RUBBER RECOGNITION
Sudheer Ra bhar, 36, Mumbai The designer who set out to change the narrative
“THE CRAFTSMEN PRODUCE THE SAME PRODUCTS, BUT THEY USE NEW AND SUSTAINABLE MEDIA. FOR EXAMPLE, WE MAKE BAGS FROM RUBBER RECYCLED FROM WASTE TUBES AND TYRES.“
—SUDHEER RAJBHAR, DESIGNER
Sudheer Rajbhar, who began his career as an artist’s assistant, forayed into the field of design of which he had zero knowledge at the time, with the intent of bringing artisans—especially leathersmiths—into the mainstream.
“The word ‘chamar’ is a slur in India and the government has banned it. After the 2015 beef ban, there was a shortage of leather in the in dustry an d when I visited villages, people called me a chamar. So, I thought why not make it a bran d an d on e day it could be like Chanel, Dior or Stella McCartney,” he says.
“Since people believed that they only make leather products, I launched the label Chamar to change this perception,” says Sudheer. “The craftsmen produce the same products, but they use new and sustainable media. For example, we make bags from rubber recycled from waste tubes and tyres, and recently, for Lakme Fashion Week, we designed footwear for the first time and displayed it as a prototype.”
The designs are contemporary for the sake of visibility, says the designer. “Motifs of butterflies and flowers might work in India, but in Europe nobody will appreciate them!” he smiles.
A diploma holder in the fine arts of drawing and painting, Sudheer found an error in the system when he realised that there was no recognition for artists’ assistants. To address this problem, he curated a show in 2017 called We Are Here Because You Are There, which exhibited not only the work of established artists, but their assistants.
“This is how the idea of sustainability and the need for artisans to be part of the movement came to my min d. When I curated the show, nobody understood the idea behind it. It was only after I launched the Chamar project that they noticed the purpose of the show,” he shares.
Now, Sudheer is in the process of establishing an atelier set-up where a roadside cobbler can sit and make bags using industrial waste and people can come an d hang out with him to get a feel of the entire process.