NAPPA DORI
GAUTAM SINHA, 39
IT IS A BRAND THAT HAS MADE
India proud. Gautam Sinha sees the world in forms and patterns. The NIFT Delhi graduate was drawn to accessories from the word go and began his career designing Christmas wire ornaments and bumble bees for a German company in 2002-2003. Working for this brand gave him insight into how businesses are run. At the end of the year he found himself asking, how how many more bumble bees can you make? He says, “I wanted to move and see what to do next but had no real plan in mind. Around the time an aunt of mine who was an exporter as ked me if I wanted to make belts for her. I had never worked in leather but she asked me to give it a shot and so I did, and I ended up loving the material.” It was this close encounter with leather that changed his life as the material had both a sense of nostalgia and a modern day veneer. It seemed ideal as a tool of experimentation and so he started making objects to get a feel of how leather could be manipulated. When asked why he was so drawn to leather he says, “It is a very versatile material and had a sense of luxury and quality from the word go. It is the oldest material we have used in India and has always excited me.”
Birth of the Brand
His brand Nappa Dori was launched in December 2010 with a focus was on premium, handcrafted leather goods, the kind only a few luxury brands in India were doing at the time. What initially started off as design-centric brand focusing on bags for men, Ipad sleeves, and trunks, expanded to include stationery and other beautiful objects designed and created for the global Indian. Sinha says, “Nappa Dori was inspired by the fusion between English and Indian architecture and design. Since I grew up in Delhi, Lutyens Delhi in particular served as muse. Today though, the brand is in a different realm which is more holistic in its approach.”
The Design Philosophy
Undoubtedly the brand has a strong DNA and is conscious about being minimal, contemporary, with a masculine overtone, and typically the products are in earthy hues and natural tones, something that has become the brand’s signature. Given its close connect to travel, the pieces all evoke nostalgia for a time when travel was slower and more contemplative. Sinha says, “I feel nostalgia is created in flea markets across the world and England
THE DESIGN ESSENCE OF THE BRAND HAS BEEN CREATED THROUGH THE TECHNIQUES EMPLOYED AND MATERIALS USED
has always informed my design. Scandinavian countries are also inspiring because the design here is minimal.” The design essence of the brand has been created through the techniques employed and materials used and Sinha is conscious of creating an international palette. He believes that overtly Indian motifs don’t work as people have gone beyond that design sensibility and want to be seen as universal travellers and shoppers. While the brand has 8 stores in all, it only set up its first European outpost in London in April this year in bustling Covent Garden. Sinha says, “There is nothing exclusively for London at the new store. I feel our designs are global and you don’t need specials to draw people.”
Iocnic Designs
From the distinctive trunks which could be from top luxury brands across the world to structured bags for women that border on being masculine, trays, a special range called Objects which are made up of home accents like bar kits, cheese knife holders, and more recently stationery, the idea is to showcase a brand that designs for those who love high quality. Sinha says, “I do all the designing myself and have a small team that works with me. I believe design should be eternally accessible, not hemmed by seasons or trends.”