About Bentum
Clothing made from vintage and deadstock Indian textiles.
Bentum was founded by Jacob Bentum Awotwi, a designer since the age of eleven. Born in Ghana, raised in the UK and now based in Melbourne, Jacob spent years in a stable, predictable career before deciding it was finally time to make a lifelong dream real.
But does the world need another fashion label? The question led to another: how can a label minimise its impact on the planet? The answer was already out there, in the large number of deadstock and vintage fabrics that exist in the world.
Searching for cloth, Jacob came across vintage Indian sari and dupatta fabrics — mainly natural fibres, often carrying hours of rich hand embroidery — and fell in love. The fabrics were chosen one by one over ten months. A university trip through Karnataka — Bangalore, Mysore, Hampi — in 2010 had never really left him, and it shaped the colour, craft and generosity of this first collection.
Manifesto
A Manifesto for Cloth with a Past
We believe the most beautiful future for fashion begins with what already exists.
Our clothes are made only from vintage and deadstock/surplus textiles — currently including Indian saris and dupattas — chosen for their colour, character, history and extraordinary workmanship. We do not commission new fabric. Instead, we honour cloth that has already lived, loved and served a purpose, then give it another life.
We celebrate the human hand: hand weaving, block printing, hand painting and exquisite hand embroidery created through hours of skill, patience and care. We favour natural fibres wherever possible. When a vintage textile contains synthetic fibres or a blend, we value it for what it still represents — an existing material kept in use, often enriched by remarkable handwork rather than replaced by something newly made.
For us, slow fashion is practical. We preserve offcuts and bring smaller pieces together as patchwork, allowing fragments that might otherwise be discarded to become a new garment. We choose shell and mother-of-pearl buttons where suitable; otherwise, we use surplus buttons already held by our makers. Every decision begins with the same question: how can we make something exceptional while wasting less?
Because every textile is finite, every piece is one of one. Even when two garments begin with the same cloth, they are never identical. Each is thoughtfully made by a small team in India, paid a fair living wage and working in good conditions. This is clothing made slowly, carefully and with respect — for the people who make it, the materials that shape it and the person who will wear it.
Born from a love of Indian textile heritage and craft, our collections are shaped through an appreciative outsider’s eye and are designed for wide, contemporary appeal. They are for people who are bold with colour, fearless with pattern and confident enough to mix, match and dress as themselves.
Billions of new garments are produced each year, while beautiful textiles already exist in abundance. Older cloth can be exceptionally well made, its weaving and embroidery carrying knowledge that deserves to be seen, worn and valued again. It is our privilege to extend the life of these pieces and share their worth with a wider audience.
One textile. One garment. One more life.
Ethical
Everything made from vintage or deadstock fabric. Minimal waste.
One of one
Each item is a unique piece. No two are identical.
Handwork
Weaving, block print, hand painting and embroidery.
Natural fibres
Silk, cotton and linen prioritised wherever possible.
Well made
Quality construction, finished to last for years.
The craft
Hours of skill, patience and care
Indian saris and dupattas are among the most skilfully worked textiles in the world. Zari borders, woven brocades, hand-painted motifs and dense embroidery carry knowledge passed between generations.
We cut with that handwork in mind, placing embroidery and borders where they can be seen and worn — and keeping every offcut for patchwork.
Shop hand embroideredOur makers
A small team in India
Every Bentum piece is made by a small team of makers in India, paid a fair living wage and working in good conditions. Buttons are shell or mother-of-pearl where suitable, or surplus buttons already held by our makers.
We keep production small on purpose. It lets us pay properly, work slowly and make every garment well.
Materials & impact
Making more of what exists
We do not commission new fabric. Where a vintage textile includes synthetic fibres or a blend, we still value it for what it represents — existing material kept in use, enriched by remarkable handwork.
Offcuts are preserved and joined as patchwork. Packaging is recycled and plastic-free. Every piece is one of one, so nothing is overproduced.
Considered, characterful clothing