As every home in 2011 redefines itself with the concept of ‘green living’, sustainability and eco-friendly products in homes are issues that are frequently talked about and being considered by the whole industry as major areas to work upon. Finding organic substitutes for almost everything, even an industry like LEATHER, today is looking at recycling and environment-friendly options which contradicts its own existence. Exploring the home furnishings market with “recycled leather” and creating their own niche, Archit Dhir, Partner, Indus Valley, talks to Apparel Online on the greener side of leather…
Specializing in a complete range of leather home furnishings, ‘Indus Valley’ incepted in 1999, has divided its business into two different segments of fresh leather and recycled leather. Leather home furnishing is a niche market in itself, but using recycled leather is even more niche. Elaborating on both, Archit Dhir says, “The recycled leather industry cannot exist in isolation, as what is left waste from fresh leather is what is eventually recycled. Where on one hand fresh leather is an all-time classic, on the other recycled leather is for the niche which is now making its way from mass market into the high-end leather market as the world moves towards a greener environment.”
The upcoming concept of recycled leather is simple. It is eco-friendly and price-effective, and a perfect choice for a customer who doesn’t want to buy fresh leather and feel responsible for killing an animal for luxury. “Recycled leather is made by collecting leather waste already in the market, recycling it into a new product, the cost of which can be compared to something as low as a cotton cushion cover,” says Archit. The company imports most of this wastage from Italy, which is by far the main country with the maximum leather waste. In India, the leather waste is procured from Chennai and Bangalore, where there are huge set-ups of leather garment and upholstery industry. Explaining on how it is done, Archit adds, “We collect the big pieces from dumped leather upholstery and smaller pieces from leftover patches of leather garments, then paste them, stitch them together and finish them with a variety of techniques like, printing, braiding, appliqué and hydraulic transfer foiling to create a new aesthetically appealing product.”
What was never possible earlier was the availability of ‘running meters’ in leather, which is now made possible with recycled leather and making waves in home furnishings with a lot of orders coming due to this unique feature. Also the FOB’s range between 2 dollars to 5 dollars which makes the product cheap and affordable for buyers all over the world.
In fresh leather the company deals with 100% Indian real leather all procured, primarily from Calcutta and Chennai. Catering to the fact that fresh leather is much more expensive, it targets the high-end home market. FOBs start from 4 dollars to as high as 40 dollars, depending upon the quality, type and finish of leather used. Supplying to buyers like Macy’s and Federated in US, Mars and More in Holland, Clave Denia in Spain, and others big companies in Japan, Taiwan, South America, South Africa and Europe, the company is creating a steady global market for itself. The product range includes a variety of items like floor cushions, throws, bed covers, table runners, etc. with cushion covers, rugs and carpets being the hottest selling items abroad.
Started by Kachan Dhir, Indus Valley is slowly being taken over by her son Archit with fresh ideas and concepts to expand the business further. The company is primarily a sister concern of ‘Indian Ocean’ which was founded in 1988 by Rajesh Dhir, as a small export house aimed to design, manufacture and market the finest handicrafts and home furnishing articles catering to leading organizations and brands including JCPenney, Sears, Newell, The Company Stores, Leroy Merlin, Bacova , Lincraft, Sunflex (Hunter Douglas), Canadian Tires, Fabric Land, Textura, Conforama, Elcorte Ingles, Garnet Hill, etc. besides many other importers and boutiques. An Indus Valley export currently holds a capacity of producing 10,000 pieces per month, and is simultaneously trying to tap the Indian domestic market for greater reach. The designing of the product is mostly done by the buyer himself, while the company concentrates on delivering a high quality product with a refined finishing.
“Like all other industries, recession affected the leather industry as well in a big way. With buyers looking at cheaper products the market for fresh leather is slow but on the other hand recycled leather is a booming industry in itself only to emerge as a rage in the green future.” concluded Archit.
