The Greater Good of Sustainability with HOUSE OF LONALI

The concept of "Environmental Sustainability" within a fashion brand is something we're all quite familiar with these days. Given the pandemic's ever-changing variants over the last two years, we've realized how critical it is to reduce waste and recycle, as polluting the surface of Planet Earth can occur in multiple ways- Industrial emissions, open burning of garbage waste, demolition are only a few common causes.

Many fashion brands have begun a "Go Green" initiative by renewing old items and reusing them overtime, thereby creating a High-End niche in the Lankan Fashion market. However, one person's out-of-the-box thinking process has enabled her to stand out significantly; she believes that sustainability education should not be limited to the creative designers behind the framework, but that it is also the responsibility of shoppers to educate themselves and contribute to a pollution-free environment!

Introducing the ever-so lovely Lonali; a mother of two beautiful puppies and an outspoken environmental and social advocate, Lonali is the driving force behind “House of Lonali.” She is also a proud Visakhian who has a degree in Fashion from the Academy of Design (AOD) and a Masters in Sustainable Management from the University of Bedfordshire (UK), while striving to make a difference and have a positive impact on the environment through her fashion brand. She believes that beauty exists in every flow and thus sees "waste" as beautiful particles that can be used to make something new. 

House of Lonali advocates sustainability and emphasizes on the importance of conscious fashion to individuals by up-cycling pre-consumer waste collected from the apparel industry and transforming it into new and valuable designs that are also long-lasting. They've taken even bigger steps along the way, collaborating with corporations and businesses for the past three years to promote this initiative on a large scale and educate as many people as possible. 

2021 marks ten years for House of Lonali and today, they have launched #GreatLittleChoices, a new campaign to raise awareness about the importance of making lifestyle choices that are good for both people and the planet. This aligns with their vision “to design a better future,” as they reposition themselves as Sri Lanka’s premier sustainable lifestyle brand! They have taken steps to educate people about the process of up-cycling pre-consumer waste, as well as what "sustainable fashion" is; “rather than marketing our brand, we wanted to teach our customers why they should invest in sustainable clothing, whether it's up-cycled, locally produced, or organic, because we believe that it's our responsibility,” she said. Even on their website (www.lonali.com), they state that it is a 50:50 responsibility between the brand and the customers, so that they both play equal roles and work together towards a better environment.

Going back in time, Lonali told us how her brand came to be, as well as the many steps her and her team had taken over the years to get closer to their customers' hearts; "We started out as a fashion brand and later expanded into accessories." she shared. "We have collections for women, kids, men, and even home, which eventually shaped us into a ‘lifestyle brand’ because we wanted to promote a way of life rather than just a fashion label."  

What she began in her bedroom grew into a large family ten years later. Lonali triumphantly stated that her father came up with the brand name; one fine day, she was working tirelessly up in her room when her father decided to pay a little visit; he opened the door and saw all of Lonali’s fabric material strewn about which led him to announce, "The Mad House of Lonali," which she later on shortened to House of Lonali. “Now, that I think about it, I’m glad that we went ahead with this name because it gives a homely, affectionate touch to the brand and doesn’t make us sound like a typical business,” she explained. 

Lonali also clarified the distinction between recycling and up-cycling: Recycling is the process of returning waste to its fiber form (e.g., recycling paper), whereas Up-cycling is the process of transforming waste into a new product and adding value.

They went one step further by partnering up with local artisans and seamstresses from the cottage industry who work from home rather than in a factory. These individuals were also encouraged to get closer to the hearts of their customers in order to be as transparent as possible through the fashion brand. House of Lonali were also taking small steps toward branding, such as eliminating waste by using paper bags, recyclable tags, and handmade tags; “We challenge ourselves on a regular basis; whenever we have to do something, we look at how well we can produce a piece in the least impactful way that will harm the environment and people.”

The most recent step is "Thinking Circularity," which depicts how they can be circular as a business. This is accomplished by ensuring that there is no waste in their processes, that what they produce does not end up being waste, and that a product which can last up to eight years can be created, although fashion trends usually fluctuate every three months. "We still have customers who have previously purchased from us posting pictures of our items on social media!" Lonali told us. "One customer bought shoes eight years ago and she still wears them; another customer who purchased a dress from us five years ago still wears it and says it is her favorite!" 

House of Lonali is well-known for their Maxi dresses, which are extremely popular among women, as well as their intricately designed shoes. Their notebooks are frequently purchased as gifts and are widely known among artists, while their Tote bags are highly regarded by travelers and tourists.

House of Lonali also encourages returns, particularly with the children's collection, because they do not want their products to go to waste; "We know that it can be given to someone, donated, or even sold to another person if you really take care of it, so we encourage our customers to wear with care and love their clothes, whatever they buy." 
When considering any upcoming collections, Lonali stated that for the first time, they up-cycled organic cotton, which effectively doubles the value and quality of their products. They obtained some organic fabric waste from the apparel industry, which they used to create this collection and this will be available during the season, around Mid-December." It's a monochrome collection made out of jersey fabric, and the same material is used in the kids' collection as well, which mostly consists of printed t-shirts”. However, nothing is seasonal at House of Lonali; their designs can be worn even after the season is over!

Furthermore, unlike most of us, Lonali mentioned that the pandemic helped her to restructure her thinking process; her and her team began to explore different kinds of waste material, not just fabric, and even started to preserve things because we couldn't shop normally during lockdown. Customers learned that it is important to maintain the quality of clothes, unclutter, and share with care as they didn't have a way to go shopping due to all stores being closed island wide. 

Their work structure with corporate clients is tri-fold; they provide manufacturing, design, and consulting services. If you're a corporate client looking to produce any up-cycled or ethically made products, or if you need a design or even any consulting based on sustainability and women empowerment, House of Lonali is a great choice to make! They have a diverse design background and a wealth of knowledge that they are eager to share with you, and they will have a significant long-term impact on your business.

The idea for 'Women Empowerment' came to Lonali while she was working on up-cycling with craft communities and women from the cottage industry because it's a labour of love and time. The seamstresses in the cottage industry work from home while caring for their children and parents. Recognizing the critical role that women play in Sri Lanka, Lonali decided to share her knowledge and experience with her team in order to help women grow.

Her realization grew even stronger while working with MAS Holdings, UNDP, and the British Council, which led her to support all types of women entrepreneurs, including small and micro-level entrepreneurs, to fine-tune their businesses, design a product, understand their customers, and so on. She told us about a time when she was mentoring a girl for a few months and she was making an oil bottle where the oil was stored in a plastic bottle.

Later on, she learned to be more environmentally conscious and chose a glass bottle with a cork on top, allowing her to reduce unnecessary waste. What Lonali wanted to emphasize on is that in large corporations, there is always a separate department in charge of CSR projects, whereas in small businesses, everyone gets involved, which a rather amazing sight to witness!

House of Lonali is paving the way for a brighter future! As of today, they have saved approximately 3,912kg of pre-consumer textile waste from landfills by up-cycling it into 18,839 uniquely designed products. Their carbon emission savings from up-cycling are 706.01 kg CO2e between 2019 and 2021, and they have influenced, educated, and influenced over 15,000 people of all ages in advocating for sustainable fashion and lifestyle in Sri Lanka and around the world.