Treasure chests
Bespoke luggage gets an indulgent makeover with modern-day customisation.
The nineteenth century saw travel become a glamourous hobby of the well heeled with travel by ship becoming extremely popular. An extended journey by sea meant that one had to pack for all contingencies and the demand for bespoke luggage grew. From leather luggage, trunks, hat boxes and customised jewellery cases to pouches and purses, the sky was the limit. Four malletiers talk about the decadence of hand made luggage and why bespoke travel accessories are now on the list of every trend conscious globetrotter.
The V Renaissance
The founders of The V Renaissance, Vipul Amar and Harsheen Arora, like to call themselves curators rather than business owners. The duo and Gireesh Nair, a graphic designer, were brought together by their love for creating art. Vipul, a photographer and Harsheen, a psychologist are insistent that their products be a 'true expression' of the person who orders it. "We like to have, for want of a better word, sessions with the client, to grasp an indepth understanding of what they want," elaborates Arora. "It can take several months, but most people don't mind, as the result is a fiercely independent product that is unique to them in a way that nothing else is." Once a sketch is approved, a mock is created by their craftsman in lamb, or buffalo hide. After alteration, this serves as the groundwork for the final product. "Our customisation options include choice of leather, monograms, initials, colour, size, right down to the tiniest stud, rivet and thread. The brand likes to innovate with leather, which is custom created for the brand in Italian tanneries. "Leather is immensely versatile. Any fabric can be blended with leather; it all depends on the design and art symmetry. Louis Vuitton and Gurkha pay great attention to detail," says Amar. Price Rs 85,000 onwards Website www.thevrenaissance.com
Trunks Company Jaipur
Creating luggage that invokes the glamour of travel in the nineteenth century, the Trunks Company Jaipur harks back to an era where the journey was as significant as the destination. Today, returning trunks to their mantle of pride is the brand founded by brothers Paritosh and Priyank Mehta. About 400 man hours go into creating each trunk by craftsmen in Jaipur. Material is sourced from all over the world including rivets from France and lambskin from Chennai. The Mehta brothers, along with the company's chief designer Livio Delesgues play with colours like blue, yellow and red and create trunks to house life's prized pleasures like watch collections, poker sets, turbans, guns and even swords. Price Rs 30,000 onwards Website www.trunkscompany.com
Nappa Dori
Deeply rooted in Indian sensibilities, Nappa Dori literally means 'leather and thread.' The store, tucked away in a nondescript bylane of Hauz Khas Village in Delhi, is a study in nostalgia with the walls lined with fine leather goods in muted shades. "Bespoke is hardly a novelty in India, since we have always got our clothes tailored," says Gautam Sinha, founder. Apart from luggage the brand likes to innovate with smaller leather goods like wallets, laptop bags and stationary. The design philosophy at Nappa Dori is intrinsically tied with nostalgia and does not rely on current trends. "Trends fade away but pieces which have provenance and a heritage story survives," says Sinha . Price Rs 10,000 onwards Website www.nappadori.com
Baroque
There is nothing more statement making than leather. The utterly decadent feel of a custom-made leather product is what Baroque's luggage is about. "People who come to us are people who have decided to separate from the herd. They want to stand apart and assert their individual personality even in everyday living," says Sumalini Khullar, founder of Baroque. Based out of Delhi, Baroque is quite the novice in the bespoke game, having launched only in 2016. The team likes to mix elegant modernism with playful practicality, colours, textures and designs. "We love to give our customers the best possible representation of what they love-in leather. From gym bags, travel kits, weekend bags, gadget clutches, briefcases, shoulder bags, and garments bags, to laptop sleeves, jewellery boxes and more, it is imperative that even the smallest goods are a reflection of you," says Sumalini. Price Rs 15,000 onwards Website www.baroque.in