User:SnoweWyte/Sandbox

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anuschka handbags are hand-painted mid-priced designer handbags made from cow leather in India by The Basu Group, Inc.

1 Origin
2 Manufacturing
3 Trivia
4 Fans
5 References

[edit] Origin

The company began in 1984 when Swapan Basu and his wife, Roma Basu started experimenting with hand-painting handbags in Kolkata, India. Swapan Basu ran the business, while Roma Basu acted as the designer and product developer. The Basu's son, Bhaskar Basu graduated from Boston University School of Management, and is currently the owner of the company with its US headquarters in New Jersey. Bhaskar introduced Anuschka products to the United States, starting The Basu Group, Inc. in 2000. September 2000 marks the anniversary of the first Anuschka bag sale. Apart from the US office, Anuschka is also marketed widely in the USA, Canada, Bahamas, Great Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands and Belgium.

[edit] Manufacturing

The hand painted designs are the key to Anushcka's mystic for many customers. Patterns derive inspiration from peacock feathers, butterflies, flowers, tiger and leapard prints as well as abstract designs. Each Anuschka handbag requires about a month to complete. According to Bhaskar Basu:

"This process takes a lot of patience. The entire process starts with choosing the leather and then in its entirety, from start to finish, it takes almost 30 days. We start with selecting the leather and making sure it has consistent grain all across the bag. Once the bag is constructed, we check stitch-by-stitch to make sure it's properly constructed. And then we give it to the artist. For an artist to paint this bag, it's a tedious and labor-intensive process. It takes many months of patience to train to paint these bags." ^[1]

Bags are stitched and painted by hand. The painting method used in manufacturing Anuschka handbags is “a closely guarded family secret” and details have never been revealed to the public. The small amount of information available about the painting process describes it as a two day process. The first day a base is applied and allowed to dry. The design is then transfered from a piece of paper onto the leather bag. Finally, a layer of lacquer is applied giving an antique finish. ^[2]

To keep the painting method a secret, Roma personally hired and trained unemployed youths interested in art who possessed the eagerness to make a better living, honestly. This “accidental” Corporate Social Responsibility of providing jobs for unemployed young adults has led the company to grow while improving lives. Today, The Basu Group, Inc. employs over 30 artists working under their guidance.^[3]

[edit] Trivia

Bag owners are only advised to clean Anuschka bags with a simple damp cloth and are advised not to use chemical solutions.
The first ever Anuschka Bag was sold in the U.S., not in India.
Each bag is individually marked by hand with the company name, “Anuschka”.