Discover: Leather & Bespoke Bags by Baroque

My first brush with ‘Baroque’ was while reading a fashion magazine. The term elicits visions of grandeur, rich textures, fabrics and motifs. It is an art that dates back to the 16th century. Hence, I was intensely keen to dig deeper. The young leather brand is a little over three years. The effervescent pair that conceptualized Baroque is Deviana Gupta and Sumalini Khullar. Theirs is a story we can at once relate to – childhood friends that go about their ways after primary education, lose touch, only to be get back together in this age of social media. There’s a deluge of experiences shared, future plans discussed and out of the blue they discover their common interest of creatively channelizing their energies, ideas and expertise. And thus was born the Baroque Design House.

The duo are armed with a long list of qualifications from reputed institutions. Deviana studied Management at the University of London. She has worked with none other than Roberto Cavalli after completing her Masters in Merchandising and Buying. Sumalini did her Bachelors in Journalism & Mass Communications from Amity University and followed it up by a Diploma in Fashion Design from the JD Institute of Fashion, New Delhi. The ambitious girl went on to complete her Masters in Luxury Brand Management from Winchester School of Art, UK. Phew! Envy that list! Their work in a jewelry export house and garment export house respectively, gave them further insights into the process of starting off on their own.

Their bags are divided into four main categories – Professional, Travel & Weekend, Casual and Accessories. In parallel, there is also the Kilim collection, where colorful woven jacquard blends in with leather, and their Bespoke service, about which we will discuss at length, further down. They strive to put an element of fun into their goods along with functionality, elegance and simplicity. Their philosophy of creating products with functionality and not just looks resonates thoroughly with me. Their leather is of superlative quality, includes solids as well as embossed, and their processes are designed with a sense of responsibility towards the ecology. It’s very heartening when young entrepreneurs set out to establish ventures that are environmentally viable; leading by example for the next generation. We had introduced Baroque briefly on BagsLounge in a previous article.

Luxury these days is not limited to exotic leathers or the painstaking, elaborate steps involved in the making of a product. Consumers are waking up to the concept of bespoke, customized services and this is where Baroque is a class apart. It happens with me quite often, especially when I am out for bags and jewelry – I browse through the catalog, like a few pieces but always want to change a thing or two about it before making that purchase and wonder if there is any way to put across the message to the designers. Baroque is here to bail out folks like me, at least where bags (and stationery) are concerned. Here you can take matters entirely in your own hands and watch your dream bag take concrete shape including the finest details. Conversely, if you have only a rough idea, a blueprint and are unsure about the smaller details to include, their team is omnipresent to help you with their design skills. It could originate from anything – something you saw in a movie, a magazine or an old bag owned by your granny. They even provide you with swatches of the leather, fabric, lining and even hardware. How cool is that! It takes around 2-3 weeks to infuse life into the design that has been finalized after multiple iterations with you. And it’s not just a bag – anything involving leather, even a leather bound book for that matter. Deviana and Sumalini assure you, it could even surpass your expectations! Honestly, I have not heard of such an elaborate bespoke service, at least in India. I am sure to try this out for myself very soon and even share with you my first hand experience! The process is depicted in the following infographic.

Here are some examples of their customized bags:

The price points are as with any other genuine leather product in the market – running into a few thousands. But the well-informed buyer of today is happy to shell out that kind of money for such a fine work of art. We applaud them for their unique work and wish they shine bright in the Indian and International fashion scene!

All images belong to Baroque and BagsLounge claims no ownership to them. They are reproduced here only for review purpose.