Hidesign launches new product line made from East Indian leather

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Feb 20, 2019

Hidesign has launched a new product line of bags made from East Indian leather. The brand says it is committed to researching new ways of vegetable tanning for the leather.

Hidesign has just launched a new line of bags and accessories for both men and women made from East India leather. The collection showcases the natural vegetable tanning method used to produce the leather on its natural hued bags and the designs are kept simple to let the skins do the talking. 

Hidesign also aims to continue innovation in the East India leather industry to help to keep it alive. “When I was working in the US in the early 1970s, I came to know that the finest leather in the world came from where I grew up, and that led me, on my return to search for the few skilled tanners who had not yet given up the EI [East India] technique,” Hidesign’s founder, Dilip Kapur, told the New Indian Express. “I decided to dedicate Hidesign to research more innovative methods of vegetable tanning.”

Leather from East India grew in popularity in the 1800s as it was retailed by the British East India Company and produced using a traditional vegetable tanning process. Leather from the region came to be regarded as some of the highest quality in the world and, although the industry took a hit with the rise of chemically tanned leather, its registration under the Geographical Indications of India in 2008 sparked a revival. Hidesign hopes to continue this revival with its new product line.  

The collection is priced between Rs 2,595 and Rs 7,595 and has launched in Hidesign stores across India as well as on the brand’s e-commerce store.