Navhind Times | 1 week ago | 13-05-2022 | 12:40 am
Garima A Roy is calling a time-out on plastic toys. Through her brand, Other-Wise, the designer offers playthings handcrafted using natural materials for childrenANNA FERNANDES | NT KURIOCITYWith parenthood, comes great responsibility. For Garima A Roy, this meant making environmentally conscious choices as a family and about their consumption.When her son was six months old, she began toying with the idea of making sustainable playthings. Her background in design came in handy here. Add to it, she had in the past, designed pre-school furniture and thus had the experience of working with a young user group.She built her son a swing – and he loved it.And that’s where it all began. “My education in design and a belief in parenting that made me feel responsible towards the environment led to the genesis of Other-Wise,” she says.As a brand, Other-Wise aims to create products with natural materials that last so that they become a part of one’s heirloom or make them so temporary that they become one with soil. “When people spend money, they probably want things to last. So, the former has a tangible form and the latter still a dream,” says Roy, adding that in creating her brand, she realised that alternative materials are hard to come by, and that parents struggle to find such brands. “I still find it hard to get myself to sell because I am drawn to the idea of hand-me-downs, circular economy, but if you must buy, then it’s good to know about the few brands that are trying to keep things simple and honest,” she says.Currently, Other-Wise offers different kinds of swings for different age groups. These are made in materials ranging from bamboo and wood to cloth. They are all handmade and most production is carried out within the Konkan belt. “I don’t wish to make tall claims about USP, but one quality that is hard to find when looking for children’s products is to be able to find things that are gender neutral, and without gimmicky graphics. I assure you that we steer clear of these stereotypes. Also, our packing is 100 per cent plastic free,” she says.When it comes to her products, Roy believes that the creative process can have many and different starting points. “The first product was born from the need for entertainment for my child, movement, and breeze on hot summer days. The range that followed in the initial years was informed by material and human resources. This included my network of carpenters, tailors and a source for rope.”Recently, she launched a product in bamboo. This is a material that, she says, has been extremely close to her heart since her college days, and the abundance of it around the Konkan region was the starting point. Similarly, the next range of products that she is working on is informed by a child’s physical development. “I am working on a product that helps with balance,” she says.And the response has been great. In fact, Roy admits that it’s the feedback that keeps her going. “I see children sometimes fighting, sometimes negotiating for their turn on the swings. My house has many! I don’t bother asking them how they feel: it’s evident.” She adds that it’s equally heart-warming to hear back from parents. “They share pictures and videos of their children loving the swing. Once a parent called me in panic because after two years of using the swing every day she needed new rope as soon as possible because she feared that the child won’t sleep, if not for the swing!”And even through the pandemic, there were so many old clients writing in to tell her that the swing was a life saver: the only physical activity within access for their children. “That meant a lot to me,” she says.Being a parent indeed influenced her approach as a designer. Her first prototypes were always designed for her son and his friend circle offered great insight into user interaction. “A designer need not be a parent, but being a parent gives me easy access to this extremely crucial ingredient that informs my design. Thankfully, we are surrounded by people who believe in preserving childhood, for the child to stay wild and free,” she says.Roy swears by the mantra ‘less is more’. “My child may not agree with me at this age, but I believe he will one day,” she says and adds that there are different reasons for which people choose to go for sustainable alternatives, whether it is food, clothes or toys. “The two reasons that stand out for me are, to reduce the interaction with harmful chemicals that affect our health, and for children to internalise that small acts can have a big impact.”She adds that when one is in the throes of parenthood it’s easy to turn a blind eye to climate change in the name of children’s amusement. “But we will be held responsible for our actions by these very children. One thing that works is to acknowledge that while sustainable sounds fashionable, it doesn’t have to be a competition. If it becomes a way of living then it seeps into everything you do, and has better chances of acceptance when it comes to toys,” she says.And like all things, with Other-Wise as well, Roy believes that taking baby steps is the way towards betterment. “It took time to make our packaging plastic free. Recently I transitioned from wood to bamboo for one product, and for another it meant moving from teak to Jackfruit wood. I would like to move from factory made fabrics to hand-woven fabrics sometime in the near future.” While these are not big steps towards sustainability, they are sincere for sure, she says.
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