ABOUT
One Puram was born from a passion to create sustainable, ethical wear with individuality and flair. ‘Puram’ is derived from two words in Bengali—’puro’ and ‘gram’, which means ‘whole village.’ They chose the name to reflect their close work with artisan makers, rather than factories that mass produce.
IMPACT
People
One Puram currently works with a small workshop in Bali with four workers. Before working with a manufacturer, they inquire about the working conditions of the space and the workers, the benefits workers receive, and the demographic of the workers. The team has also visited the workshop twice and are happy with the way things are run. They have ensured that all workers earn a living wage and have good working conditions.
Product
One Puram has made a commitment to use 100% TENCEL™, which they source from sustainable wood forests within Indonesia and is fully biodegradable. They use this fabric for the outer and lining material of all items. The brand mostly prints the fabric digitally or with screen printing. The brand makes every item to last, with quality fabrics that have good colour retention, and all French seams finishing that last longer. They also aim to use as much fabric, by using zero-waste patterns and collecting all scrap material for future projects. Moving forward, they aim to improve by sourcing eco-elastics, and switching to organic brand and care labels. They are also looking into a return program, where customers can return products for the brand to either upcycle or recycle.
Packaging
One Puram packages with sustainability in mind. They use laminate-free paper for clothing tags, and attach them with organic pandanus string. Their delivery boxes are made with kraft paper and are durable with minimal ink and printing, thus can be reused. They wrap the boxes in eco-bubble wrap made from kraft paper and tie them together with pandanus string.
Planet
One Puram takes great care to source sustainable materials, such as TENCEL™ fabric, packaging, and labels, from within Indonesia. They are looking into circular methods of production, experimenting with using scraps and waste for future craft projects. They also make small production runs of about 12 to 24 pieces of each style, in order to reduce any excess stock and wastage.
Principles
One Puram aims to make sustainable, quality, ethical and stylish womenswear. Their main focus is on style, aesthetics and fit. Through marketing, such as via Instagram stories, the brand regularly features informative snippets about eco-friendly practices, eco-fabrics, and initiatives for positive impacts around Bali, such as beach clean-ups and weekly volunteering. They are looking into supporting charities that support two particular areas—keeping oceans clean, orangutan habitat preservation, which is a major issue in Indonesia and Borneo. They are also working towards engaging disadvantaged communities in Bali, and providing work for a group with disabilities in Ubud.
