Origin of Company

HIDESIGN

Dilip Kapur was born in New Delhi, where his Hindu parents had fled from what would become Pakistan in the mass movement of people following the end of the British Raj in 1947 Kapur grew up at the Aurobindo Ashram before leaving for the United States at the age of 15. Dilip Kapur finished his PHD in International studies from the University of Denver . He returned to his childhood town Pondicheery. Kapur wanted to pursue something different that held his interest: like designing and manufacturing leather bags. When he returned after his PHD he did not have much to do, to kill time   he sat down with an artisan and crafted out his first bag .  Another six bags followed. A german friend got him an order for 1400 bags. With an increasing demand from the foreign market he expanded his workshop and got 200 workers  and opened his first factory in 1990. Traditional, eco-friendly methods of treating leather such as vegetable tanning and dyeing of hides in pits and wooden drums were focussed on. Quality was another element on which no compromises were done.Hidesign was viewed as a product out of the mainstream in its export markets, carried by exclusive distributors who built something of a cult following within each of their geographies. Leather and luggage shops were wary of carrying an Indian brand, so Hidesign products were typically sold in stores with more of a fashion emphasis. 

A Hidesign bag won the ‘Accessory of the Year” award from a British magazine, which gained the firm much visibility,Hidesign – had a ready market in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, South Africa and many Scandinavian and Asian countries.

Celebrities, executives, models the world over have a penchant for Hidesign products. Be it Nelson Mandela, or former Australian prime minister Hawk, or Stephen Spielberg, Kapur has many big names who love the stuff he designs. Back home, former prime minister India Gandhi and her son Sanjay carried Hidesign bags. As did many film personalities .