Handcrafted Leather Wear
The mantra that guides Hats Off Accessories is to make handcrafted luxury leather footwear accessible to customers through virtual shopping platforms, free of the markups that go to middlemen. The company envisions promoting Indian manufactures on a global plane.
Hats Off Accessories is a homegrown footwear brand that exudes colourful inspiration, refinement and sophistication. The company is focused on paving the way to a direct link between the consumer and the factory, cutting through the multiple intermediary channels that only add to the cost of the product and take away incentives of the consumer.
“The customer just needs to pay for the product and that can happen through e-commerce,” emphasised Hats off Accessories Director Sunaina Harjai. Harjai is cognizant of the compliances and audits necessary to fulfil the company’s objective to make handcrafted leather footwear and accessories accessible to customers everywhere.
The emphasis, she pointed out, was on easy and hassle-free access to a quality product in the contemporary set-up of e-commerce gateways. “It’s been quite a rollercoaster ride,” she mused, “There were positives and negatives, but I choose to look at positives more.”
So how did the pandemic impact the business, we asked her. “There was a change of perspective and a lot went into understanding the changes in the digital economy,” Harjai said, “We all have witnessed the growth in the digital economy, be it blockchain, cryptocurrency, or the Internet of Things (IoT), all these areas have boomed after the pandemic,” she went on to say.
Harjai takes pride in the USP of the brand, which is to develop cutting-edge design with traditional craftsmanship and contrasting detailing. Along with aesthetic finesse, the company is focused on delivering top-notch quality.
Divulging the company’s plans for the future, Harjai said, “We should look at the larger picture as we want Hats Off Accessories to be available everywhere, through virtual showrooms, and online business.” To ensure quality, the company has partnered with factories that have been crafting shoes for over three decades.
It works with skilled artisans who ensure the exquisite craftsmanship and detailed designs that are intrinsic to the brand. Collaborating to innovate in every aspect is the key to the company’s growth plan, pointed out Harjai. “The new generation is very disruptive. We do forget the hierarchy and corporate structure but that’s what fuels innovation and development,” Harjai said.
Considering that the recent and unprecedented scenario had forced entrepreneurs to relook at their business models and re-strategise their policies, the need of the hour, she felt, was to get the optimum output by marrying the resources and maintaining the structure while learning from innovations. Harjai said being an entrepreneur was a very solo journey but the challenges reignited the zeal and fostered new growth and innovative ideas.
On winning the BW Businessworld Young Entrepreneur Award, Harjai commented that “Recognition like these give me a push and validation to create new collaboration, hire new people, create more entrepreneurs for tomorrow.” What does the future hold for Hats Off Accessories, we asked her. “Looking at the technological boom, we would want to digitalise manufacturing units and our online business in order to grow further,” replied Harjai. We wish her all the best.
