Handcrafted to Perfection: The Journey of an Artisanal Leather Bag

All the big words with tall claims usually alert your brain to send signals- one positive and the other a bit cynical. Let us first silence the cynic in you- yes, it’s possible ! Conscious Consumerism isn’t just a fad or a hogwash but our reality, the one we are proud of and the other we want you to endorse, all day, everyday !

Oddcat: Where Fashion Meets Purpose

Oddcat,as you might wonder, ain't no pet brand for cats. But, it’s certainly ODD as it’s an acronym for Overdressed (we aren’t just making bags, we are changing the language of fashion). And the word cat, allows you to think of “catwalk” as you strut in style with sustainable accessories that don’t just look good but feel good too.

From Waste to Wonder: The Making of a Leather Bag

The journey of a sustainable leather handbags at Oddcat is one that’s full of mindfulness and making magnificence. For us, sourcing is the foundation. Tying up with various kinds of fashion houses, we collect all their surplus materials- leftover leather skins, artisanal fabrics, hardware, zips and other items that they want to let go of. But instead of ending up in a landfill or in the hands of not so reliable re-sellers, we curate our library of materials. Then comes ideas, thoughts, research of what kind of collection/ bags we should bring to you. Once the designing (after much back and forth) part is done, we create a few mocks of waste to understand the shape/ function of the bag. Final approval allows the making process to begin and then it’s all magic as our artisans spend hours perfecting the make of the new style with precision. Every measurement is precise and every cut and stitch is done with utmost conscientiousness. The bag takes roughly 3-4 days in making to ensure quality and durability where the customer feels valued in every which way.

After stitching, the artisanal leather bag is finished with small finishing touches, sometimes large too like ironing/ washing/ vegetable dye treatment (if required).

But the process of making the bag isn’t the end. We take pride in our zero “single-use” plastic policy and the bag is then packaged with our brand story and lavender potlis that are again created with either organic sources or recycled materials. The bag when sent to you may come with “no frills” packaging as we want to keep waste minimal even as it reaches the final consumer.

But, here’s the best part- when your bag is stitched, there is small material waste that we upcycle to create our pocket goods like key charms, coin purses or card holders. All our remaining waste then is collected by an animal shelter who uses that as filling for their dog/ cat beds.

So the journey is circular and we are ecstatic that happiness does come in a bag for the lady and the actual cat (or dog).

This little piece of writing hopefully has made you understand why slow fashion is fast changing the environment for better. We would love for you to become not just our customer but our brand ambassador as you share this story further with people you meet. Let this be a conversation starter for change makers like you.

Shop with us here: www.shopoddcat.com