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Simple silhouettes, timeless designs, stylish, and comfortable—that is how your clothes should be, says Anuza Rajbhadari who, along with her younger sister, Alpaza Rajbhandari, founded the sustainable clothing brand Ekadesma. The 42-year-old mother of two loves natural fabrics and believes what you wear shouldn’t have a high environmental price tag. In a conversation with Cilla Khatry of ApEx, Rajbhandari spoke about her love for slow fashion and how sustainability is at the heart of everything she does. 

Can you tell us a little about Ekadesma? 

Ekasdesma is a lifestyle brand that was established in 2011. My sister and I identified a market gap for a homegrown brand. Nepal was importing a lot of stuff but we didn’t have that many options when it came to a locally-made clothing brand. We wanted to use locally sourced materials and create unique pieces that reflected our culture and roots. And, with the collective experience of working in the garment business and marketing, we thought we could pull it off. 

We started with a retail store in Thamel, Kathmandu. After the 2015 earthquakes, we realized we could and must generate employment for underprivileged women and started our manufacturing unit. Now we have two outlets, one in Thamel and the other in Kupondole, Lalitpur. We export our products to the US, Norway, and New Zealand.  

What is slow fashion and why is it important in today’s world?

Slow fashion is a movement for a better world. It’s an approach to fashion that focuses on sustainability. It’s fashion that thinks about its environmental and social impact. It’s also about ethical manufacturing and mindful consumption. Brands can promote slow fashion by being transparent and ethical in the manufacturing process. People can opt for slow fashion by being conscious of what and how they choose to buy clothing. 

There are a lot of things slow fashion takes into consideration that fast fashion doesn’t. From fair wages for the laborers and a safe working environment to higher textile quality and durability of the finished product, there are a lot of reasons why slow fashion is beneficial. Slow fashion is also timeless so when you buy a piece you can wear it multiple times, for different occasions. Ekadeshma is still selling designs that were a part of our earliest collections. That’s the beauty of slow fashion. It transcends trends. 

How do you come up with a new collection? 

Alpaza, my younger sister, who is based in Seattle in the US, designs the collection. It’s a lot of work and it takes a while. We only launch two capsule collections in a year—in summer and in winter. Once my sister sends us the designs, our team in Nepal, which has an assistant designer as well, studies them. We conduct a feasibility test and make a prototype. 

What’s different about Ekadesma is that we don’t just test the fitting of our clothes on dummies. We get actual people to try them. They tell us how comfortable it is and if something needs to be fixed. Then we manufacture the design in four sizes, from small to extra-large. Another thing we are conscious about as a sustainable business is to minimize waste. We try to use every possible inch of fabric. We make accessories like small pouches and laptop bags from leftover cloth. We are still trying to reduce the waste produced and, if possible, go zero-waste. 

What are some major challenges of running a sustainable business?

People are much more aware of sustainability and its importance now than they were when we started. But it’s still quite a challenge to make them understand why our products are a bit on the expensive side. In that sense, I believe there is still a lack of awareness and education. It’s been an issue since day one. There is also no clear government policy for sustainable businesses. There are no studies or reports to measure the impact of sustainable businesses. People aren’t aware of the positive chain of events that they kick off when they opt for sustainable fashion.

As a sustainable business, transparency is key. But we have to deal with suppliers and weavers who would rather not be transparent. So that causes problems in the supply chain. Since we only use natural materials like cotton, linen, and hemp, we also have to be extra careful to make sure there aren’t any synthetic materials in our textile. It requires a lot of effort, time, and patience. 

How do you overcome them?

We are particular about our textile weavers. We only work with the transparent ones. We also try to be more visible to create more awareness. We showcase our brand at fairs and exhibitions. Despite having two outlets, we use every opportunity to promote our brand. We reach out to people and talk about sustainable business. 

Challenges can affect you personally so, as a business owner, you have to look at the positive side of things and power on. It’s easy to give up. My sister and I have had moments when we questioned why we were doing what we were doing. But you have to believe in your company’s vision and long-term goals. We wanted to give back to the community and, as cliché as it might sound, we are passionate about our work. Also, we receive good feedback from people who wear our clothes. We have seen the growth of the women who work with us. They are happy and empowered. It gives us every reason to continue despite the difficulties.

How can people incorporate sustainable fashion into their lifestyles?

Our brand has grown organically, largely through word of mouth. I think that is because, slowly but surely, people are waking up to the importance of sustainability. Sustainability is a conscious way of living, and consumers are a lot more conscious than ever before. But the younger generation is driven by trends and that promotes fast fashion. To change that, effort is needed on a policy-level scale. 

On an individual level, there are many ways in which you can opt for sustainable fashion. Rewearing and restyling your clothes is the best way to be sustainable in your fashion choices. You can re-dye your cotton clothes to give them a new lease of life. DIY ideas can be used to mend your clothes and give them a fresh look.

