I love bags and have a closet full of them. I cam across this great store on Etsy and thought their bags were so cute! Their store is called
1. Tell me a little bit about yourself
My name is Sara and I was born and raised in San Francisco. In a way Basmati Bags is a reflection of the life and values I enjoy living in the Bay Area – creativity; innovation; style; and natural, authentic beauty. Basmati Bags is not currently a full time job, but I admit it is a bit like having a young child. It needs a lot of time and attention, has a definitive life of its own, and is often a surprising source of amusement, wonder, and growth.
2. How did you get into making bags? How long have you been doing it?
Ironically, Basmati Bags happened by accident. I needed a new bag, and being environmentally-minded, really wanted to buy something cool and eco-friendly. But everything I found was either under-designed (no pockets, poor quality), or kind of unattractive. I’d been eating a lot of basmati rice, so I had a bunch of those bulk burlap bags, as well as a pile of fabric samples that I had offered to rescue from an interior designer I knew. So one day after an especially frustrating search for a new bag, I decided to try and make something myself using these materials. It was just for fun and I didn’t think anything of it. Then a friend saw it and got really excited. I brushed it off as her just ‘having a moment’, but it kept happening with more and more people, and finally I couldn’t brush it off any more. This was all happening during the recent recession, so I was constantly being bombarded with emails and mailings from local non-profits who were desperately struggling to survive. I wanted to help, but I wanted to do it in a way that had some kind longevity. Then one day it hit me that maybe the accessory I had slung over my shoulder could not only contribute to the environmental marketplace, but also operate as a funding stream for other organizations who seek to do good in the world (whether through environmental work, social services, literacy, etc.). And that was the start of the company. We’ve now been in business for two years, and it’s been a wild ride.
3. All bags are made from something else. Where do you find these other items and how long does it take you to put a bag together?
The interesting thing about our materials is that people are really enthusiastic to see their fabrics reused in a sustainable way – more often than not it’s that they’ve just been looking for a means. We’ve used fabric from clothing that is in too poor a condition to be donated, scraps from old craft projects, boot leather, torn stockings, reclaimed upholstery fabric…really the list goes on and on. We also have a partnership with Caffe Umbria (www.caffeumbria.com), so we reclaim a lot of their coffee bean bags. For people who buy things in fabric packaging (rice, potatoes, animal feed, etc.) we have a credit program where they can give us that packaging in exchange for discounts on our bags…kind of like a burlap currency. We intend to expand this program to include other kinds of fabric and more discount options by next year. Information on the credit program can be found here: www.basmatibags.com/credit-program.html
As for the time around assembly, the bags that we're currently selling take between four and eight hours to make. One of the greatest challenges we've faced is how to standardize the assembly process when every bag/fabric component is unique. Each of our bags is absolutely one of a kind, but we still want to keep production efficiency as high as possible so that the price tag is as low as possible. When Basmati Bags started, the assembly time was close to twenty hours...I'm thrilled that we've cut assembly time down by more than 50% and look forward to finding more ways to give value back to our customers.
4. Tell us a little bit about Stockings for Stewardship.
We are very, VERY excited about Stockings for Stewardship. SFS is a promotion we’ve launched this year where during the month of June, all torn stockings sent to us will be put towards a $300 donation that Basmati Bags will make to either the San Francisco Food Bank (www.sffb.org), or SF SCRAP (www.scrap-sf.org). With each pair of stockings you send in, you get to vote for which organization gets the money. At the end of June, whichever non-profit has the most votes gets the check. We weave the stockings into handles for our bags, so the promotion does three good things: 1) decreases landfill, 2) reclaims waste into fashion, and 3) allows the public to support a worthy non-profit. All the details for Stockings for Stewardship, and instructions on how to participate can be found on our site: www.basmatibags.com
5. We see that 6% of your proceeds go to Bay Area nonprofits. What is that and what do they do?
Currently we spit our yearly stewardship commitment between the SF Food Bank and SF SCRAP, with 3% going to each organization. The SF Food Bank serves most of the San Francisco Bay Area, working tirelessly to make sure that families in need get fed. SF SCRAP is the oldest reuse organization in the San Francisco Bay Area, and not only keeps tons of reusable materials out of landfill, but re-sells them at a significant discount back to artists, teachers, and do-it-yourselfers who otherwise would not be able to afford it.
6. What is your best selling product?
It’s hard to say. We’ve encountered such a wide range of tastes with our customers, and so far it hasn’t really translated into a particular product. In general, our customers really like it when we reclaim materials in an innovative way…and who can blame them?
7. Do you have any advice for someone wanting to start their own business?
Be curious and don’t be afraid to mess up. Consider that the business you started out with may not be the business you end up with, and be at peace with that. Have a passion for what you’re doing. And, though it’s not nearly as inspirational, take the time to develop a business plan and crunch the numbers before you launch.
8. Do you have any social networks
Our facebook followers get extra discounts and advance notice on special events, so anyone who’s interested should feel free to join us at www.facebook.com/basmatibags. Otherwise our main site and all our info can be found at www.basmatibags.com
We would like to thank Sara for taking time out in her busy schedule and answering some of our questions!
