“Fashion [N]: a popular style or trend of something that lasts for a period of time.”
Throughout human’s history, fashion has always been a reflection of humanity's neverending creativity. In recent years, however, consumers around the world have become more aware of the green, sustainable consumption trend. It is now believed that the fashion industry, especially fast fashion, is responsible for various destructive effects on the environment.
“It’s really difficult to try to change people’s mindset and persuade them to consume less fast fashion. What I can do, however, is to make people realize that upcycled products can be both useful and beautiful.”
One brand hoping to change the way we consume fashion is BOPE (bo-pe), a Chiang Mai-based label founded by Pemika “Bo” Sukita and Suparit
“Teu” Tarasri Over the past few years, the brand has collaborated with both minor and major Thai and Japanese brands to introduce upcycled items that range from buttons and belt buckles to shoe soles. Due to their one-of-a-kind design, BOPE products have received positive feedback from fashion consumers of all ages.
The beginning of BOPE
For a lot of eco-conscious shoppers, BOPE is most likely the brand they’re familiar with. But how did it all begin? EQ talk to its founders to find out.
“When my partner worked as a secondhand dealer, we noticed that there had been an increase of plastic contamination in the goods that made it impossible to go through a recycling process. There was a lot of waste and we wanted to combat that issue by using our design background to add value to it. In 2015, while we were doing our research, we met Dutch industrial designer Dave Hakkens who’a developing plastic-recycling machines under a project called Precious Plastic. We based our own first injection on one of his blueprints.”
Showcasing signature patterns and textures
Once the machine had been built, both of them spent the following year on trial production and looking for the right market.
“I live in Chiang Mai so most of my customers are usually foreign tourists. The products we make have to be small, light, and portable so that they can bring them back as a souvenir. What we do is transform HDPE (plastic caps, shampoo bottles) and PP (buckets, washing bowls) into coasters in various shapes featuring different textures and unique designs. When we started selling them in 2016, we got a lot of good feedback from the tourists, especially the Singaporeans and Japanese. Since then, we’ve also expanded to vases, home decor and accessories such as buttons, belt buckles, and shoe soles. They can be customized according to the customers’ needs. Our product is a collection of bags made from LDPE bags.”
Imparting upcycling knowledge for sustainable future
In order to foster true sustainability, BOPE has also branched out into a school that aims to educate the public about upcycling. They organize studio tours both on- and off-site and design workshops. These workshops have proven popular among first-jobbers, the eco-conscious crowd as well as young designers who are looking for new materials to use in their fields.
Save the planet, start small
“As someone in the upcycling business, I think that Thais have grown a lot more conscious about the environment. It definitely helps that it’s also a fashion trend right now and people are looking at plastic waste as an alternative to other materials. However, we can’t expect them to stop using plastic or give up fast fashion completely because they’re so used to it. We may know how to reduce the use of plastic, but it’s probably not going to be 100% . I believe that it could happen with the future generations, though. For those who want to change, start small. Reuse and reduce as much as you can and you’re off to a great start.”
Five years in the making
The success of BOPE isn’t without its own set of challenges. It took Bo and her team five years to make sure that she fully understood the products, how they should be made and how much they should be priced at. Also, not everyone is into eco-friendly trends.
“What we do requires injection and compression machines. Plastic waste also needs to be thoroughly cleaned before it can be processed. It takes a lot of time, investment, and expertise. Although we have machines to assist us, most of our products are still handmade. A lot of patience goes into it and you have to make sure that your products stand out in the market. If you’re interested in this business, ask yourself if you’re ready to tackle all that.”
The future is BOPE
“When people think of upcycled products, I want them to think of BOPE. As an eco-friendly brand with its own unique style, we want to keep improving so that our products can better accommodate people’s needs. We have some new products in development right now. They will be bigger in size and should come out some time next year.”
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