Lists are quite in the trend these days. But that’s not the reason for this list. I love coming up with list posts especially on bags because there is endless information on them and unless curated, the real gems could remain in oblivion.
I have discovered more such indigenous brands with brilliant minds behind them, brimming with innovation and bringing best-of-breed techniques to the table, resulting in irresistible bags. The domestic leather market in India is burgeoning and the sky is the limit for these promising brands.
1. Tortus
Derived from ‘Tortoise’ the brand recognizes that a bag is an indispensable part of any outfit, just as the shell is for the tortoise. The founder, Raghav Sethi, received formal training at the NID, but his affair with design went back a long time when he found himself enthusiastically coming with working models for science fairs and exhibitions at school. When passion and training go hand in hand, great products are but a natural outcome.
2. High on Leather
Lead by Ishmeet Singh, HoL initially started off as a wholesale exporter of leather bags a decade ago, but are only a couple years into retailing. That their bags have scores of takers across the globe is a pointer to the bees’ knees quality of their leather and skill. Also, as they are into wholesale, it helps them to keep their overall prices low. If that wasn’t enticing already, they customize from scratch for bulk orders.
3. RISA
Bags by the super talented sisters Ridhima & Saloni can win over the most finicky clientele. They are backed by their family run export house Aries Inc. that was established in 1989 and produces 15000 bags monthly! No wonder that they made a scintillating debut at this year’s Lakme Fashion Week for designer Deepika Govind.
4. Rara Avis
Oodles of style, loads of glamour and expert leather handling techniques culminate to give shape to each Rara Avis bag. With its inception in 2012, under the able entrepreneurship of NIFT Delhi graduate Sonal Verma, Rara Avis has covered a lot of ground in a short span of time. Sonal’s innovative twist on leather design techniques makes her bags stand head and shoulders above competition.
Image Courtesy: Daflokk.com, NotJustALabel.com
5. Kassa
My very first tryst with Kassa was at The Lil Flea this year in Mumbai. One look at their bags and I knew I had to keep them on my radar to learn more. And boy, what a discovery it has been. I’m blown away by their striking simplicity hand-in-hand with sophistication that places their leather bags in the premium, high-end segment.
6. SVJ by Sanya V Jain
I’d always heard of fine jewellery but SVJ is the first fine leather brand I’ve come across. Sanya’s family has been into producing fine leather goods and she literally grew up amidst leather. With such a creative background during her formative years, floating her own life of luxury leather bags is only a natural progression.
7. Dhora
Founded by Aavriti Jain and Siddharth Darpan in 2012, Dhora brings leather & vibrant Rajasthani craftsmanship into delectable products ranging from bags, statement jewellery and hip flasks. The brand name translates into ‘sand dune’, alluding to Rajasthani soil where the duo were brought up. Their fascination for leather surfaced while they were pursuing design at Instituto Marangoin in Milan. Bringing together professional leather know-how and local ethnicity means they have patrons both in India and elsewhere.
Which ones are you floored by? I’m so much inspired to save more, earn more, just to be able to pamper myself with these objects of desire! For the record, you can check our first part of Indian genuine leathers bag makers here: 7 Made-in-India Genuine Leather Bag Makers
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