A glassware company that produces striking hand blown carafes and glasses, Bib & Sola offers a stylish and conscious alternative to plastic bottles. The brand’s founder, Kira Heuer, is adamant about reducing plastic waste and providing clean water solutions. Through Bib & Sola’s colorful pieces, she aims to do both, believing that their beauty has more power to inspire education and change than anything else — a concept she calls, “Aesthetic Activism.”
We recently had the chance to connect with Kira and learn more about Bib & Sola’s story, its Aesthetic Activism campaign, and the difference that using glass instead of plastic can make.
Darling Magazine: What inspired the creation of Bib & Sola?
Kira: The initial inspiration for it was an article I read in National Geographic about the water crisis. You and I live a privileged life where we can hop in the shower, grab our coffee, and go, but there are women in the world who wake up and walk miles upon miles just to get contaminated water.
It baffled me that we can send people to the moon but can’t figure out how to distribute water properly on our planet, so I started doing some research and watched several documentaries about the issue. I came to understand that water is a precious resource for our bodies and the earth, and I wanted to do something that would have an impact in preserving it.
Bib & Sola partners with water charities and is an alternative to using plastic water bottles. Glass has always been something that I’ve loved and adored, and I was fascinated with watching glass blowers as a child. Glass also contains water in a way that water itself can thrive, and to me it’s just a beautiful product.
DM: What does the name Bib & Sola mean?
Kira: Bib & Sola means “Drink and Comfort.” It has to do with being conscious of how we drink and also knowing that we can derive a sense of comfort from giving back. I also love the concept of drinking in life – meaning completely living and engaging in pleasure and happiness and buying art and the things you love – but also having the comfort of those relationships that matter to you and being there for your friends. I think you should play with this world and the life you’ve been given, but be sure to give back, too.
DM: The brand’s motto is “Aesthetic Activism.” Tell us what that means.
Kira: There’s a lot of “doom and gloom” surrounding humanitarian issues, but we don’t need more fear. I wanted to create a movement where people are driven by aesthetics instead. There’s a great Leonardo da Vinci quote that explains that the value of aesthetics and beauty is in its ability to inspire. That’s power to me. As opposed to having to explain things, let’s be inspired by beautiful things, and beauty in general, to make changes. It lightens up the heaviness of all of the issues we’re up against.
… let’s be inspired by beautiful things, and beauty in general, to make changes. It lightens up the heaviness of all of the issues we’re up against.
DM: What tips can you give to live this motto out in everyday life?
Kira: Something that’s been speaking to me lately is the concept of being grounded. We’re really overwhelmed and with all of these social media things coming at us, and we’re quickly disconnecting with ourselves. So I wake up, do my meditation, drink my water, and take time to move a little slower. It sounds counterintuitive, but there’s just something about slowing down and taking in the morning that changes your day.
DM: One of Bib & Sola’s campaigns missions is to promote its “One on Every Desk” campaign. Tell us more about this.
Kira: I love this campaign because it gives employees the chance to drink amazing water and feel good. The corporations that have come on really believe in it and it’s great because you get to go into these atmospheres and talk to them and you’re cutting their water bottle budget and making an immediate impact in a way that’s fun.
Images provided by Kira Heuer
1 comment
the collection looks fantastic. Great article 🙂