MONG is focused on transforming waste into fashion and supporting artists who might not otherwise have their art seen by creating vibrant bags.
MONG is focused on transforming waste into fashion. Can you elaborate on the journey that led you to create this brand, and how it aligns with your personal vision for sustainability?
Everything started when I was stuck in Thailand during covid. I met an artist that also became a friend and during the restrictions we were drinking beers and painting on all kinds of objects, like motorbikes, tables and bags. Some of the bags became so beautiful so we decided to have them produced in Portugal. We wanted to show the paintings outside the traditional galleries for broader audience, and the bags was a great medium. But it didn’t feel right to make ”yet another product”, so we were looking for recycled materials and found SEAQUAL, marine plastics collected from the sea and beaches. It was great that we could show our work while also bringing awareness about plastic pollution and the cleaning of the ocean.
Your collaboration with SEAQUAL is central to your mission. Could you explain how this partnership works in practice and why you chose to collaborate with SEAQUAL specifically?
In the production process, we looked for a fabric and found SEAQUAL by our producer in Portugal, so we ordered the textile through our agent. It was quite easy and uncomplicated. We chose SEAQUAL because the purpose of their organisation touched us. Their initiatives helps the world and we want to be part of it.
How do you find/choose the artists you work with?
The art must hit our hearts. Our first artists, we met by destiny in a bar in Thailand. We became friends after and he has a great deal to inspire us to create MONG. He is so talented and the world doesn’t know about him. It came to us the question of how many great artists have not been discovered? We are not a traditional brand, it is more like a mission to spread great artwork in new places, plus being sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Originally I come from the street art scene actually.
What artists are you working with?
Warawut Intorn is the first artist to collaborate with us. He is a post-expressionist artist from Phitsanulok, Thailand. When everything becomes digital it is nice to work with the old ways, oil paintings for example.
MONG uses recycled marine plastic in its bags. Could you walk us through the process of transforming marine waste into the final product?
What are the most significant challenges in achieving this? First the waste is collected by NGO´s and clean up initiatives and then sorted and cleaned. After that, its shredded into tiny pieces, called flakes. The flakes are then processed into pellets with a wide range of uses, and one of them is the SEAQUAL YARN which can be transformed into fabrics. The most significant challenge is to print our artwork on the fabrics and produce into bags in the most sustainable way. We chose to produce in Portugal because we can trust the producers both with materials and the labourers who should be protected by trustworthy law to not be abused. The other challenge is that the cost of the production is high.
What role does innovation play in your design and manufacturing process, and how do you balance creativity with sustainability?
Innovation plays a great deal. To transform waste into textiles needs high technology, and to transform our art into fabrics is also another different innovation. Most brands today just copy and reproduce an already existing concept making the world dull and grey. We wanted to create something new and exciting, that can be shared with others, while not affecting the environment in a bad way. You can’t really copy the artwork because it requires a certain skill, but if other companies want to use Seaqual, we welcome that.
How do you measure the environmental and social impact of your products? Are there any specific metrics or certifications that are important to your brand?
To measure this kind of thing is difficult. It is very important for us that our products are good to the world we are living. Then, we have to trust our feelings and the people we work together with. SEAQUAL is legit for us, that is for sure.
With growing consumer awareness of greenwashing, how does MONG ensure transparency in its production process and communicate authentic sustainability practices?
This is why we chose to produce in Portugal where we think we can trust the industry. We believe if the law in the country is strict and followed, the act must be trustworthy. Also, one more reason is the labour work there is paid properly, and no chance of child abuse. For the bag, we only work with the SEAQUAL Initiative and people we trust. The SEAQUAL Initiative uses a licensee system for trading and manufacturing their fabrics so its easy traceable and trustworthy. We wouldn’t make products without recycled materials. We have to make sure that we do good things to the world we are living in.
What challenges do you face in the sustainable fashion industry, and how do you overcome them while maintaining the integrity of your brand?
The costs of sustainable and recycled materials are usually higher than other traditional materials, and it can be hard to make the customer understand the costs and be willing to pay for them. The connection between being sustainable and high cost is not yet in the consumer’s thinking. People might not understand why we have to put this price on our products. To overcome this, we try to communicate our process and the value of the artwork. We also need help from you, the media, to express ourselves. We appreciate that you are interviewing us.
What advice would you give to fashion consumers who want to make more eco-conscious purchases but aren’t sure where to start?
First, look at where the products come from. Where to produce is important as the exercise of the laws and fair trade are not there yet. And of course, the materials of the products are to notice.
How does SEAQUAL Initiative empower brands like yours to take a more active role in cleaning up the oceans, and how do you see this collaboration evolving in the future?
We can see that it can be evolved by organizing and inviting to clean ups and fairs, apart from using their products. 12 Looking ahead, are there any upcoming projects or product launches that you’re particularly excited about? Our first bags are still new to the market, so we have to focus on selling them first. But, we have a plan to invite interesting artists to collaborate with us.
MONG is already doing impressive work in sustainability. What future innovations or collaborations are you considering to further enhance your commitment to eco-friendly practices?
We are planning to have a clean-up project on the beaches in Thailand where our friend and first artist come from. To communicate with the locals that it is possible to recycle the wastes with SEAQUAL might be the aim of our project. Right now in Thailand, the recycle system are not accessible so easy yet. We want to be part of it to encourage this system for the local people on some islands where we always visit.
In terms of fashion aesthetics, what message do you want MONG bags to convey to the person carrying them?
We really want to make limited sustainable pieces of art more than anything. We do not follow the trends of fashion. We are sustainable and good to the world, and our bags will last for a long time. By buying MONG you support the unknown talented artists and becomes a part of the walking gallery we are doing, making the life of yours and others more fun and beautiful.
If there was one key takeaway or message you’d like readers of PLEB Magazine to understand about MONG, what would that be?
The Bags of Art 16.
Where do you see the future of sustainable fashion heading, and how does MONG plan to stay at the forefront of that movement?
Bright, with technology we are getting closer to nature. We will keep following our mottos of spreading art in fashion, supporting unknown talented artists, and being sustainable and environmentally friendly. We look forward to doing more activities to support those ideas.
Website: mongbag.com
Creator: Jacob Nordzell
Contact: [email protected]
Location: Sweden
A Curated Lifestyle Magazine Focused on Art, Creativity, Fashion, Books, Interiors, Mindfulness, Travel & Sustainability.
