on the environment.
I’ve been an op shopper for years and avoid fast fashion at all costs.
I donate to Greening Australian and The Rainforest Foundation.
All of this to say, although I love designing prints and I love fabric, I didn’t want to be contributing to an industry that already has WAY more than enough. And that’s why I decided to make some stamps out of lino and print on an old linen bed sheet! At first I didn’t know what I was going to do with the fabric, I was just excited about the process and how it was turning out.
After amassing a few different designs, I came across a cute fabric pot plant cover on pinterest and thought I would give it a go. It sewed up quickly and looked so great that I got pretty excited and made a bunch of them whilst dreaming up other potential upcycled fabric creations. Somewhere along the way I decided that I wanted to turn it into a business and that’s how UNNU handmade came to be!
To sum up my WHY’s:
-Because I care about the environment and want to use what is already here instead of using precious resources to make new
-Because I love making beautiful things and I want to be able to create art for a living
-Because I want to bring joy to others and their homes
-To bring awareness to the problems of the textile industry and over consumption
-To encourage others to reduce, reuse, recycle or better yet upcycle!
