Liyawal is an Instagram startup that produces quality custom accessories out of biodegradable but stylish material. With a mission statement to support the community before turning out profits, Liyawal is a creative new brand that promotes eco-friendly, yet stylish fashion.
We managed to catch the brains behind Liyawal, Roshelle Abeysekera, who shared with us how exactly they’ve managed to do this.
What is the material you choose to design your products? What made you center your business on it?
We are more focused on cotton-based fabrics, for example, biodegradable materials like amuredi and linen. My idea is to encourage the use of eco-friendly packing items for different products and promote a generally eco-friendly living.
Of all the products you offer, what would you say is your most popular item? How did you come up with that design?
I’ve always been passionate about fabrics and sewing. As a hobby, I used to make cross-stitch items like wall hangings, coasters, cushions covers etc. and later I got a few orders from friends as a helping hand. But back then I 
didn’t see much of a future in that. Then one day I saw a post on tote bags on social media and I was really confident that I could make it myself. I took that opportunity to start making tote bags which is now our most popular item for Liyawal.
Which products of yours do you personally find yourself using the most?
I would say tote bags and even the wedding cake pouch. I find myself using tote bags daily. I always keep a folded tote bag in my handbag. Surprisingly, it comes in handy often. I used the wedding cake pouches for my own wedding, and I’ve kept them around, some of which I still use to carry small items.
Do you do everything yourself? If not, what responsibility does your team have?
No, I don’t do everything by myself. I work with a group of self-employed women who are skilled in stitching. I play my part mainly in designing, securing the material and managing the end quality of the products. I get my staff by placing an ad and also have people ask around, but always conduct an interview and try to understand the individual before recruiting. Thereafter we have practical sessions to determine the stitching capability. Also, we look for part time workers; women who can attend to their family’s needs and spend part of their time at Liyawal.
What is your personal history with fabric work and design? Would you say this is your passion?
Yes, as mentioned before, stitching and designing is my passion. I started stitching from a young age, at home with my mother. After my A/L examination, I joined Brandix College of Textile Technology in Ratmalana. There I studied fabrics, stitching, the apparel industry and management. According to our syllabus we had to complete a stitching program for a period of three months which became my favourite semester.
After my degree, I joined Decathlon Sri Lanka, which produces sportswear. There I got the opportunity to learn international standards on fabrics, quality control on garments and stitching methods. That experience was a good foundation to start my own business.
Have you had any formal training in design or textiles? How have your experiences helped in your field? Would you say formal training was necessary?
My Degree and work experience at Decathlon helped me to understand production and to deal with different personalities. There should be strong motivation to pull off a startup, but the knowledge and experience made it easier for me. If not you could still pull it off, but it would be much harder, I guess.
To select fabric, to talk about them, talk to vendors and to check the stitching, etc. you need some basic knowledge and experience.
If the stitching is not up to standard, rather than just saying it’s bad it’s better to highlight what was lacking and where to improve. That way, those who take care of the stitching understand that we know what they are doing.
What challenges have you faced as an Instagram startup? Have you taken any steps to go beyond that, such as partnering with a retailer?
We’ve faced a few challenges. Finding suppliers for things like printing, embroidery, and people willing to do things in small quantities is difficult. Recruiting the right people to the team is also a challenge.
How do you get the word out on your products, let people know about Liyawal?
Social media plays a big role here. Apart from that I make sure all the products that we produce are good quality items. Also, we highly value customer satisfaction on Liyawal products, which has brought us to where we are today.
What does the future of Liyawal look like? How do you intend to expand things?
We would like to be a company that supports the community rather than only financial benefits. By supporting the community, we intend to support the people and the environment. We are looking into more self-employed women to uplift them. But right now, we are based in a small workshop at my home with just the basic equipment, and though I’d like to have my own workshop in the future, now is not the time for that.
Do you have any plans to expand on your biodegradable angle? What other materials do you plan on tackling?
We are working on a few innovative products in the biodegradable section. We are also looking at other types of eco-friendly fabric used in our products, for example, bamboo fabric for packaging. To produce as many eco-friendly items as possible, more than just a bag and pouch would give me a great sense of self-satisfaction
What is your advice to anyone who wishes to start up something similar? What would you say is the most important thing?
My advice is to make sure that you have a strong motivation for your startup.