Vegan leather bags out for fashionistas

Avant Garde jewellery brand, Outhouse, aims to add an element in the fashion world with the launch of their very-first bucket bags crafted in PETA-approved vegan leather, featuring 24k rose gold finishing, to celebrate its Poppi monogram, a sophisticated metaphor of childlike joy, optimism, and vibrancy.

The brand reinterprets the classic silhouette of a bucket style bag into their own playful version with the Poppi monogram embossed on it. The monogram, is unique amalgam of nostalgia with contemporary design, turning to the enduring beauty of nature to create its brand-new five-petal poppi flower monogram.

Designers and co-founders Kaabia and Sasha talk about their inspiration and latest offering, a simple yet timeless design, which holds special significance to them.

Tell us about the new bucket bags and how Outhouse is an brand catering to all accessory needs?

This is not our first attempt with bags, we launched our first collection around 4 years ago, and received an overwhelming response which led us to introduce more styles in the years that followed. We have made a conscious effort to use vegan leather since we launched our first bag collection, and have continued doing so ever since.

Our last drop, 'Furbie' was also crafted in vegan leather, so was the 'Birdy' – the ultimate (eco) essential tech accessory. Outhouse is also known for its fanny packs and sling bags. The house's most functional creations, our designer handbags are conceptualised and crafted to be the perfect companion for your inseparable essentials. Handcrafted purely in vegan leather, these luxury bags add the ultimate touch of sophistication to every look.

Your brand falls into the premium segment when it comes to costume jewellery, what gives you an edge?

Its inspiration lies in a classic combination of shapes and symbols of Indian and International cultures, moods and fashion; experimenting with materials like Swarovski, semi-precious stones, leather and metals, creating beautiful works of wearable art. This is the spirit behind the brand power and timelessness.

A play of geometric and fluid metallic forms with exotic crystals and semi-precious stones forms the basis of the design aesthetic. We have always strived to achieve mastery in every aspect of creation and provide women around the world accessories of the highest calibre, thus setting us apart from other accessory brands.

With a focus on sustainability, what initiatives is your brand taking to incorporate sustainability into its collections?

Being a fully sustainable brand is definitely a route we are aiming to take by being mindful and we're making our way towards it. While we have worked with Vegan leather before when we launched our first bag collection, we believe that it is a crucial time to redirect and repurpose how we want to move forward as individuals and as a brand and encourage a new thought on how we do what we do and the way we do it.

Small but effective steps need to be taken, which is why we ourselves are exploring new and sustainable ways and alternative materials to replace the unsustainable materials we all depend upon. We look to source ethical materials from home grown, local vendors to support Indian artisanship. One step at a time, sustainability is definitely a journey. We have made a conscious effort to use vegan leather and using other environment-friendly materials like jute and cork are some of the ways we contribute to sustainability.

Celebrities or influencers which do you feel translate into sales, and which hold more weight?

We would say, sales are dependent on multiple factors. Apart from a good marketing strategy, social media also plays an important role these days in converting sales. When it comes to shopping for fashion, it heavily depends on how visually appealing your products are presented– either on a model, celebrity or influencer. Celebrities and influencers have definitely played an important role when it comes to creating a buzz and also building a brand-recall, but we would not solely depend on them for sales.