What has been your biggest lesson so far as a business owner and a promoter of sustainability?

As a business owner, you have to be patient and resilient. It’s easy to start a business but it’s difficult to give continuity to it. When you start something new, you are sure of your ideas and you have a lot of energy. But when you start facing hurdles, as you inevitably will, it can be tempting to give up. That is when you have to give yourself a pep talk and be willing to learn and adapt and do what it takes to stick to your business ideals. I wasn’t a very patient person but owning a business, especially one that is as challenging as sustainable fashion, I have realized that you can’t expect instant results. You have to be persistent in your efforts.

A secret line of people lives out on the Yorkshire Moors in England. These people eat books. They retain the book’s content after eating it. They eat maps to remember the routes and the destinations. For dessert, they sink their (book)teeth into romance. Children, when they have to be punished, are forced to eat dictionaries, which are considered mundane. Devon Fairweather is a part of an old, reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brother eats stories of adventure while she is fed fairy tales and cautionary stories.

Then she has a son. He isn’t a book-eater like her. Instead, he feasts on the minds and souls of people. Devon flees with her son, Cai, as she doesn’t want him to be turned into a weapon for the family as most mind-eaters are destined to become. Devon must figure out how to cure her son or risk losing him forever while dodging her family. Every soul Cai consumes makes him lose a little of himself so Devon doesn’t have a lot of time.

Almost every other BookTuber I have subscribed to on YouTube mentioned ‘The Book Eater’ by Sunyi Dean in their videos last year. The story—about a clan of book-eating people if you can call them that—sounded intriguing. But I couldn’t find the book anywhere. Then I came across a copy at Bookverse in Civil Mall in Kathmandu. Despite the tiniest font size ever, I bought it. My friends said I’d probably go blind by the end of the book. Having heard so much about it, it was a risk I was willing to take.

I must confess I wish the font size was better but I have no other complaints with the book. The story is fascinating. The writing is gorgeous. The characters are lovely, complex, and interesting. The events line up beautifully. There is always something happening, you are never bored, and the story moves forward at a comfortable pace. I could conjure the scenes in my head as Dean has masterfully crafted her world, paying attention to even the most minor detail.

The narrative alternates between the past and the present but it’s not difficult to keep track of what’s happening in the two timelines. The past and the present chapters complement one another, making it easy for the readers to figure out the intent behind the protagonist’s actions. The story deals with some important issues like trauma and patriarchy. I had to put the book down to think about things several times. Dean makes you contemplate quite a lot.

If I’m honest, the story takes on a dark, sinister tone at times. A five-year-old devouring people’s minds and adopting their personalities feels a little disturbing. At one point, having devoured over 25 people, he acts like an adult. His words and actions don’t suit him. It quite literally gave me the chills. Dean uses this opportunity to ask some provocative questions about how our minds define us. It was insightful but creepy nonetheless. All in all, I enjoyed ‘The Book Eaters’ and I would highly recommend it.

Fantasy fiction/Horror

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/58724745 

The Book Eaters

Sunyi Dean

Published: 2022

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Pages: 298, Paperback

Not so long ago, Yuval Noah Harari, a well-known historian, warned, “Once Artificial Intelligence (AI) makes better decisions than us about careers and perhaps even relationships, our concept of humanity and of life will have to change.” 

In his book, one of the most read in modern times, ‘21 Lessons for the 21st Century,’ published in 2018, Harari cautioned future generations vis-a-vis different topics, among which the threat of AI is one. A number of researchers, sociologists, computer scientists, development practitioners, tech optimists and pessimists have been making similar predictions about AI.

Undoubtedly, the emergence of AI created euphoria as the internet and printing press had done in the past. The printing press and the internet brought about disruption in the information ecosystem, breach of hierarchy and assault on power dynamics; AI has intensified this process at an unimaginable scale and speed. 

With accelerated generation of data, application of algorithms and competitive race on AI across the globe, a new world order is emerging with tech giants on top. Already enslaved, a huge section of humanity is at the receiving end, while those playing with AI are spreading optimism and enjoying the ‘winner-take-all’ model of tech business.

Amidst all this, the warning of Harari counts much. With the hijacking of the brain, machines fed with AI have begun giving more precise results than the humans. As such, is it simply ease, please and convenience to humans or grave threats to human brain and cognition? It warrants serious debate and discussion.

When OpenAI launched ChatGPT in Nov 2022, it quickly triggered shock waves globally. The content generation in no time dazzled the human. Give a command, and it serves you instantly. Google was evidently dwarfed by ChatGPT. From a student’s homework to university research, it dominated the landscapes of modern information, knowledge, innovation and technology. Co-authoring with ChatGPT became a new fad, but the app has courted its share of criticism as well. Many launched astute analysis and several journals banned this app as the co-author. 

