For every tie, knot and technique used in its bags, Behno has a story. The international handbag label headquartered in New York — with manufacturing units across India — had its homecoming recently, as Shivam Punjya, its founder, launched retail operations in India.
Lodged within Behno’s signature knots are tales of how artisanal communities come together to champion a better world ahead of them while learning and standing up for each other. The “union” of artisanal communities is in line with Behno, which denotes sisterhood. “It comes from the word behen (sister) that women working in factories call each other,” says Shivam, who is shuttling between Mumbai and New York “leading a nomadic life.” But his heart, just like his creations, is rooted in India.
