Think global, shop local

Set up by a second-generation Australian Indian, Forty Red Bangles makes garments and accessories rooted in the ethos of the city and also stocks products from select NGOs in a bid to preserve India's cultural heritage

At the heart of online store Forty Red Bangles is the tale of three cities: Melbourne, Jodhpur and Mumbai. Its main protagonist is proprietor Ramona Dhillon Saboo (35), a second generation Australian Indian whose diverse cultural experiences (she was born and brought up in Melbourne, married a man from Jodhpur, and later moved to Mumbai), inspired her to start the Forty Red Bangles label.

Bike Me! Bicycle chain photo frame

Set up in March 2011, Ramona retails apparel under her own label and also sells home d ufffdcor sourced from community-based NGOs around the country. "The motto of Forty Red Bangles is 'sustainable luxury'. Most of our products are made from recycled materials and are eco-friendly. Each piece is handcrafted and has a vintage element to it," says Ramona. The name Forty Red Bangles represents the Punjabi 'chura ceremony' where the maternal uncle of the bride puts red and ivory bangles on the bride's wrist and the bangles are then worn for forty days after the wedding ceremony.

Currently working with eight NGOs spanning from Dharavi to Murshidabad, Ramona, who has a background in community development, says, "We offer a platform to NGOs working with certain communities to help keep their arts and crafts alive." The product range is divided into two collections: Aamchi Mumbai and From India With Love. Ramona says that while the motifs are Indian, their design aesthetic is global in appeal.

The Aamchi Mumbai range has products for kids and teens, and is part of the Four Red Bangles initiative, initially conceptualised by Ramona for her daughter Arshia to get to know the city better. Forty Red Bangles' in-house range includes organic cotton and low-impact dye messenger bags titled Chai-Shai and Mango Tango. They also do a range of kurta-pyjama sets for kids in designs labelled Chaiwallah, Aamwallah, Taxiwallah and Dabbawallah.

Their product line-up includes Bike Me! recycled bicycle chain photo frames, car tyre bags, Ujala tin lanterns and Phulwanti tin planters by Murshidabad-based Noah's Ark. They also stock handcrafted sandstone soap dishes from Kolkata-based Kadam Haat, camel and elephant-shaped soft toys made from upcycled scraps of cloth from The Sambhali Trust in Jodhpur, as well as cloth doll key chains, magnets and pencil toppers from the Delhi-based Vision of India. Woolen dolls shaped like animals and banana fibre bags sourced from different parts of the country are also on offer.

A collaboration between Crawford Market Candles and Kuprkabi's pots sees craftsmen's stories told on pots. "Our USP is that our products are ecologically responsible and locally sourced on the lines of the slow fashion movement, which emphasises quality keeping in mind the principles of fair trade as an alternative to mass-produced goods," says Kavita Kumar, Communications Co-ordinator, Forty Red Bangles. Their new range will be out in July and will feature jewellery and recycled items made from vintage sarees.

Call: 9819126339
Email: info@fortyredbangles.com
Log on to: www.fortyredbangles.com or fortyredbangles. wordpress.com
Cost range: Rs 150 onwards
for keychains, Rs 1,500 onwards for garments, Rs 2,500 onwards
for home decor