Despite this, OpenAI continued advancements, advancing to ChatGPT-4 from ChatGPT-3 in March 2023. It has undoubtedly marveled the creation of diverse contents—text, image, video. 

Isn’t it a better decision than humans as Harari viewed?

Vanishing jobs 

Some months back, with the onset of winter, Facebook and Twitter in Nepal were rife with AI-generated images showing some people ready to eat hot steamed dumplings (momo) while some ready to grab cups of steaming tea and coffee. Now, the media have begun using relevant images as well. 

There are not simply the cases of AI benefits, but also of the assault on humanity. With AI creating the content (text-story, poem, play, photo, video), a large number of jobs are likely to vanish, posing a serious threat to humans. Even in Nepal, many content writers, translators and editors have lost jobs, thereby facing a dent in their incomes and financial sustainability.

In this wake, a research report released recently by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) must have taken many by surprise. The IMF report, named ‘Gen-AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work’, states, “Almost 40 percent of global employment is exposed to AI, with advanced economies at greater risk, but also better poised to exploit AI benefits than emerging markets and developing economies. In advanced economies, about 60 percent of jobs are exposed to AI, due to the prevalence of cognitive-task-oriented jobs.”

Moreover, the report warned that ‘a new measure of potential AI complementarity suggests that, of these, about half may be negatively affected by AI’. “Overall exposure is 40 percent in emerging market economies and 26 percent in low-income countries,” per the report.

AI-powered justice 

Meanwhile, a news story on the positive side of AI has been hogging the headlines worldwide. Per the report, UK judges can use AI in writing legal notes/opinion, with caution. The Nepali media also covered the Associated Press news, which states: “The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary last month said AI could help write opinions but stressed it should not be used for research or legal analyses because the technology can fabricate information and provide misleading, inaccurate and biased information.”

The above cases are indeed examples of ‘creative disruption’ of AI. As the story suggests, caution is required with regard to the fabrication of information, the spread of misinformation, disinformation, mal-information and deep-fake with the use of AI. 

The year 2024 is an election year, with polls taking place in India, the US, and the UK. Whether AI will influence electoral integrity has been a cause for concern and researchers are conducting serious research on the topic. The super-speed of disinformation and deep fakes with AI is a headache for many professionals and governments.

Tech giants draw flak

Moreover, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, recently lambasted tech companies at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The Guardian wrote, “Big technology companies are recklessly pursuing profits from artificial intelligence and urgent action is needed to mitigate the risks from the rapidly growing sector, the head of the United Nations has warned.”

When it comes to the regulation of AI, the US, the EU and China are large players. The US has fostered a liberal competitive digital atmosphere, thereby contributing to a cut-throat AI race among tech companies, while China is focused on cyber sovereignty and advancing AI accordingly. Equally important is the role of EU countries in advancing research and seeking ethical and responsible use of AI. The EU seems engrossed in emerging as a global leader of tech regulation. 

It is time to ponder over the spurt of AI, which is gripping us at scale. We are at a watershed moment where non-humans are sprawling and stalking the sacrosanct terrain of humans—the cognition—and rendering the humans irrelevant. 

Informed debate a must

As the yawning digital divide has already crippled poor and marginalized countries and communities, the tech empires that dominate the global AI race are likely to further afflict the vulnerable ones. Networking, collaboration, knowledge and information creation and sharing without jeopardizing national interest is essential for countries like Nepal to reap benefit from AI. In this regard, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is learnt to be preparing an AI policy. The ministry must facilitate and forward the debate and discussions on AI under the leadership of informed, educated and intellect milieu rather than mediocre rallying.

Pashupati crematorium is located in the Pashupatinath temple premises in Kathmandu, Nepal. It’s a sacred Hindu site where cremations take place along the Bagmati River. Near the crematorium is the shop where you can find everything that is required for a traditional cremation—Paddy, straw shoes, ghee, wooden logs and sticks, green bamboo stretchers specially used to carry dead bodies from ambulances into the landing stairs (ghat) of the Bagmati river.

This shop fixes the prices of goods that are delivered and unloaded at the banks of Bagmati. The staff carry them and store them in the shop’s warehouse. Green bamboo is often used to carry dead bodies in some cultures due to its easy availability, strength, and symbolism. Bamboo is lightweight, flexible, and abundant in certain regions, making it practical for constructing a simple stretcher or carrier. Additionally, in some cultures, bamboo holds cultural or religious significance, and the use of green bamboo may be tied to symbolism related to life, renewal, or nature. The exact reason varies based on local traditions and beliefs.

I came across a middle-aged man selecting bamboo meticulously. His name was Rajkumar Tandukar. He told me he was preparing to make a ladder-shaped structure just behind the shop. It has been a decade since he has been doing this. He has made as many as over 25 bamboo stretchers in just a single day. Even though Pashupati now has an electric crematorium, the traditional method of cremation is still preferred over it. I saw many funerals being carried out along the banks of the river.