From Dhaka to Bergen: Merch with a purpose
From Dhaka to Bergen: Merch with a purpose
LitFestBergen's merchandise is more than just festival souvenirs – they are hand-sewn symbols of circular economy, women's strength and global cooperation.
When LitFest Bergen kicks off in February, the audience will have the opportunity to take home a little piece of sustainable hope. Bookmarks, luggage tags and pencil cases made from leather scraps – engraved with a tiny Bergen fitting umbrella – hand-sewn in Dhaka, Bangladesh, carry with them both environmental awareness and social responsibility.
A meaningful collaboration
Behind the products is Leatherina, a socially conscious design and manufacturing company in Dhaka, founded and run by Taslima Miji. She started her career as a journalist, and it was in that role that she met LitFestBergen's director, Teresa Grøtan, many years ago.
«After a few years in the IT industry, I felt a need to do something that felt meaningful again», says Miji. «I've always had a creative side, and creating something beautiful and sustainable, while also helping to empower women in my community, became the way forward.»
Leatherina was established in 2016. Today, the company employs around seventy women who make handmade leather goods based on sustainable materials and ethical trade.
«Waste from the fashion industry is a huge problem», says Miji. «Our goal is 0% waste. All leftover material is collected and given new life as smaller products. This is good for the environment, and it allows us to set an example for others to follow.»
Zero waste, full meaning
For LitFestBergen, the collaboration with Leatherina is a natural extension of the festival's desire to think more sustainably – both in terms of programming and production.
»We want to be a festival that makes conscious choices», says festival director Teresa Grøtan. »The fact that our merch products can contribute to less waste, while also creating jobs for women in Bangladesh, makes it even more meaningful.»
At Leatherina, sustainability is not just about the environment, but also about people.
The company contributes directly to several of the UN's sustainability goals – including goal 5 (gender equality), goal 10 (reducing inequality) and goal 12 (responsible consumption and production).
In short: at Leatherina, aesthetics, ethics and responsibility go hand in hand.
From Dhaka to Bergen – and beyond
This is the third year that LitFestBergen has ordered merchandise from Leatherina. Through this collaboration, LitFestBergen not only gets unique merchandise – the festival also becomes part of a larger, global initiative for fair production and resource utilisation.
»Every bag and every small item made by us should contribute to peaceful social development», says Miji. «We believe in collaboration and transparency throughout the value chain. That's how change happens.»
And perhaps that's where it lies: the good feeling of taking home a bookmark or a pencil case from the festival – knowing that it represents more than just a memory. It tells a story of circular economy, women's strength and global cooperation. A small piece of sustainable hope, hand-sewn in Dhaka – and worn with pride in Bergen.
FACTS: Leatherina and Mission Zero Waste (MØW)
Purpose: To reduce waste and promote responsible production in the leather industry.
Environment and sustainability: Reduces waste and implements circular economy principles: Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle.
Ethical production: Ensures fair working conditions, gender balance and social inclusion. Innovation and design: Creates products that reduce material waste and give new life to production residues.
Responsible sourcing: Uses leather from certified and ethically responsible suppliers (LWG).
Social impact: Improves living conditions for artisans and local communities, and promotes conscious and sustainable consumption.