There could be more to leather: it’s the thought process that drives most new brands today.
There could be more to leather: it’s the thought process that drives most new brands today.
Chennai’s leather scene is as hilarious as its filter coffee. While many leather houses from Tamil Nadu export high street and luxury brands, their identity is often hidden behind non-disclosure agreements.
Fortunately, over the years, some of the homegrown brands in the city have launched their own lines using quality leather that is sourced locally. As a result, we now have an array of leather labels offering a choice of high quality handbags, footwear and garments manufactured in Tamil Nadu, often offering a palette and trends similar to Europe.
Imran Pasha’s family is in the leather business for more than 40 years. He works with Eastern European designers who often require quirky finishes. While doing short hauls of leather for the Bulgarian and Austrian markets, he saw something he had never seen before. That’s when he thought of launching Mayon for the Indian market. “We are taking our long-standing legacy in the business and trying to turn it into a youthful, edgy, experimental product. As I create colors for next season in Europe, we give a glimpse of that in my creations for the market here,” says Imran.
A sling bag by Myon | photo credit: special arrangement
Myon’s first collection that came out in May this year consists of bags with classy floral prints. “When you think of leather, you’ll think of brown, beige, black and some distressed or smooth finishes. It’s unusual to think of leather in flowers, prints that are embossed, metallic, and surprising colors. ,” says Imran, this is what they bring to the table, while also fulfilling leather furnishings orders. There could be more to leather: it’s the thought process that drives most new brands today. Add to that the magic word “customization” and you’ve got yourself an audience.
An artisan preparing clothes for Orai. photo credit: velankanni raj
“From hot pink and fluorescent green to pastels, people are amazed when I show them the options. Virtually any color you see on fabric can be done in leather,” says Kripesh Ram, who in April 2022 Started Orai with her sister Varshne Kripa. Her workshop in Perungudi is a patchwork of bright colors that includes busy hands in leather garments like skirts, shorts, pants, and accessories. Her clients often want custom made jackets. and add their own design inputs.Sometimes they even want their outfits to look similar to those worn by celebrities.
A bag being made at Hyde Studios | photo credit: special arrangement
Hyde Studio, another brand rooted in Chennai and specializing in bags, is no stranger to such requests. Sometimes they get clients who ask them to replicate the designs of other brands. “This is something we don’t do, even though our USP is customization,” says Ramya, who has been running the brand with her husband Hari Madhavan since 2016. A product according to customer instructions, but never torn. Hyde Studio has an online catalog with clean, minimalist designs of handbags, totes, slings, wallets, diaper bags and laptop bags. These can be further customized. “For example, if a left-handed user wants to zip from left to right, we do that too,” says Ramya. Depending on the size and details, the bags take anywhere between one to three days to make. “It’s a beautiful chaos in the workshop,” she says, explaining the process. “It starts with making the pattern, then selecting the right leather for that style. After that, the pattern is cut out and we start putting the components together, working on the lining. Then the bag. are stitched and we decide how we like the edges. After completion, the bags are quality checked and then packed. All their bags are made to order.
Hyde Studio | photo credit: special arrangement
As much as they stand for quality of leather and chic creations, these brands are also unanimous about ethical choices. First, they all source their leather locally from tanning factories in Vaniyambadi, Ambur, Ranipet to offset some amount of carbon footprint, as well as engage these communities. “The best quality leather comes from these places,” says Kripesh.
“All our leather is responsibly sourced from factories that have LWG (Leather Works Good) certification. For this, the audit is done by an international group, which states that leather is sourced responsibly, factories are clean and sustainable, and women’s rights are involved,” says Ramya, adding that waste which is an issue Also, it is taken care of as it goes through reverse osmosis and is fine for irrigation.
Kripesh Ram, founder of Orai | photo credit: velankanni raj
Kripesh says, “There is a lot of misinformation online about leather. “The more I began to involve myself in the industry, the more it became clear that leather was a byproduct of the meat industry,” he says. Talking about where he gets his leather from, he says, luxury brands throw away good skin, even if it has the slightest flaw. “I collect throwaway stuff and upcycle them. I get these from tanneries. My craftsmen and I then do some work on these, so they look different. We cut plates and prints, do a variety of printing where we apply heat to make it look a certain way. ,
It was an incident during the first wave of COVID-19 that inspired Kripesh to start his own business. He worked with a fast fashion brand and was in charge of the production floor. “While most of the offices were closed, we continued to work in close proximity with 400 people. It was summer so we couldn’t wear a double layer of mask, and we had to keep touching the cloth. People were risking their lives so that they could earn ₹500 a day. When a person died in the unit I was looking after, I realized I had to do something about it,” says Kripesh, whose main focus is to help artisans and uplift them through Orai Is.
Orai | photo credit: velankanni raj
Most of the brands that are popping up now exist in virtual format. It helps that social media makes brands easily discoverable. And the fact that customers are experimental has helped them take a leap of faith. Imran, who received orders from Srinagar to Chennai, says, “There is potential in the domestic market which was not there earlier. He plans to introduce a new collection every two months; The latest animal prints like zebra and leopard, metallic and foil, and vibrant colors like canary yellow – a completely different mood from their previous launches.
From Myon’s upcoming collection | photo credit: special arrangement
For Hyde Story, orders from Chennai were limited till the start. “Maybe the market was conservative,” feels Ramya. But with word of mouth by 2019, orders from the city increased by 70%, followed by Bengaluru and Mumbai, reaching almost 60 per month. Chennai is also a stronghold of Orai. 18-30 was the initial target group for Orai, but now Kripesh is happy to see his brand working well for people 40 and above as well. “Leather is for all age groups. It depends on the design, and that’s why we’re here.”