British Craftsmanship Collaboration Between TALA X BEEN Brings Limited Edition Backpack
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Laurene Rey-Millet
- 17th December 2020
- 7 minute read
Ethical activewear brand, TALA and luxury handbag brand, BEEN London have collaborated and used apple cores, old IKEA uniforms and rescued fishing nets to create TALA’s first backpack.
The unique collaboration fuses British craftsmanship and sustainable innovation, and was imagined by Grace Beverley, the Founder of ethical activewear brand TALA, and Genia Mineeva, the Founder and Creative Director of BEEN London, an award winning start-up making luxury handbags in London from waste.
Through their businesses, Grace and Genia are both committed to making sustainability desirable, accessible and affordable, and they decided to combine their expertise in activewear and handbags respectively, to develop the ultimate premium, multi-functional sustainable backpack.
The main fabric used is econyl, a ground-breaking material used by luxury brands including Gucci and Prada, which is made from reclaimed fishing nets.
Linings made from recycled plastic bottles and interior felt padding made from recycled IKEA uniforms ensure(s) all elements of this limited edition backpack have been carefully selected for sustainable innovation and premium functionality.
The leather trim made from surplus apple waste makes the bag vegan friendly as well. In addition to it’s sustainable credentials, the backpack features functional design details such as built-in compartments for your laptop and reusable water bottle.
The collaboration utilises handbag brand BEEN London’s speciality in sourcing the world’s most innovative recycled materials and British craftsmanship.
As with all BEEN London bags, the packaging and logistics for the backpack will be managed by MailOut, a social enterprise that trains and employs Londoners with learning disabilities.
Genia Mineeva, Founder and Creative Director at BEEN London said: ‘After I met Grace, I realised we are both driven by the same desire to make beautiful products that don’t compromise on style, ethics or functionality widely accessible. We decided to join forces and create a bag that we know both of our audiences will love, and will last a lifetime.‘
Grace Beverley, Founder TALA excitedly said: ‘I am thrilled that we’re now able to announce our TALA X BEEN collaboration. The product itself is absolutely incredible, and that it was able to be produced out of female-owned, sustainable brands is so exciting. I’m so excited for everyone to get their hands on them.’
Founded in 2018 by Genia, with a desire to change the way we view waste, BEEN London accessories brand was born following a former BBC journalist’s instinct to dig deeper into the global waste pandemic.
After researching and realising that you can purchase materials on their way to landfill, with endless opportunities to innovate and repurpose, Genia Mineeva decided to embark on a new career that she paved with success as BEEN London won the Drapers Start Up Award 2020 for sustainable innovation and is focusing on perfecting it’s core handbag collection before expanding into other recycled accessories.
Founded by fitness entrepreneur Grace Beverley, TALA has gone from strength to strength since its launch in May 2019, and in its first year it amassed a social media following of over 200,000 and achieved £6.2m in sales, along with winning the Sustainable Lifestyle Awards Finalist, Activewear Brand of the Year 2019 and the Drapers Sustainable Fashion Awards, Winner Ones To Watch 2020.
TALA is on a mission to create 100% recycled and upcycled sustainable styles that are accessible to everyone. They offer complete transparency across every aspect of the supply chain and the sustainability of each item, with all pieces created using either recycled plastic bottles, upcycled or recycled yarn including factory off-cuts.
You can find out more about TALA here, and BEEN London here.
