Paper Boat Collective, Goa.
A gem of Goa, the Paper Boat Collective store is built on the belief of sustainably. Founded by a NID graduate in 2013, Bhagyashree Patwardhan found the ideal way to express her art through a homegrown store. All her experience in retail, branding, visual merchandising, and other fields of design come together under the roof of Paper Boat Collecting in Goa, forming a medley of artistic expressions that are conveyed through sustainable fashion.
They’ve collected an assortment of Indian products - from local artisans that create traditional items to new and upcoming contemporary artists that are redefining the fashion scene. Their women’s collection is sourced entirely from India, showcasing pieces created by Indian artists that range from traditional looks like saris to a cultural shift in Kaftans as well as international fashion concepts like trench coats and jumpsuits. Their men’s wear includes typical Indian block printing styles on shirts - adding a touch of an Indian cultural identity to a relatively modernized piece of clothing.
Moreover, they also have unique items for children, from traditional Ajrak dresses to toys like wooden rattles and cotton play puppies. Signifying their foundation of a sustainable concept store, plastic or polyester toys that are commonly found in children’s toy stores are a big no for the Paper Boat Collective - standing by their promise to preserve their environment. They also have items for home like mugs and quilts, along with wellness products like hair oils and hand-made soaps. Created using natural ingredients, their products are organic and free of artificial chemicals.
They also source their products from artisans who come together to make a difference. The women create Their most-loved puppy toy at the Blue Mango Trust. A program for women based in Tamil Nadu, the Blue Mango Trust gives opportunities to marginalized women in villages to create financial independence for themselves by using their craft to create products and earn an income. Like their ethos of preserving the environment, the puppy toy is created by women by upcycling waste fabric.
Situated in Sangolda, Goa, the store resides in a lovely little cottage, surrounded by cool green shades of plants that canopy over the store. The store’s calmness and tranquility is something every customer raves about, leaving one feeling serene with the environment as they pick out a product that stands for a sustainable and truly artistic world.