JOIN USIn the world of fashion, if sartorial choices and preferences have undergone a sea change, the parallel world of accessories that predominately includes bags, shoes and jewellery, too has constantly reinvented itself to meet the demands of globetrotting Indians who still prefer “international” brands over “Indian”, citing “lack of quality and design aesthetics” as some of the reasons for not supporting make in India.
This was the attitude that bothered Riddhima Sayal, who after graduating from LSR College, Delhi University did a study on handbag market and decided to fill the lacuna that was crippling the industry by launching her own label RISA in 2012. “Since I come from export background, I already knew a lot about leather tanning and manufacturing. We have a tannery in Punjab and make our own leather products,” Riddhima tells Metrolife.
Soon, she was joined by her sister Saloni Sayal who graduated in fashion merchandising and marketing. The need of the hour, they felt, was to look inwards and not copy the West. So they decided to explore indigenous craftsmanship to create chic leather bags.
“We chose tie and dye technique and the biggest challenge for us was to see how the leather would react to the process which is normally done on a fabric. We took the white crust which is made from sheep skin, and is the thinnest,” she says.
Then they used matchsticks beneath the leather, tied them together and dipped it in the dye. And hence they got desired results. “It being a manual process no two designs are alike and that is what makes them exclusive.”
In the Lakme Fashion Show 2015, they showcased this collection and received good response from buyers. The sister duo also feels customisation is helping them to reach out to the clientele who has discerning tastes. “People love compartmental bags and when we customise bags, we try to understand the preferences of people first and then come with our suggestions.”
The duo also focuses on shapes and tries to experiment with the size and structure. Apart from this, they also use modern production techniques with traditional hand tooling, punching and embroidery to enhance the quality of their product.
The brand believes in the philosophy “a bag is not just a fashion accessory but is a style statement reflecting an individual’s personality” and to ensure that they reach a larger audience, they are focusing on online retail through their website. They also have a flagship store in Haus Khas Village and feel their “affordable luxury brand” will create a unique identity in the market.