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About Hidesign
The year is 1977. Dilip Kapur, fresh from his Ph.D in International Affairs, has returned to India after years of being a hippie in the United States. He came back with a dream of creating a utopia of world harmony at Auroville and to follow his hobby of designing and creating leather bags.
Hidesign's earliest bags were a small range of innovative bags that were a pure expression of our values and what we loved best. The first bags are different from anything being created in Europe and the United States at the time- natural and ecological and products of skilful craftsmanship; they convey a message of freedom, equality and non-discrimination. The bags hit the counter-culture stores of San Francisco, London and Melbourne and they immediately establish an underground reputation for being radically different. A rebel is born. Now widely accepted in over 25 countries as a leader in the development of sustainable and innovative leather fashion.
Core Values
Hidesign has stayed true to its strong heritage of craftsmanship, sustainability and innovative design; core values that have inspired every single product we create.
Craftsmanship
At our atelier, craftswomen work in groups to construct a bag, because we believe human hands have soul. With an average work experience of over 17 years at our atelier, we have some of the most skilled leather craftspeople in the world.
Nothing is too much trouble at our atelier- we still knot every stitch ending by hand, our leather cutters use a fine-pointed knife that takes over two years to master, our brass buckles are individually sand-casted and painstakingly polished by hand.
In a world full of synthetic copies, Hidesign stands out for being a handcrafted luxury.
Innovation & Design
We take pride at being unconventional. Our first few bags were so different from the norm, they were a hit on Castro Street, California, then the gay capitol of the world. Our Little Boxy bag, unashamedly different from the pretty bags of the 90s, won the ‘Accessory of the Year’ in the UK. We have always found inspiration in adventure, travel and culture, rather than following trends. Originality and simplicity are at the core of our design philosophy.
Natural & Ecological
While most tanneries shifted to the faster, cheaper process of chrome tanning, Hidesign revived the slow, labour intensive method of vegetable tanning. Learning from centuries old craft, using natural seeds and barks native to South India, we create fashionable leathers that get better with age.
Our atelier is a lush campus dotted with ponds and streams - an everyday inspiration to our craftswomen of the life we admire. Solar powered energy to run our atelier, 100% recycling of water at our tanneries and even using our leather scrap to make paper bags for our stores, being sustainable is in our DNA.
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1978
A REBEL IS BORN
Hidesign begins with a two-person artisan workshop. The first markets are small alternative shops in Australia and the United States reflecting the brand’s rebellion against uniformity and mass production.
1982
A COUNTER CULTURE FAVORITE
Hidesign starts in UK and fast becomes a counter culture icon in the independent stores.
1984
SOLID BRASS BUCKLES
Commitment to craftsmanship & ecology leads to the development of our new solid brass buckles – no more zinc alloy electroplated buckles. Hidesign goes back to the traditional skills of making bronze statues to sand cast solid brass buckles.
1985
FIRST DEPARTMENT STORE JOHN LEWIS
John Lewis in UK is the first department store to the carry the full line of Hidesign leather goods that now includes handbags and wallets, as well as weekend, toiletry and computer bags.
1988
GETTING ESTABLISHED
John Lewis in UK is the first department store to the carry the full line of Hidesign leather goods that now includes handbags and wallets, as well as weekend, toiletry and computer bags.
1990
FIRST CUSTOM-DESIGNED ATELIER
Hidesign’s first atelier is an expression of the brand’s values - craftsmanship, innovation & sustainability. A lush garden of ponds, burnt brick architecture by Ray Meeker and work stations that encourage interaction rather than line production.
1992
ACCESSORY OF THE YEAR
Accessory Magazine UK chooses Hidesign’s “Boxy Bag” as Accessory of the Year. Princess Diana awards Hidesign this prestigious prize.
1997
FIRST INTERNATIONAL EXCLUSIVE STORE
Hidesign opens its first exclusive international store in Moscow.
1998
EMERGING MARKETS
The emerging markets of Malaysia, South Africa and China become a major growth area for Hidesign
1999
HEADING HOME
Hidesign enthusiastically launches in India! Hidesign’s annual fashion shows to launch the new collection are a “Social Event"
2001
AWARD WINNING AD CAMPAIGN
Marks the launch of our award winning campaign both in Europe and India.
2004
ALBERTO CIASCHINI JOINS AS LEAD DESIGNER
Hidesign introduces Alberto Ciaschini of Milan as its lead designer. Our multi-cultural design team continues to expand on the Hidesign signature look – creating classic styles with a contemporary edge.
2010
A FLAGSHIP STORE IN PONDICHERRY
Hidesign opens its four-story flagship store at the heart of Pondicherry. Museum pieces juxtaposed with high fashion accessories tell the story of the brand along with a café on the top most floor.
2013
LAUNCH OF SUNGLASSES
Hidesign increases its leather offering through category expansion into footwear with a focus on quality & comfort through leather lined shoes. Solid brass barrel pens and leather bound note books added to Hidesign’s gift range.
2014
CELEBRATING 35 YEARS WITH THE ICONS
Hidesign relaunches some of its earliest styles to commemorate 35 years with the Icon collection. A leather-bound, coffee table illustrates the heritage of the brand is launched along with a travelling exhibition inspired by the book.
2015
LAUNCH OF FOOTWEAR & STATIONERY
Hidesign increases its leather offering through category expansion into footwear with a focus on quality & comfort through leather lined shoes. Solid brass barrel pens and leather bound note books added to Hidesign’s gift range.
2016
REVIVAL OF EAST INDIA LEATHERS
Dilip Kapur, first heard of E.I leathers in the US, on his return to India, with the growth of Hidesign, he continued his quest to revive this centuries old craft. After much research and experimenting, the fully veg-tanned East India collection is launched.
2018
40TH YEAR WITH FRENCH ACTRESS KALKI KOECHLIN
A collaboration with Bollywood actress & activist Kalki Koechlin to co-design a special collection to mark our 40th year.
2019
CUSTOMISATION AT HIDESIGN ATELIERS
New format stores at key cities offer customization and personalization services for ultimate luxury of owning a piece like no other.
Hidesign Today
Leathers
Why Hidesign leathers are special
