In the world of sustainable fashion, innovation often comes from unexpected materials - like pineapples.
For Gizem Mamıkoğlu, founder of Studio Ayanas, the journey to creating her own eco-friendly luxury accessory brand led her to discover a new kind of undervalued materials. And a liberating approach to branding using Bitti Gitti's award-winning screen printing kits.
A Passion for Sustainability
Gizem's story begins with a lifelong love for animals. Growing up with dogs and actively involved in pet adoption, her eventual transition to veganism wasn't just a dietary choice—it became a mission to promote animal-free products in every aspect of life. After finding alternatives for many of the accessories in her life, she faced a challenge: Finding bags made from non-animal materials.
Her search led her to a fascinating discovery: Innovative textiles made from pineapple leaf fibers, a sustainable alternative to leather. While working full-time at a digital marketing agency, Gizem spent her evenings developing a collection using this interesting material.
Launch During Lockdown
When the pandemic hit, Gizem seized the opportunity to find a manufacturing workshop. Shortly after, she launched her first collection under the brand name Ayanas. As a solo entrepreneur, she embraced the bootstrap mentality -- handling everything from design to packaging to sales. Her oxygen was cash flow, and she made sure to always keep high disipline in her spending decisions.
The Packaging Challenge
For Ayanas, positioning as a sustainable luxury brand meant every detail needed to align with both environmental values and premium quality standards.
Package printing presented a particular challenge: Outsourcing was expensive, requiring upfront payments for large quantities before products were even sold. Printed batches of packaging would have to be stored someplace, forming huge mountains that would weaken with time because of moisture. She would have less freedom to experiment with different fonts and designs.
More concerning were customer reports about some digitally printed elements peeling or rubbing off on hands.
Enter Bitti Gitti's Screen Printing Solution
The game-changer came in the form of Bitti Gitti's Mini Screen Printing Kit.
This innovative system, which won a German Design Award for its clever use of upcycled wooden sound system rings, provided the perfect solution. The unibody wooden frame design ensures durability and portability, while the water-based inks offer safe, high-quality printing results on various surfaces.
For Ayanas, this meant:
- On-demand printing capability at home
- Complete control over production
- Cost-effective small batch printing
- Consistent, high quality results
- Environmentally friendly printing process
The Perfect Match
The Bitti Gitti screen printing system aligned perfectly with Ayanas' sustainable ethos. Using water-based inks and wooden components, it complemented the brand's commitment to environmental responsibility while delivering the professional quality needed for luxury packaging.
Today, Gizem can print her branded packaging materials as needed, in any color she chooses, maintaining both quality control and cash flow flexibility. This DIY approach to production has become another example of how Ayanas implements sustainable practices throughout its business operations.
Looking Forward
Gizem's story illustrates how DIY at home solutions like Bitti Gitti's screen printing kits can help sustainable businesses maintain their values while scaling operations.
As Studio Ayanas continues to grow, their partnership with Bitti Gitti demonstrates how choosing the right tools can support both environmental responsibility and business success.
*Visit [Studio Ayanas](https://studioayanas.com/) to explore their sustainable luxury collections, or follow their journey on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/studioayanas).*
