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Handpainted Bags Series 3 – Anuschka

Anuschka Featured Image

Today I’ve set out to write for an Indian brand that’s making quite a mark all over the world, in 25 countries, to be precise! Also, it does not seem possible that words can capture the beauty of their products and art.

Their bags are breathtaking, captivatingly beautiful. They are Anuschka. The essential quality of their bags is aptly summarized in the name itself that means ‘like no other’. It is an established name and its roots date back to over a quarter of a century.

Anuschka was conceptualized by a visionary couple – Swapan and Roma Basu – in Kolkata, the breeding ground of many a talent. Back in the day, when the whole world was going gaga over leather bags, they had the gumption to take the concept two steps ahead and let their artisans get creative with hand painting on the organic canvas. Roma has been instrumental in Anuschka’s success as she started designing the bags and also looking out for more efficient production and painting techniques. She has a keen eye and everything from crockery to restaurant décor ignites her imagination. Today the prized legacy is carried forward on the able shoulders of their son Bhaskar Basu. Till date Anuschka has been purely a family affair.

The leather used is completely genuine and goes through a rigorous process of being inspected for imperfections. That’s not all – they use full grain cow hide all the time. They add an element of personal touch to every bag that is hand-signed by a member of the family. The bags are as functional as they are aesthetic. Take a look at this bag and its numerous compartments from their SS ’14 collection that is named ‘Luscious Lilies’.

Anuschka Luscious Lilies

The best part is their art, done by amateurs and youth taught to paint on leather, is full of life; not a chance that you would find a crooked nose on a face/animal. It is art that has been perfected over the decades. Affordability is not an issue as their bags/wallets are priced upwards of USD 100. It’s not just bags, they have unusual items such as this double eyeglass case.

Anuschka Eyeglass Case

Anuschka’s success goes far beyond its commercial worth. Unemployed and financially backward youth were personally trained by Roma in the intricate art of hand-painting on leather. Leveraging the local populace in need, empowering them with such niche skills and then creating such stunning products – speaks volumes not only of the couple’s entrepreneurial zeal but also of their humanitarian spirit.

Their website could do with a few suggestions though:

    1. Adding sort features
    2. Enabling zoom in the pictures of the bags
    3. Explicit mention of countries they ship to

It appears that they do not sell their products in India or even ship them here (I stand to be corrected if wrong; this is what I gathered from their website and FB page). The Indian market is mature to appreciate such sublime work and we’d be delighted to include their coveted bags in our collection!

Anuschka Peacocks

About the author

Vidya Gupta

Mother to three lovely boys and wife of a banking professional, I am extremely passionate about a host of topics, bags being one of them. For the record, the others are - makeup, travel, photography, in no particular order. Here I share my perspective on the Indian as well as the international bag-scene. As a youngster I would spend most of my money on bags and carry one according to my outfit. It is this love that I express through this blog. Needless to say, any suggestions for improvement, even healthy criticisms, are highly encouraged. Hope you enjoy your stay here and find something useful to help you on your next bag purchase!

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