Hidesign
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| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Headquarters | Pondicherry, India |
Key people | Dilip Kapur, President |
Number of employees | 3000 |
| Website | http://www.hidesign.com |
Hidesign is a leather goods manufacturer based in Pondicherry, India. The company markets its products as affordable luxury goods. It operates stores in several countries around the world as well as in India.[1]
Timeline
- 1978: Hidesign begins with a two-person workshop, marketing through small alternative shops in Australia and the United States.
- 1982: Commences marketing in the UK.
- 1984: Development of solid brass buckles and subsequent discontinuation of zinc alloy electroplated buckles.
- 1985: John Lewis in UK is the first department store to the carry the full line of Hidesign leather goods that now includes handbags and wallets, as well as weekend, toiletry and computer bags.
- 1988: Hidesign introduces leather garments including jackets and pants.
- 1990: Factory established in Pondicherry
- 1992: Accessory Magazine UK chooses Hidesign’s “Boxy Bag” as Accessory of the Year. Princess Diana awards Hidesign this prestigious prize.[2]
- 1997: Hidesign opens its first international store in Moscow.
- 1998: Hidesign set sight on emerging markets of South Africa, South and South East Asia.
- 1999: Hidesign enters India
- 2000: Launches its advertising campaign winning awards in India and Europe.
- 2004: Italian designer Alberto Ciaschini joins Hidesign as lead designer.
- 2007: Hidesign begins collaborations with various internationally well known groups as a part of its growth and expansion strategy. Louis Vuitton invests in Hidesign[3]
- 2010: Launch of multistory flagship store in Pondicherry.
The Founder
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Dilip Kapur the President and Founder of Hidesign
Dilip Kapur was born in New Delhi and moved to Pondicherry at the age of six. He grew up in Sri Aurobindo Ashram and went to school at Phillips Academy, Andover, and Massachusetts. After graduating from Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA in International Affairs, Kapur completed his PH.D at University of Denver, School of International Studies in International Affairs.[citation needed]
He took up a job in a leather company while pursuing his PH.D and then returned to India in 1977 to live in Auroville and started Hidesign as a hobby in 1978.
He still teaches students at Auroville on International affairs.[citation needed]
Factory
The Hidesign factory at Pondicherry was designed and built by Ray Meeker, a low cost ecological building expert. The factory includes ponds, waterfalls and streams built into the layout. No asbestos is used anywhere in the factory and all waste water at the factory goes through filtration and is reused. All waste material is also separated and reused or sold for reuse.[citation needed]