KAYU - DESIGN FOR CHANGE

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Written by Magaly Fuentes - Tuesday, 17 August 2010

Jamie Lim was going about her life, studied economics in undergrad, and was working full time at an investment management company when she stopped and thought to herself, “I don’t think anything about the way we currently live makes sense any more.” She went over this topic in her mind and mulled over aspects of the food we eat, the cars we drive, the amount of things that are thrown away and the daunting statistics related to poverty and hunger.

With no formal background in fashion but a longstanding draw to the creative expressiveness of fashion, Lim came up with the idea to launch a collection of accessories made of sustainable materials. Lim thought this could be her tiny way of giving back to the community while possibly helping her come to terms with the major problems we face as a world. For her venture, she chose the name Kayu which means ‘wood’ in Malay, an Austronesian language spoken in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and Thailand.

Lim started to create the line on the side of her full time duties with the financial firm, which meant many long and sleepless nights throughout the first year of development. Kayu, based in San Francisco, California, was launched toward the end of 2008 with a single style of bamboo sunglasses. The demand was high and came quickly and unexpectedly forcing Lim to take the next leap and quit her full time job in the financial industry to focus all of her efforts on Kayu.

Since that time, the Kayu product line has grown to include sunglasses and a tantalizing range of clutch bags. Materials you can find in the precious collections are bamboo, shell and straw. The research continues to incorporate recycled and waste materials, giving those components a second life and in turn working toward an improved way of life. Bamboo and straw grow incredibly quickly and are abundant in Asia, and the shell used is a by-product of the food industry.

When I asked Lim where she finds her inspiration, she said “I am primarily inspired by traditional Asian craft and design. I normally start by researching what techniques and materials are used in Asia - these are normally techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation like straw weaving or shell crafting. I sketch and collaborate with the artisans in Asia to produce products that are a modern interpretation derived from centuries-old designs.” She quickly stresses that she does not make any of the Kayu products and humbly gives all the credit to the artisans in Asia who are incredibly talented. Through Kayu, Lim hopes to promote and preserve indigenous arts and cultures and also to bring attention to those less fortunate. The clutches are handcrafted by women's cooperatives, providing the women with a source of income to help care for their families.

From the beginning, Lim’s primary mission has been to make well-designed products that are crafted from natural and eco-friendly materials while incorporating an element of charity to give back to those in the developing world. Lim grew up in Asia, has traveled all over the world and has seen just how much inequality and poverty there is. She very much wanted to start a business that gave back to the community. For every pair of sunglasses purchased, Kayu funds one sight-restoring surgery, and for every clutch purchased, Kayu donates a backpack and school supplies to a child in need.

Lim explains she became involved with eye surgeries because avoidable blindness is one of the world's most pressing health problems and one of the easiest to appease. It only costs US$20 to fund a sight-restoring surgery in India. Kayu donates through the non-profit Unite for Sight which has funded over 30,000 sight-restoring surgeries in the developing world.

Lim also explains she chose to donate backpacks and school supplies to children because her best friend Mel was involved with setting up clinics in Cambodia through the non-profit Awareness Cambodia. She learned of the incredible suffering and poverty Cambodians have experienced and continue to experience, and how the HIV epidemic results in 30,000 new orphans each year. Without basic school supplies Cambodia children will never be able to break the cycle of poverty. It only takes $15 to buy a backpack and school supplies yet this modest amount can be life changing.

While the thought of running a new and successful business which undoubtedly is highly involved in charitable endeavors while still attending school may cause some to shutter, Lim is doing just that as she currently pursues a Master of Fine Arts degree. She giggles at the reflection upon how things worked out with her schooling in Economics and where she is now. Lim feels Kayu is the perfect blend of Economics and Arts.

For the future, Lim would like to spend more time in Asia, discovering new artisans and promoting their work. In October of this year, Lim will travel to Cambodia to distribute backpacks and school supplies to the children in the Kompong Seu province. She emphasizes with a heavy heart, conscious mind, and a motivated spirit, “There are so many needs out there and with each product I hope to be able to bring attention to every need, continuing to give back to communities in the developing world.”

Inspirational, devoted, beautiful – Kayu, accessories with a cause!