Rivets and rhinestones, biker jackets, and hand-braided bags — The Leather Fashion Show 2019 at the ITC Grand Chola become an exhibit of what’s trending within the international leather-based. The event, a part of the India International Leather Fair, had stylish fashions on foot the ramp, but the real stars were the handmade bags, shoes, and add-ons, from domestic-grown industries and a few global gamers. According to Invest India, an investment advertising and facilitation agency, “The Indian leather industry debts for 12.Nine% of the world’s manufacturing of cover, with a massive three billion square foot of leather-based produced annually.”
The leather-based fashion enterprise even though continues to be taking baby steps. Big players are slowly transferring from the export space into the home retail marketplace. “We have made the jump from simply being superior uncooked material suppliers to catering to trends within the marketplace. It is still in its infancy, but Indian leather fashion is coming of age. However, we require lots more capital and awareness on constructing brand identities,” explains Yavar Dhala, coping with the director of Chennai-primarily based Forward Shoes India.
A distinctive marketplace
Adrian D’Souza, handling director of Bengaluru-primarily based Deccan Leather Fashions, agrees, “Creating your very own brand requires deep pockets and the persistence to set up yourself. We create excessive-stop leather jackets for Armani and Versace; however, breaking into the Indian market is difficult. Here consumers are looking at leather-based as a sensible purchase no longer luxurious. So herbal leather-based jackets with a vintage, distressed look are not a clean promote.”
The leather garment industry remains seeking to make its foray into fashion, while leather luggage and footwear fly faster off the shelves. “It’s an opportune second to connect to the consumer directly. We offer better options than China and are now focussing on tender competencies and growing price so that we can marketplace our products below our personal emblem identification,” adds Israr Mecca, vice-chairman of Indian Finished Leather Manufacturers and Exporters Association ( IFMA).
The India International Leather Fair takes its location yearly (this yr it became between February 1 and 3 on the Chennai Trade Center) has been showcasing pure leather-based products for over 34 years. Still, now, artificial options, like leatherette and vegan leather-based, are slowly turning into a part of the collection. “We ought to dabble with alternatives now, seeing that they offer better avenues for customization,” adds Dhala.
“We use linen, canvas, and different material and offer one-of-a-kind rate factors as well. Earlier in the West, leather-based changed into a need, to keep warm during winters, now with artificial alternatives, they’ve changed the guidelines of the game,” adds D’Souza. This is a possibility for neighborhood manufacturers to put their best foot forward. KR Vijayan, president of the Indian Shoe Federation and proprietor of handcrafted leather emblem Kevin, says, “The Government is supporting us as we try to carve a niche for our brands. I think purchasers are inclined to pay for leather-based items if we preserve up with the tendencies.”
Smriti Sain, who runs Chiaroscuro in New Delhi, says it’s interesting to be within the purse business. “We are an unmarried-artisan, made in India logo, and we discover it’s an excellent diverse marketplace accessible. People are willing to spend on authentic leather products made properly.” Dilip Kapur, founder-director, Hidesign, says going lower back to our roots is the simplest way to springboard into the future. “Indian vegetable tanned leather-based from South India known as ‘East India leather’ turned into considered the greatest leather globally. We need to build on our heritage, slowly moving from a settlement producer to a logo identity in leather-based items.
