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Nasana Bajracharya, 25, is the co-founder of Re-kriti, a company that customizes and recycles used jeans into bags, blending creativity with sustainability.

Bajracharya grew up in Kathmandu’s main marketplace and has always considered reusing leftover textiles. It was during her college days when she embarked on her entrepreneurial journey. She participated in a startup camp when she was pursuing a BBA degree. She worked on a clothing brand but suffered a huge loss. She then turned her focus to making bags as there seemed to be a lot of demand for that.

“The initial investment was just Rs 30,000,” says Bajracharya. The company has had an additional investment of Rs 2,50,000 till date. The head office is located in New Road, Kathmandu, but the company sells the bags in different locations in Thamel to fulfill customer demands. The co-founder says they have also started sending their bags to retail outlets in Kirtipur.

The main office is where most of the work gets done. From taking orders to cutting and making sample pieces, their office in New Road is always bustling with activity. The sewing, however, happens in Thamel and Kirtipur. Re-kriti sells products through their Instagram page as well as various outlets including thrift stores, bookstores, and co-working spaces. 

Talking about the initial days, Bajracharya says it was difficult to make bags out of denim. It was an expensive endeavor. Brand-new jeans or even thrifted jeans did not come cheap. She says investors as well as clients didn’t really appreciate the undertaking and she frequently got negative feedback. “I only had a profit margin of 10 percent and that wasn’t a lot considering all the time and effort that went into it,” she says.

However, things have turned around now. She is more than happy with the profits that she makes on bulk and custom orders. She learned a lot from several Indian recycling companies that started off small but are now making a name for themselves. “Re-kriti is a pioneer of customized denim bags. I don’t know any other company that does what we do,” says Bajracharya.

The company, she adds, wants to focus on upcycling and being as eco-friendly as possible by creating little to no waste. Leftover fabric is used to customize laptop cases and crafted into other accessories like purses and card holders. Re-kriti is a youthful brand that wants to make an eco-friendly style statement through their innovative designs.

“My goal is to stand out as a brand and be known for good quality work,” she says. And indeed, the company is working with that mission in mind. Bajracharya says she receives a lot of feedback, compliments, and criticisms and that she takes them all seriously. It helps her improve. Going by feedback, she has also started sourcing jeans from customers. This makes the customized pieces unique and people also like the fact that their old clothes didn’t go to waste. However, most of the textiles the company needs still come from thrift stores as well as factories.

Currently, the company has seven women working under it. They are underutilized, says Bajracharya, as they are equipped to handle double the volume of orders they receive at the moment. “We collaborate with a women’s group and they all have diplomas in tailoring and stitching. We also provide basic design training to those who already know how to stitch,” she says.  

Many of these women are married and have different responsibilities. The company allows them to work at their own pace from their homes. “We get one to three orders every day and it’s fairly easy to meet the deadlines as there are so many women working on them,” she explains, adding the team takes a maximum of two days to complete the orders. So far, there have been no issues of delay.

Apart from ensuring employee satisfaction, Bajracharya also wants to ensure the company’s growth. Marketing is thus her main focus at the moment. Since Re-kriti’s target clients are those aged 18 to 35 who often have limited money to spend, she knows her products will have to be budget friendly. Youths, she says, are conscious about the environmental impact of their choices and she wants her brand to cater to those people.

“We receive orders from Pokhara, Biratnagar, Itahari, and Dang as well so I’d say the brand is being noticed,” says Bajracharya. As heartening as that is, it puts pressure on her and the team. They want to ensure customer satisfaction and also be ready to take the business to the next level by making it investor-ready. “It’s not easy to manage all that goes on in a business but I’m ready to do what it takes,” she concludes.