THE ORGANIC BIO-ENGINEERED FABRICS OF SHINARAA IN HONG KONG

By: Hillary LeBlanc

With the importance of sustainability top of mind, and the ability to research and do due diligence at our fingertips, it is easy to ask for the most sustainable option but sometimes hard to find. Options that can be deemed ethical like faux leather over real leather still use plastic. Silk uses silk worms which some consider unfair to the insect making silk. One brand is finding the most sustainable fabrics in India and making a clothing brand in Hong Kong, tucked in the amazing PMQ Shopping centre. 

Olivia Saha and her husband Arnab Neogi are the founders of Shinaraa. Saha worked in technology development and Neogi worked in B2B general management. While neither were fashion inclined but Neogi’s dad is a textile scientist, in a controlled environment with scientists, research and development and lab specialists to re-engineer and bioengineer fabrics, combining different cellulose items. When Saha and Neogi realized that they outsourced to other brands who focused on design, but never talked about the science behind the fabrics, they saw an opportunity. After getting their MBAs, the couple supported Neogi’s dad in mass producing plant based fabrics, using plant based dyes while also wanting to pursue their own company that wouldn’t dump fabrics into the river, wouldn’t have items in landfills, and would reduce overconsumption. They conceptualized a company that had good storytelling and educated customers on sustainability while making them look good.

Though Saha and Neogi use Indian fabrics, they are based out of Hong Kong. They are headquartered there and work with a factory who has invested in their business. It is a close knit relationship that allows the duo behind Shinaraa to control the volume of product, fabric specifications and more. Shinaraa also uses global designers to design items that are created, working with different creatives per project. The duo prefer to look at people who work in sustainability to ensure the designers are aligned with the Shinaraa vision. They often try to work with people who have participated in the Redress Fashion Awards, awards that honor sustainable designers as they understand the ethics. Shinaraa also works with nearby manufacturers for metal hardware and impeccable stitching, but who keep the footprint low as well as factories who use small Minimum Order Quantities so they aren’t overproducing. Interestingly, some garments are made from Ahimsa Silk or Peace Silk which is made b y intoxicating silk worms so that more silk can be harvested from their cocoons and they can live longer instead of being boiled to make silk items.

Saha and Neogi give the designers they work with guidelines to create the elements they want to see come to life. The ethos of Shinaraa uses a design manifesto. The couple want every element of the designs to be scientifically explained and have purpose. They are working on a capsule collection about the flow state so those who wear the garments feel relaxed. They even use behavioral sciences to consider how to make each piece. Despite their ethos, each designer they work with is a full collaborator and they duo and designer go back and forth to reach the ideal products to have made. While they don’t necessarily put the names of the designers on labeling, they have previously had the designers come out after showing at fashion shows, like Hong Kong Fashion Week so they have some visibility. Shinaraa has been called Asia’ Most Valuable Brand Award, which they received in 2025 and the brand has been featured in newspapers, Tatler and Harper’s Bazaar. 

Though they don’t tend to offer custom pieces, Shinaraa’s team is able to tailor and adjust pieces for the perfect fit. Saha hopes that more people educate themselves on the fabrics available to them to make gorgeous yet sustainable pieces. “We want to make sure that the world understands that these bio-engineered fabrics are not done in a small scale, so why do you have to stick to small batches? You literally can use this for your collections without harming the planet.” The couple offers workshops and partners with schools to educate them on how dyes are being made, why you should switch between organic cotton and traditional cotton, the usage of water, the carbon footprint and more. That being said, they don’t lead every conversation about sustainability, Shinaraa simply aims to make good products that sell well and also happen to make the world a better place.