Meet BHAVINI
She is the Founder & CEO of Sole Prop. firm Bhavini N Parikh (which owns brand Bunko Junko), & Founder & Co-Director of Dezinelife Social Welfare Foundation which she founded in ‘99 & ‘20 respectively.
Bunko Junko’s a textile upcycling label launched in 2018 that designs, manufactures & sells chic garments that are designed, deconstructed & developed using industrial waste, dead stocks & sustainable materials adhering to zero-waste policy. It has commercialized more than 300+ product SKUs to date & has sold 10,000+ units via its retail presence across 4 stores in Mumbai & Goa, online bunkojunko.com, exhibitions & corporate gifts/corporate events for its 6 clients. Bunko Junko’s clothing line has also been showcased at various fashion shows like Pune Fashion Week ‘22 etc. Bunko Junko was selected as one of Top 100 Start-ups during Maharashtra Startup Week ‘20.
Bunko Junko’s trained & provided a source of income to 2,000+ women across the country, from socio-economically challenged backgrounds or pursuing taboo professions.
Prior to launching Bunko Junko in 2018, Bhavini’s venture undertook job work like textile surface ornamentation & embroidery until 2019 for brands like Leela Lace, Texport Syndicate, Shri Trikamdas Bros., Shoppers Stop, AND Design, Shagufta Garments, Vira Enterprises, etc. 3,000+ women from her vicinity from socio-economically challenged backgrounds, were trained & provided. They’ve collectively worked on over 10 lakh pieces.
Dezinelife Social Welfare Foundation was founded during the pandemic with a vision to enable women, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds, to earn livelihood with dignity that would in turn help them generate wealth, enhance their value & living standards. It has trained & provided employment to 50 women in 3 villages in Karjat, Maharashtra; & training on patchworking is being undertaken for 50 women in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Bhavini is a Textile Artist, Fashion Designer, Creative Director & has been a part of the clothing industry for 30+ years. She worked as a designer with her husband’s clothing manufacturing company that manufactured garments for brands like Ethnicity, Vira, Handloom Emporium, Aari, & Maaya Clothing.
Bhavini is the Maharashtra State President of Skill Development Council at Women India Chamber of Commerce & Industry (WICCI), Regional Director at Global Village Connection (GVC) & is one of the founding members of Women in Indian Social Entrepreneurs Network (WISEN). She also conducts regular workshops for students at eminent educational institutions to create awareness on reducing & re-using waste products, & mentors women entrepreneurs & Green Teachers.
Bhavini has won many prominent National & International awards & grants like Leader of the Year ‘22 by Vijayalakshmi Das Entrepreneurship Awards, New Delhi; Indian Woman Excellence & Leadership Award ‘19 at National Leadership Summit on Woman & Education held by WIEF at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi; Woman Entrepreneur of the Year for Green Business at ‘19 World Environment Day organized in Delhi by World Environment Expo ‘19, etc.
Furthermore, Bhavini has spoken about her work & sustainable fashion at eminent forums such as the World Economic Forum (WEF); Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai; National Conference at Nirmalaniketen College of Home Science; & has been featured in various eminent publications like Times of India, Your Story, CNBC, etc.
BUT…how did she get here?
Click on the video to know more!
