Karma Gear have a fascinating approach to co-creation with Nepali artisans. Sharing skills and ideas, their unique range reflects the fun, thoughtful and sustainable ethos of the company. With years of on the festival circuit, Karma Gear form such a recogniseable and loved part of the UK festival uniform!

Ellie, friend and co-founder, was kind enough to share some of the journey with us before she sped off to Kathmandu to meet up with her Nepali friends and creatives to develop some new fair trade treasures.

Beginning at the beginning – can you tell us about your journey to Nepal and how Karma Gear began?

 Jim & I had just finished masters degrees – Jim in sociology and me in environmental law. We were struggling to find work that aligned with our values!

During the summer we spent time at music festivals. We got chatting to someone who was selling his business trading at festivals, importing from Nepal. We had travelled to Asia in the past and fell in love with it. The idea of being able to travel, work at music festivals and support small artisanal producers in Nepal was exciting. So we took on Karma Gear!

We travelled to Nepal and met some suppliers – most of whom we still work with today! We really love working with Nepalis. The quality of the products and as well as the commitment to fair trade really good, and feel the impact that we make there is really positive.

You travel to Nepal each year to collaborate with family cooperatives and artisans around Kathmandu. How does this co-design process work?

We spend time designing whilst in the UK, then when I get to Nepal I sit with each supplier and/or their pattern master or workers to go through the designs and see what’s possible. Sometimes it takes time to source new materials or to develop the skills needed. Some of the needle felting techniques we use we had to do training for, and I’ve also helped to train some pattern masters in using tech like projectors to develop new patterns. 

Sometimes the vision isn’t possible, or sometimes the suppliers have different ideas to make it work. Most designs go through quite a few versions before we find the perfect one!

Fair trade is clearly central to your business model. Can you share a specific example of how your fair trade practices have made a tangible difference?

Following a conversation with our felt supplier, about the lack of opportunities for disadvantaged people and people with disabilities in Nepal, he reached out to a local school for deaf children and employed a young man who was just leaving school and had no job. When I returned to following year the whole workforce were learning sign language together on their lunch breaks.

The following year, they had moved to a bigger factory, employed a further 4 deaf young women. The business was thriving! All the staff have learnt at least basic sign language, and are going on courses and visiting other factories to learn new skills and design new products. The whole vibe of the place is now so energised. They were also opening a shop, and offering retail roles to more young people with disabilities.

This to us was the most joyous consequence of fair trade – principles of equal opportunity and capacity building that has benefited the business financially as well as having positive social impacts. I never thought that one simple conversation could have sparked something so radical. But that’s what it’s all about – making improvements where we can and having conversations that inspire action and make things better.

What role do material choices play in your commitment to both environmental sustainability and supporting traditional artisan skills?

Nepal has a rich textile history and we try to honour that and stick to the fabrics that are produced in Nepal, traditional fabrics tend to use more environmentally friendly production methods. 

We’d love to use more hemp, as it grows in abundance in Nepal and is much more sustainable than cotton, however the price of hemp remains very high in comparison to cheap cotton so it is always a balancing act, especially when people in the UK are feeling the pinch.

I love researching new fabrics, and have worked with some amazing producers in Nepal who are always innovating and pioneering new sustainable materials. One project is trying to combine Hemp and Lokta (a Nepali bush traditionally used to make paper) to create upholstery and carpet fabrics. Lokta is naturally pest resistant so would be resistant to moth infestations! It is that combination of local knowledge and traditional wisdom, alongside modern needs and tech, that can produce some brilliant answers to sustainability issues.

Have you seen a change in fashion trends and interest in fair trade and sustainable clothing at festivals?

Over the 13 years Karma Gear have been trading at festivals, we’ve seen big changes. At the larger festivals especially, there’s been a noticeable shift away from the more traditional “hippy-style” fair trade festival clothing towards vintage fashion – which is great!  – but also there is much more mass-produced, plastic, throwaway trends like faux fur, glitter and sequins, and flashing accessories. That side of things can feel quite disheartening.

However, the smaller, more community-focused festivals are a completely different story. Customers tend to be far more discerning. They’ll often come back year after year and wait to buy specifically from fair trade businesses like ours. They ask questions, they care deeply about where their money goes, and they’re genuinely passionate about sustainability and ethics.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of your direct relationships with Nepali artisans?

Making friends and sharing our successes – and failures! Some of our suppliers I’ve known for over 13 years now. They are old friends, and we all want each other to succeed. It doesn’t feel like work, it feels like joy!

Transparency is very hard, especially when sourcing materials. I often go with suppliers to source materials, we speak to producers, importers etc and it is not always easy to find the answers we’re looking for. We’ve had problems in the past as we wanted the GOTS and Oeko-Tex certifications for a fabric for childrenswear, but the seller told us that unless we ordered 10,000 metres (!) of each colour we couldn’t have the certificate as it costs too much for the external verification. Like anything in fair trade, we just try to improve where we can.

You have been a BAFTS member since 2018. What is the most important thing you get from being part of this network?

The support and inspiration from such a wonderful values-driven community. Sometimes it feels like you’re all alone when you run a fair trade business – like you’re shouting into the abyss! Just knowing that there is a whole community right there who knows exactly what you’re trying to do – and will help you if you need to – is absolutely invaluable. Having so many committed minds focused on shared goals means we share each other’s successes. It’s like tapping in to this amazing well of knowledge and ideas. I am grateful to every single member of BAFTS, Thank you all!

Find out more about being a BAFTS member here.

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Is this for BAFTS members info only?