Sonia Agarwal of Whitenife opens up the possibilities with Elfh, the new Ivory

Parent Category: News and Stories

Posted in: Product on Tuesday, 18 June 2013 14:58

‘Save with Elegance’ that is what Sonia Agarwal, the young entrepreneur from Mumbai wishes to advocate with her newly launched company Whitenife. Sonia’s company Whitenife is a social enterprise that aims to shrink the ivory trade and engage artisan communities indulging in ivory/bone by introducing them to Elfh, a patented, mineral-based composite that is 89% close to genuine elephant ivory. Sonia Agarwal’s concern about the growing instances of elephant poaching for ivory led to the genesis of Whitenife. At the launch, Sonia showcased the spectacular collection of jewellery, artifacts and home décor products made from Elfh.

Whitenife’s launch collection featured ‘Art on Elfh’ an exclusive range of miniature paintings by Suvigya Sharma that have been dedicated to the women of India. The launch also included intricately hand-carved, ivory mnemonic which comprised of 60-cm Elfh tusks and a new genre of fashion accessories, ‘Sculptural Jewellery” that places Elfh at par with other precious stones and a range of exquisite artifacts.

Talking about her venture, Sonia Agarwal CEO and Founder, Whitenife said, “Whitenife is carved in a world of new possibilities and rekindles hope for elephants, artisans and the art avid world over. The company derives strength from its foundation entrenched in novelty, grace, and compassion and we are immensely proud to present the world with a palette of possibilities to ‘Save with Elegance’”.

Since the enactment of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, the trade of ivory has been banned and classified as punishable offense, but the dependability and demand for ivory continues to prevail. Whitenife attempts to solve this problem, by introducing Elfh, which is manufactured overseas in Europe. The raw product is then shipped to India where it is hand-worked upon by the artisan communities. These days many artisans use camel bones to make designs and sell them as ivory product. Even in this way the animals continue to be at risk. With introduction of Elfh, Whitenife not only helps to decrease elephant poaching, but also provides ethical employment to several artisan communities. A vast population of artisans and their families continue to be dependent on bone craftsmanship and with the ban on ivory, this skilled population has been forced to migrate or take up other jobs to sustain themselves. With Whitenife’s inception, many artisans have already engaged with the company and reviving their art with the help of Elfh.

Elfh has some interesting characteristics as compared to Ivory. Unlike Ivory, Elfh does not turn pale and shows no sign of aging or degradation. It is easy to maintain since it is resistant to chemical substances and the risk of breaking is also minimum.

As a part of its collection, Whitenife collaborated with Suvigya Sharma who is one of the finest artists promoting vintage art globally. Suvigya Sharma’s paintings on the Elfh canvas, dubbed as ‘Art on Elfh’ collection were the highlight of the event. Trained by his father Mr. R. K. Sharma, he has already received Bharat Gaurav award at a young age of 29. His earlier works have won him accolades from some of the elitist households such as the Ambani family and the Piramal family and celebrities, such as Priyanka Chopra.

Talking about the collaboration with Whitenife, Suvigya Sharma said, “I have ventured into an alliance with ‘Whitenife’ for I believed in the beauty of Elfh and dedication of Sonia. Our launch collection is a modern day version of the ‘Ragini's’ (miniature painted lady figures) that is crafted in Elfh and fused with 24 carat Gold. The paintings are dedicated to the women in India and their liberalisation.”

In Coco Chanel's words "Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening." Whitenife lives by this thought in many regards.

About Whitenife:
Whitenife is a social venture, based out of India that helps to enforce the ban on ivory trade and provide ethical employment to artisan communities by introducing Elfh, a patented, mineral based composite that is 89% close to elephant Ivory. Whitenife not only helps to decrease elephant poaching, but also provides ethical employment to several artisan communities, and improves security standards in the poaching-prone areas that are often considered to be high-conflict zones. A percentage of the company profits will be donated towards elephant adoption and their habitat's protection.

The company works under the guidance of Ministry of Environment and Forestry and leading animal welfare organizations. Whitenife allows its customers to be wealthy both in taste and thought.

www.whitenife.com