In today’s Customer Spotlight, we’re excited to explore the inspiring journey of SUTRAM with co-founders Kate Fowler and Rukaiya Duad. Their passion for textiles and color shines through in a brand that prioritises sustainability and ethical practices in the cotton industry. With a commitment to using certified organic cotton and Fairtrade standards, Kate and Rukaiya are redefining how we connect with our bedding while making a positive impact on the environment and communities. Join us as we delve into their vision, the challenges they face, and the meaningful moments that drive their mission forward.

What excites you about your roles within SUTRAM?

We have a shared love of colour and textiles which has found a real outlet in SUTRAM. It has been rewarding to bring a more expressive offering to the cotton space – people have such a genuine affinity for their beds and it is a joy to see that come through in their excitement about bringing that crisp hotel-feel cotton home and also in the many ways people put together their colour scenes – we love workshopping palettes with customers, it is a full circle moment for us.

We are also humbled that our product wears the GOTS and Fairtrade certifications – surprisingly this is not the case for a lot of other players in our space. Given the time spent in bed and the closeness to our skin – this was of importance to us.

What are SUTRAM’s sustainability priorities?

We love the feel of cotton but, from the outset, we knew our product would have to be using certified organic cotton. Cotton is a great crop, but industrial farming methods have given it a bad name. Organic farming methods eliminate toxic inputs, reduce water and energy consumption and promote healthier, more biodiverse soils that store more carbon. Cotton is not going anywhere, so it is important to us that we support this better way forward for the industry. Our packaging is also paper based, from our packing tape, to the sleeves that have our items in them.

To measure our carbon footprint, we have undergone a comprehensive LCA (lifecycle analysis) with Green Story which enables us to track this figure and now look to how best to begin offsetting this impact and toward implementing an aftermarket program to help us address our circularity goals – both works in progress, which we hope to have live within the next 24 months.

What are the key challenges in achieving them, and what kind of leadership do you demonstrate?

Education is a big part of this, though consumers are increasingly savvy – organic is seen as a somewhat abstract proposition, especially outside of the food category.  Green Story has really helped to bridge this gap by communicating the benefits of choosing organic in a practical and meaningful way. The statistics on our website are live and provide transparency, as they update with each item sold. 

As a relatively new small business – the biggest hurdles are really scale and time – there are a great many operational set-up tasks to tackle within the first few years of operation whilst ensuring all production, marketing and customer relations all get the attention they deserve to ensure the business can gain the traction it needs. Within a small team this takes a lot of focus, but the ability to reinvest in our sustainability initiatives as the business becomes more established makes it all worth it.

Can you share a highlight of your journey with us?

Reviews – when people take the time to provide feedback and their experience. The bed is such an intimate space. The range of reviews received are very special, warming, and quite often humorous. In such a digital world, it’s often challenging to communicate ‘the feeling,’. This dialogue also provides a connection to our customers that we really value.