Like you, we believe that today’s actions are tomorrow’s results!
Northmist is an Indian organic apparel brand that alloys affordable fashion with signature styling. They are passionate and obsessed about protecting and fostering the planet, but they are equally fond of fashion designed for the future. Their exclusively-curated collections are constructed using 100% organic cotton that delivers long-lasting style and comfort you can feel good about. Most of the products are cruelty and chemical-free. They are inspired to make changes happen and set a stage for fashion to have a sustainable future. They do so by asking questions, monitoring wastage, producing ethically, and working closely with their workshops to ensure their apparels are manufactured in a safe environment. This governs their attitude, values, and beliefs! In a quick chat with us Founder of Northmist Arijit Majumder shares their plan, what kind of challenges he faced while setting up his company and all that.
Expresso : What was the idea behind the name of Northmist?
Arijit Majumder : The etymology of NorthMist is such- “North” is the head of directions and “Mist” is often associated with nature. Put these two terms together and you get “NorthMist”, which literally means ‘to head towards nature.’ We wanted a name that was simple and relatable, yet strong in its resolution. And let’s not forget, a name that would convey the concept of being eco-friendly perfectly. NorthMist fit the bill faultlessly.
Expresso : What kind of difficulties or challenges did you face while setting up Northmist?
Arijit Majumder : Major challenges in the Indian apparel and fashion industry lie on factors like poor infrastructure, limited reach and unorganized market. Furthermore, for startups in India, the criteria to meet for Government funding are extensive and slow.
Another of our major challenge was to create awareness. Considering the fact that sustainability is a relatively new topic with very less exposure, convincing customers to make a switch was difficult. Not impossible though. Our motive was clear, to reach as many people as we can and motivate them to make a shift to sustainability. The process was time-consuming, but our constant efforts have ensured that we are reaching them right. Communication plays a major role for a business such as ours, and we have directed our efforts towards it. Garnering attention can still be challenging yet we are doing it quite well.
Expresso : Why a sustainable clothing company?
Arijit Majumder : The future of retail and apparel space is sustainable fashion. With increasing preference of consumers towards eco-friendly choices, the Indian market is growing substantially in terms of sustainable fashion brands and projects consistent upward growth. Hence, a sustainable clothing company is surely a profitable venture.
Expresso: Will sustainable clothing change the world & how?
Arijit Majumder : According to a Forbes report, the fashion industry contributes 10% of global CO2 emissions, 20% of industrial waste water, 24% of insecticides and 11% of pesticides use. The manufacturing process of sustainable clothing might not help in reducing these factors in wholesome manner but allows reducing negative impact on the environment through use of eco-friendly raw materials and helping invest in sustainable practices. These in turn would help the world through lesser pollution, and reduced landfills by wastage through recycling and upcycling of products.
Expresso: What does sustainable fashion mean to you?
Arijit Majumder : Sustainable fashion is not only about creating trends that protect the environment from further damage, but it is about creating a stable economy and a safe society as well. When we talk about being sustainable, we ensure that to take each aspect of sustainability into consideration. For us sustainable fashion is the future- for our planet, for our farmers and for our consumers.
Expresso: Can you please discuss with us how you are helping the farmers in terms of expense & support?
Arijit Majumder : When we decided to craft t-shirts using organic cotton, we knew that it would ultimately benefit the farmers. They are the backbone of our society and taking care of their well-being is our responsibility. By switching to organic cotton, farmers can combat severe health issues that come along with using pesticides and chemicals. They can avoid falling in crushing debts as well since the cost for growing organic cotton is significantly low. We also contribute 1% of our profit to the farmers. We interact with them on a regular basis to understand their point of view better. We care for our farmers and ensure that our brand is dedicated to their hard work.
Expresso: Can you explain with us about the recycling method?
Arijit Majumder : By definition, recycling method is the process of converting waste into reusable products. Recycling in fashion industry refers to collecting used and discarded clothing and recycling the textile to make new products.
Factories create a lot of waste, which inevitably ends up in the landfill. By reusing these waste to create new and improved products ensures to reduce occupied landfill space. Recycling benefits the environment greatly since it doesn’t harvest the already limited natural resources. It also reduces the environmental footprint our activities usually leave behind.
Expresso: As Northmist is only online, so any future plans or thought process for offline?
Arijit Majumder : Currently, our products are available in all the Organic World and Go Native stores. We plan to increase our offline footprint through multiple branded outlets and collaborations with other sustainable brands.
Expresso: Tell us about your 3 years journey and what are your future plans? Or what innovative ideas which you will be applying in future?
Arijit Majumder : In our two years’ journey, we have made a foothold in the apparel space as a sustainable clothing brand and have got overwhelming responses from metro and tier 1 cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad. In the last fiscal year, we have recorded a turnover of 30 lacs.
In the coming five years, we look forward to having a total turnover of 500 crores, expand in terms of sustainable lifestyle category clothing, increase distribution channels and presence in multiple branded outlets.