What led Shivam Punjya, an academic and researcher to start a premium brand retailing leather handbags? From the outside, it may seem puzzling but it isn’t when you learn that social impact pervades every step of production at design at Behno. Born and raised in California, Shivam launched Behno in the US. Now a favorite among homegrown labels in India, Behno recently signed Katrina Kaif as the brand ambassador for its Indian launch. In this episode, we explore Behno's growth story and how Shivam has created a brand at the intersection of luxury and social impact.

What We Discuss:

• 00:00 Intro 
• 01:43 Behno’s Launch in India 
• 02:26 Katrina Kaif x Behno
• 05:25 Creating a Brand for Social Impact
• 10:29 How Brands Can Adopt Conscious Production
• 14:42 Challenging Design and Aesthetic Stereotypes 
• 17:09 The Hidden Meaning in Behno’s Handbag Design 
• 19:51 The Pivot from Ready-to-Wear to Handbags 
• 21:01 Why the Brand was Named ‘Behno’
• 22:59 Shivam’s Take on India’s Homegrown Industry
• 25:59 On Collaboration & Go-To Homegrown Labels 
• 30:27 How Brands Can Increase International Representation
• 31:29 The Day-to-Day of Running a Brand 
• 34:01 “I Never Thought I’d be the Founder of a Fashion Brand”
• 36:54 Know the Founder

For feedback and suggestions, reach out to us at podcast@blurtheborder.com 

As always, thank you for tuning in!