Real leather crafted the forgotten way?? a handful of words that capture Hidesign?s philosophy. However, only a few may know what really lies beyond them. Dilip Kapur, president, Hidesign wouldn?t tell you more about it unless urged. He believes his product must speak for itself. That it definitely does ? by using only full grain leather that is vegetable tanned, by the time honoured traditional method of soaking the hides for 40 days in extracts of bark and seeds collected from the forests of Africa and India. The eco-friendly method does turn out to be expensive (by nearly 20%) but that?s how Kapur prefers it to be. ?Each hide is hand rubbed with dyes,? says the Hidesign founder pointing at one of his workers doing the same in his Puducherry factory. ?That?s what Louis Vuitton liked the most about us ? our craftsmanship and the skills of our workers,? he proudly adds. The leather brand also prefers brass buckles to the electroplated fittings. Following the old saddler traditions ? each buckle is individually sand cast and hand polished. But has his leather business never confronted him with any ethical questions? ?Spiritualism can exist in this world, very much,? he replies strongly.
And the story has much more than just the product. ?From day one I have been involved in making sure that the workers had a voice of their own. I encouraged them to have elections ?the women leaders to rise. I wanted a democratic process in place. And we have been able to achieve that,? he adds.
Also, an active member of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage chapter in Puducherry, Kapur helped preserve the India Coffee House in Puducherry. Having spent a substantial part of his life in Puducherry, the sensitivity seems to come naturally to him. So when it came to the restoration of Le Dupleix, an 18th century property, Kapur wanted traditional methods to be followed. The property was completely refinished with Chettinad Egg Plaster ? the walls were covered with several layers of egg white, powdered seashells and yogurt. The woodwork too was recovered from the house of Joseph Francois Dupleix, former governor and French general. Needless to add that the restoration of the ancient building, now a designer hotel, took no less than four years. ?We ought to preserve and care for our historical and cultural roots? he says. Puducherry, incidentally, is best known for its contrasting French and Tamil styles. And don?t be surprised if you chance upon a harmonious confluence of the two!
Thanks to the efforts of people like Kapur, the heritage will still be alive by the time you get there.