Nappa Dori is a luxury leather goods brand founded in 2010 by Gautam Sinha that focuses on high quality leather products inspired by Indian aesthetics. The company works with artisans in Kutch, India who handcraft products using traditional techniques like katharni ka silai. Nappa Dori has established itself in the hospitality industry and counts many celebrities among its clients. It has grown to over 50 employees with an estimated $2.2 million in annual revenue while also supporting local artisans and charity organizations.
2. THE MAN BEHIND INNOVATION
GAUTAM SINHA- FOUNDER OF NAPPA DORI
Education- Graduate From National Institute Of Fashion Technology
3. It Takes a Spark To Start a Fire
• After “going through the motions” at NIFT, Gautam discovered his love
for working with materials and manipulating them to his will in his first
job with an exporter, making Christmas ornaments of glass beads and
copper wires. This was also where he learnt the ropes of running a
business, and designing goods with the objective of selling them.
• His love for leather came about by chance, thanks to a Scandinavian
client who asked for a line of belts, prompting him to give the material a
shot for the first time. At 24, he launched his first business, Definite
Design, producing small leather goods for other brands. But it wasn’t
until 2010 that he decided craft to designs under his own brand, Nappa
(leather)Dori (thread).
• Gautam invested all his savings in the new business and began producing
trunks and bags to sell out of his HauzKhas studio which was
incorporated on 8th August 2012.
• NappaDori began drawing attention from the expat community and
tourists in Delhi who snapped up the brand’s colourful trunks and its
luxurious leather satchel and messenger bags.
4. Bags for the world traveller, woven at Sultanpur
The company has, over the years, carefully built a network of artisans from the Kutch region that they have
painstakingly up skilled to create unique products. The handwork is called katharni ka silai.
Working with simple punches and hammers, an assorted variety of geometric patterns is created by the
craftsmen of the Kutch region, giving the surface beautiful designs that are not usually associated with the
ruggedness of thick leather. A little less pressure on the same punches allows craftsmen to incorporate
textured patterns. The pieces of leather are hand stitched by passing thick thread through small slits made
with a stitching awl. Just a few tools, some cloth and plenty of imagination, the weavers of Sultanpur are all
set to create new and beautiful things from an age old tradition.
5. Caring For The Hand That Weaves
• The artisans are from all over the area of Sultanpur, and a
select set of 15-20 of them work exclusively for NappaDori.
Everyone has a different specific role. They even employ
women and train them to work, which is very rare in the
leather industry.
• In order to sustain the livelihoods of these artisans they
provide interest free loans for all their employees and
specifically provide for education for a number of employees
or their kids.
6. High Quality Leather and Thread
Most of the products go from India, and most leather products are
Indian. Italian leather does have a decent amount of market share in
the world but the Indian market is pretty strong too, in terms of leather
and craftsmanship. In fact India is one of the biggest sources of leather
in the world.
Visiting a small cluster in Udaipur with an NGO to help improve their
skills in leather craftsmanship. It was a village with just 150 families, all
involved in the business of making Jootis. “But this business is dying
and the older generations don’t want their kids to be doing the same
work, so they went there to help encourage the design and skill to
reignite their business.
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9. Overview
• Nappa’ is a word for soft leather that has Spanish and Native American roots
while ‘dori’ means thread in Hindi, the two essential components of Sinha’s
products. With these, not only has he stitched together a brand that is
comparable with big names such as Hidesign and Fossil where quality is
concerned, but has also brought Indian aesthetics to a global product range.
• Nappa Dori has well established itself with the hospitality industry in producing a
whole range of products for international luxury hotel brands.
• From in-room collaterals to menu covers for a wide range of luxury hotels in
Dubai, London, South East Asia, Africa and India.
• His famous clients include filmmaker Mira Nair, actors Sonam Kapoor, Jacqueline
Fernandez and Nimrat Kaur, and Hollywood biggies Naomi Watts and Eva
Longoria.
• In the early years, most of NappaDori’s revenues came from exports, but now in-
store sales and corporate gifting have grown to contribute almost 90 percent of
its current revenues.
10. Grabbing The Opportunity
The demand for international brands, such as Louis Vuitton and
Hermès, that has transformed the luxury leather goods business in
India, with the market expected to almost double to Rs2,177 cr in 2017,
from Rs1,117.8 cr in 2013.
Much of this growth is the result of increased demand for luxury travel
goods but India’s growing, aspirational middle class, with its preference
for leather as a symbol of status, has made affordable luxury an equally
important segment. And that’s where brands like Nappa Dori come in.
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The Luxury Leather Goods Market Booming In India
Market size
15. Corporate Social Responsibility
• NappaDori contributes 5% of their profits to
charity fulfilling their belief that it’s essential to
give back to the community. Supporting
Harmony House, a day shelter for destitute
children in India that provides free food, shelter,
clothing, education and medical care to the
under privileged.
• They look after about 400 street children who
are left unsupervised during the day providing
them with Basic Amenities.
16. 6 Years and Counting………..
• Today, NappaDori’s success story is applauded by many as it has
disrupted conventional design mandates and created its own
unique creative ideology. The creative essence is about simplicity
in thought and actio
• Nappa Dori has an estimated 53 employees and an estimated
annual revenue of $2.2M.
• Nappa Dori also offers customization of products by personalizing
them with embossing names, initials or messages. They also
design handcraft gift and luggage tags in the nature of bespoke
products.
• After gaining success and creating its Brand Image , Gautam now
opened Café Dori which is a Coffee House based in Delhi.
17. A Video that describes the
Journey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
q0i6TmUlSMc
