How ekn Made a Statement with Its Sustainable Sneaker
There’s no doubt that fashion has an unethical side to it. In April 2013, the disparity between the two was made apparent when the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh collapsed, creating the worst industrial incident the garment industry has ever faced. Just shy of a decade since then, sneaker brand ‘ekn’ was keen to highlight the collaboration and sustainability that can occur if the Global North and Global South work together, rather than simply outsource.
Working with agency Accenture Song Hamburg, the ‘ekn কাঁঠাল Kamthala’ was created with an emphasis on the collaboration between the Frankfurt founded shoe brand and Bangladeshi designer Rokaiya Ahmed Purna. With the intention of creating a ‘sneaker as a symbol of respect’, the shoe resembles a jackfruit, Bangladesh’s national fruit, and serves as a statement of what can be achieved when sustainability and ethical practices are championed.
Alex Grapp, group creative director at Accenture Song Hamburg, tells LBB’s Nisna Mahtani how the process took time, why it was important to create a shoe with meaning behind it, and what the brand and agency hope people will take away from the collaboration.
LBB> ‘Designed in Bangladesh. Made in Europe’ is a powerful statement and puts emphasis on both Frankfurt, Portugal and Bangladesh as contributors. Why was it important to make something not only sustainable, but that signifies unity?
Alex> During our collaboration, we often talked about cultural connections, combining opportunities, and leveraging the best expertise. The insight is that we can learn from each other; a successful symbiosis. We are grateful to change the narrative that creativity is only a privilege of the global north, when in reality, creativity exists everywhere.
LBB> Can you tell us how you first landed on this idea and how it came to fruition in a meaningful way?
Alex> Quite simply, we stumbled across the labels of the products we had with us that day, and wondered how cool it would be if we flipped that. End of story.
LBB> Why is it so important to have a real purpose behind a product or campaign?
Alex> Especially in the last couple of years, our view of the world has changed. We are all finding our way back to our values, or questioning things from a new perspective, and it's no different in advertising. With our creativity and communication, we can set new impulses, draw attention to things and - if we are lucky - also change things. I believe that this will also become more and more important in our jobs.
LBB> The shoe is coined the ‘ekn কাঁঠাল Kamthala’, talk us through how you landed on the name.
Alex> This shoe is different from all other ekn sneakers in many ways. Designer Rokaiya Ahmed Purna has poured all her experience into the design. Everything about the shoe revolves around jackfruit, which is not only the national fruit of Bangladesh, but also what Rokaiya herself has a deep connection to. And since all ekn sneakers are named after trees, and she pitched the design idea of a shoe based on the jackfruit - ‘Kamthala’, the Bengali word for jackfruit was a perfect match.
LBB> How did you land on collaborating with Rokaiya Ahmed Purna? What was the process behind finding the designer and working with them?
Alex> First we used Google to find a bunch of cool Bangladeshi designers, and after a quick call to ekn, we immediately decided on Rokaiya. We connected on Instagram and from there we started working.
LBB> The design mimics a jackfruit, the national fruit of Bangladesh, and you mentioned how this helps people consider the way they’re working with the Global South. Can you tell us about how the design evolved over time?
Alex> Like any other design, this sneaker is a creative process. Years have passed here, from the idea to the finished shoe. It's quite common for ideas to be revisited, revised or even discarded. Rokaiya and ekn worked closely together, but they gave her free rein when it came to the design and styling of the shoe.
I liked the way I caught myself in the process when I saw the first drafts, and said to myself, ‘this must be more exotic and different’. But that's exactly the point. Why should a modern designer from Bangladesh suddenly be so much different? That is honestly only our arrogant bias.
LBB> You worded the product as ‘Designed in Bangladesh’, rather than simply ‘Made in Bangladesh’. How does the former give more meaning to the creation of the piece?
Alex> Here, we come to the core idea of the whole project. We never wanted to put another product on the market that carries the label ‘Made in Bangladesh’. We wanted to draw attention to the injustices and imbalances, and we did that by turning the whole concept upside down and setting a statement with ‘Designed in Bangladesh’. The countries that serve as production sites for Western ideas and designs have so much more to offer. There is a lot of creative potential here that the Global North has not yet caught on to.
LBB> Supporting videos for the campaign were filmed by Filmstation Production LTD in Bangladesh, as part of the initiative to create opportunities in the country. Why was it important for you to include them?
Alex> The question is, rather, why not? What makes more sense than hiring a production team that comes from the country we want to shoot in? For us, this was only a logical consequence - both in terms of the content and the project as a whole. After all, we wouldn't believe in our own idea if we had had the shoe created by a Bangladeshi designer, but the film made by a Western production company.
LBB> Can you tell us about the most significant thing you learned while working on this project?
Alex> For us too, it was completely new territory to dive into a world we didn't know at all. The culture, customs and social codes of Bangladesh were completely new to us, but also very exciting. So, in the beginning, two worlds collided, but still with a common goal. And yet, after many years on the project and working with Rokaiya, I can say that the mindset of the young generation is similar everywhere. The goals, wishes and dreams do not differ. Those who are creative want to live it out. Those who have ideas want to share them with others. It's just that some places in the world give you the privilege to do that, and some places make it harder.
LBB> What is one thing that you would encourage creatives, brands and agencies to implement, to ensure they are being inclusive, sustainable and providing much needed opportunities?
Alex> It's probably first and primarily about working on yourself and learning to think even further outside the box. Even if we creatives are always looking for new inspiration, we are often trapped in our own world. l call on us all to have more courage to explore new worlds, because once we have good experiences with the new, the human being is willing to move on. And this is applicable in all areas of life.
As far as sustainability is concerned, for me, the topic of respect and thoughtfulness is part of it. It's about showing respect for something or someone and handling it with care. Of course, this is not always easy in everyday life, and this is where discipline comes in. But after the first hard steps, as always, everything becomes easier.
I am optimistic that many companies have understood this and that we are on the right path.
LBB> Is there anything else you would like to add?
Alex> I am very grateful for the great people I have met through this project on the other side of the world, and I am even more pleased about how much love and recognition Rokaiya is receiving in Bangladesh.
