Genia Mineeva is the founder of BEEN London, a sustainable, handmade accessories brand that British Vogue named one of the most innovative fashion companies in the world.
28 minutes | Sep. 20, 2023
In this episode of In With the New, Avril interviews Genia Mineeva, the founder of BEEN London, a sustainable accessories brand making a real impact on the fashion industry by proving that waste can become beautiful, inside and out.
What makes BEEN London so innovative is that its products are made entirely from materials that would usually go into landfills. Compared to traditional luxury handbags, BEEN London products produce 87% fewer carbon emissions.
Environmental sustainability is not the only important aspect of Genia’s company. Social and cultural sustainability is just as important, and rightfully so. As an entrepreneur and owner of a company, it is so important to treat your colleagues with respect, especially those you source your materials from.
Genia speaks to the many challenges in scaling a business, especially when using recycled materials. One of the biggest hurdles is creating products that do not create waste at the end of their life cycle. As we all know, many big corporations are only concerned with making profit and don’t want to invest in sustainability, due to the time and cost.
If a company really cares about their customers and the environment, they will focus more on creating sustainable products.
BEEN London is not just about selling products, it is about creating a narrative that has the power to change perceptions.
Listen in!
7:30 Meet Genia
10:13 Storytelling is a powerful tool for creating impact and connecting with others on a deeper level
16:51 The challenges of finding materials that don’t create waste
21:04 The life cycle analysis conducted by BEEN London to measure carbon emissions and compare them to a legacy luxury brand
21:41 Exploration of various factors that contribute to emissions, including shipping, manufacturing, and materials
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