The Hawkers: Where minimalism meets motifs
The Hawkers is a lifestyle brand that sells affordable, sturdy bags which are vibrant, fun, and unique
Bangladesh is the home of beautiful and meticulous crafts, crafts which are often exported abroad and sold under high-end brand names.
Tasnia Era believes our crafts need to be known through local brands. As she explained, "I wanted to create quality products, which are affordable, and can be associated with our country's name."
Era studied Leather Products Engineering from Dhaka University. She was passionate about introducing something new to the market, something that caters to Bangladesh's taste. This is how her brand, The Hawkers, came to be in 2018.
The Hawkers is a lifestyle brand that sells affordable, sturdy bags for university students and office-goers. The bags are vibrant, fun, and unique in design, particularly how it incorporates motifs into its design.
She also feels that there is a lack of female professionals in the leather industry. "I felt like there aren't many women working in the leather sector, this is what inspired me to work with leather," she explained. Era wanted to bring a female voice in the industry dominated by men.
Today, she has a small team of 12 people working in her factory, seven of whom are women. Era also focuses on employing elderly women.
"Elderly women are not usually employed in the leather sector. They get laid off because their work is not as fast as it used to be. I employed them in my factory because their experience is valuable. It was one of the motivations to start my own brand."
Era wanted to create designs that represented Bangladesh's trends. Her bags are renowned in the market for their colourful and minimalist designs. They are adorned with motifs and patterns. Despite being an expert in leather manufacturing, the brand incorporates different materials such as jute, denim, canvas fabric, and nylon. The brand uses these different materials to offer their products at a wide range of prices.
Here are some of our favourite offerings from The Hawkers.
Novellus
Novellus is one of their bestsellers. This crossbody bag is a combination of minimalism with the brand's signature motif designs. It is made of canvas and faux leather. The small motif pattern beautifully compliments its minimalist approach.
The bag has a height of nine inches and a length of 11.5 inches. It is perfect for casual outings and can easily become a girl's go-to bag for the office.
Price: Tk 750
Mithai
Mithai is one of the brand's more recent offerings. Mini backpacks are back in style, and this is definitely worth carrying. It can be used as a backpack or a crossbody purse.
The bag is made out of canvas fabric and faux leather and comes in a variety of colours such as white, yellow, and blue. The white variant is especially beautiful with cotton-candy pink tropical flowers.
The bag has a height of 9.5 inches, length of 8.5 inches, and width of 4.5 inches. It is perfect for students not only because of its affordable price tag, but for how easily it allows one to transition their look between classes and hangouts.
Price: Tk 850
Dazzle
Dazzle is one of the more bold pieces, especially because of its sequence design. The bag can be used as both a clutch and a shoulder bag.
Made out of chosa silk, the purse comes in a range of colours so you can match it with a variety of outfits. Given its affordable price tag, you can easily get more than one.
The bag has a height of 5.5 inches, and is 10 inches long. This is perfect for casual hangouts and can even compliment a party dress.
Price: Tk 580
Tanora
Tanora is a beautiful teal tote bag which can help you carry your essentials.
Made of canvas and leather, the bag has a height of 11.5 inches, length of 15 inches, and width of 3.5 inches.
The tote bag is one of the brand's most functional offerings because of how spacious it is. It is a great companion when you are on the go. You can easily use it at the office and university, especially when you have to carry large items like a laptop.
Price: Tk 750
Where to find: www.facebook.com/thehawkersbd
