Exotic stingray and ostrich leather: This Jalandhar brand has accessorised cricket teams, celebrities

What’s common between actor Suniel Shetty, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and the Indian cricket team? They have all sported products of homegrown luxury leather brand Brune and Bareskin. 

In a world dominated by Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Prada, this Jalandhar-based brand is creating a stir by offering handcrafted leather apparel and accessories, along with bespoke services. Interestingly, it was the first-ever Indian brand to sell leather jackets on Snapdeal and Myntra, claims Founder Arshbir Singh. 

Initially venturing into leather jackets and men’s shoes, the brand has now expanded its offerings to women’s apparel and shoes, bags, accessories, and gifting options. 

After decking the Indian cricket team for the World Cup 2019, Singh’s latest pride lies in launching the country’s first exotic stingray fish leather collection. 

Products as USP 

Leather sourced from rare animals or from the parts that are rarely processed into leather is termed ‘exotic leather.’ According to a Time Business News report, the exotic leather market was pegged at $1 billion in 2022. Brune and Bareskin has tapped into this exotic leather market with products made from ostrich and stingray leather.

“Stingray is a cartilaginous fish. What makes it special is its diamond-shaped marking and beady, luxurious silky texture,” Singh tells YS Life. Additionally, its ultra-durability and superior quality can make any product last for more than 3-4 decades. 

“Stingray fish skin has a natural calcium repository, so it is wear-resistant and unlike other forms of leather, it is scratch-resistant, so it is known to be able to maintain its brand new appearance life-long,” he explains. 

Featuring hand-crafted boots, heels, bags, phone covers, Apple Watch straps, and key chains, the stingray collection is priced between Rs 9,999 and Rs 79,999. 

Alternatively, ostrich leather’s chromium base makes it easy to offer it in a variety of colours and shades. “It also has natural oils and facts that prevent it from becoming too dry, even with prolonged exposure to sunlight,” he adds. 

However, its stretchy and uneven texture can also make it extremely challenging to sew. This is where Brune and Bareskin craftsmanship steps in. It claims to be the only Indian brand providing bespoke services in the premium leather products segment. 

The ostrich leather products start from Rs 4,999 (for the keychains) and can go up to Rs 99,999 (for the backpack). 

With leather sourced from the Middle East, South Asia and Australia, the brand’s collections are designed in-house and are inspired by nature, art, and cultural influences. However, what truly makes Brune and Bareskin products unique is the use of patina colour or top-layer colouring technique. 

The patina colour technique involves hand colouring crust leather—the purest form of leather with no colour, finishing or chemical. 

“Whatever you draw on it, it will absorb. If the craftsman mistakenly sneezes or yawns, the pressure on the hand changes, changing the texture of the colour,” Singh explains. It is thus not possible to make batches of products the exact same way. “Products from the same line and collection will have minor differences, and that’s what makes our offerings unique for each customer.” 

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Star-studded clientele 

Inspired by international brands Berlitu and Philipp Plein, Brune and Bareskin’s bespoke services across all its categories have helped it gain some notable clients since its inception in 2015. The brand has launched more than 35 collections, selling more than 143,000 products so far. 

Singh, along with his team, had handcrafted a Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) themed purple backpack with golden accessories and initials for actor and owner of the team, Shah Rukh Khan. “He was so impressed with our product that he went on to place an order for the entire KKR team with the players’ name initials and jersey numbers,” Singh recalls.

As word spread, Brune and Bareskin was also roped in by the Chennai Super Kings team and made backpacks in yellow and blue. Following that, the brand collaborated with the BCCI for World Cup 2019. “Because of the bespoke patina technique, we were able to achieve a particular English-tan colour, as requested by BCCI,” he adds. The brand made duffle bags, backpacks and oxford shoes for the Indian cricket team travelling to England. 

Brune and Bareskin products have also been previously sported by notable celebrities like Varun Dhawan, Salman Khan, Suniel Shetty, Ranveer Singh, Hrithik Roshan, Rajkummar Rao, Ram Charan, Manish Paul, and Vicky Kaushal, among others. In fact, actor NT Rama Rao Jr sported Brune and Bareskin’s black patent formal boots at the Oscars 2023 red carpet. 

While initially selling through its website, the leather apparel and accessories brand diverged into offline stores in 2019, roping in cricketer Harbhajan Singh as its brand ambassador. At present, the brand sells its products through its official website and across retail stores in Delhi, Ludhiana and Jalandhar.

Going forward, Singh wishes to geographically expand his business and take it to the world, while maintaining the brand’s commitment to craftsmanship. “We will explore innovative materials and add digitisation to our business model and collaborations to create new collections, to cater to the evolving needs of our customers,” he concludes.