In conversation with Karishma Gupta, founder of Satatland - the ownerhship-free sustainable fashion brand

Sustainable fashion is the new way to shop and look great, as we heard last year from founder of HURR Collective, Victoria Prew. So the fact that more and more brands are popping up promoting renting wardrobes rather than drawing consumers further down the fast fashion road to underpaid overworked employees and a marketing and financial model that focuses solely on profit and neglects the environmental impacts, not to mention its own workers’ wellbeing.

I was interested then to hear from Karishma about her story to create Satatland, an online ownership-free sustainable fashion brand based in London but with roots originating from her home in India. It’s clear that Karishma’s dream was to create a zero compromise circular fashion brand, with beautiful, sustainable and ownership-free garments that focus on quality rather than targeting consumers to buy in bulk.

As a former garment technician & production manager of high quantity clothing manufacturers in India, Bangladesh, and Middle East for fast fashion brands, she has seen first hand how the fashion industry promotes cheap labour and mass consumerism, as well as the vast negative impacts that it has on the planet.

It’s no surprise then that I was eager to pick her brain about her new brand and about how we as consumers can be more conscious when buying our clothing.

What made you decide to start Satatland?

I started Satatland with my dream to create a zero compromise fashion brand. A brand that does not compromise the needs of our planet and our love for fashion. My previous jobs as garment technician and quality manager in the east have given me the first-hand experience of seeing the negative impact of Fashion on our planet. I have seen how rivers have turned toxic with dyes, the land is being devastated with pesticides in the east for clothes that are not even worn for more than twice in the west. Because of what I have experienced I decided to put an end to this madness and start Satatland.

What does the name Satatland mean or stand for?

The name Satatland comes from the hindi word “Satat” (S-Tuht) which means Sustainable. Our name stands for “Sustainable World”, through Satatland we aim to bring the utopian vision of how Fashion should be produced, consumed, and disposed of.⁠

We believe we don't have to escape to our imagination or even to another planet to find or create a sustainable world, we can build it here on our Earth by coming together and being the change we want to see.⁠

Are all the Satatland designs and fabrics done and chosen by you?

Yes! We are the first fashion brand in the world to offer our own designs to rent, lease and buy. We make our own designs from the highest quality fabrics chosen by us from Italy and India. In the upcoming collections, we aim to produce our designs in London & New Delhi and introduce exciting zero waste designs from recycled materials, which will make us carbon & waste negative from step one.

How has your former work for clothing manufacturers in India, Bangladesh and the Middle East shaped your business and your attitude to the fashion industry?

The first time I entered a garment factory was at the age of 18 in Kolkata, India of a premium dress shirt maker. Starting out that early in a professional setting has shaped me a lot on how I look at this complex and most essential part of the fashion industry.

I feel closer to fashion, essentially clothes and how magnificent this industry is in terms of providing quick paid jobs to underprivileged people. Most women who I used to work with in the factories came from broken homes, no money or any education and many had kids to feed. It was really inspiring to see how they could learn sewing in two weeks and start having a stable income to feed themselves and pay for their kids' education.

While working in the factories I said goodbyes to many older ladies whose kids were now teachers or administrators and now ready to give a better life to their mothers. This is why when I started Satatland, I decided that we will make our own products so that I can stay closer to these inspiring women.

I have worked with only compliant, certified, and ethical manufacturers over the years and I truly believe if we do fashion correctly it holds the power to change lives which are invisible to us consumers.

What is your favourite item of clothing on the Satatland website available to rent?

After wearing sweatshirts and pyjamas for so long I would definitely go for the OTA JUMPSUIT. It is bold, expressive and unique. I feel staying indoors for about a year has made me feel invisible and I would love to express my individuality with this not so subtle piece. Plus it is made from Econyl®, Regenerated Nylon using oceans plastic and carpets from landfills, 100% recycled and 100% recyclable.

What other women inspire you?

Coming from India, I have had the privilege of being surrounded by many strong female role models. Thanks to my global exposure, I have come to realise that the gender stereotypes and roles in some way or another are similar globally. Being a woman is tough no matter what your background is.

I am most inspired by Kalpana Chawla, she was the first Indian female astronaut. Like me she came from a very small town in India and at a very early age of 9 she taught me no matter where you are from you can make it in the world if you truly follow your dreams.

I also grew up watching Priyanka Chopra Jonas, her life’s story from Jamshedpur to being one of the 100 most influential people on the planet always inspires me.

What have been the highs and lows since starting the business?

High: it was definitely moving back to London in December 2020 and gathering the courage to start Satatland from here after completing a fashion business accelerator.

Low: the pandemic has definitely been the most significant low since starting the business, it is the uncertainty and shoppers staying away from investing in fashion. But, Satatland is a COVID baby, I am sure we can face any storm now.

What would be your top three tips for women who want to reduce their fashion consumption and contribution to fast fashion?

• Be more mindful while shopping - think it through when you think you need a new outfit. If it is your birthday or a once in a lifetime event, definitely go for renting. By renting you get the experience of wearing something new & unique without the commitment to keep the outfit forever, only memorable photos ;)

• Invest in a quality Capsule Wardrobe - it saves your time, money and mental health! When you know you have 3-5 fixed options for going out clothing, you will take less time to get ready. Instead of losing space and money on 20 poor quality dresses, you get high quality long lasting outfits and space for your Monstera plant or even a puppy.

• Buy timeless pieces. Don't impulse or 'one wear' buy. It's worth investing in pieces you really love and are made from high-quality materials that will stand the test of time; pieces that you'll genuinely want to keep forever.

What is the future for Satatland, are there any new pieces we can rent?

We have big plans for Satatland, we will be coming up with membership options for unlimited access to Satatland. As well as in terms of sustainability we are planning to go ahead with zero waste only designs by 2022, certifications by 2023 and carbon neutral by 2024. We also want to have an inbuilt Swapping platform for Satatland designs.

You can check the new rental collection at https://www.satatland.com/product-category/rent/

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Help to support Satatland by renting, leasing or buying one of their collection pieces, or following them on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.