Our story
Est. 2014
Small by design
A studio of eleven makers in Jaipur, making bags the slow way since 2014.
The story
It started ata kitchen table
Karvelle began in 2014 with one sewing awl, one hide and a bag Meher Kapoor made for herself because nothing in the shops felt honest.
Friends asked for one, then friends of friends. Eleven years on we are eleven makers in a courtyard studio in Jaipur, and the rule has not changed. One maker builds each bag from first cut to last stitch, and signs the number inside.
We will never grow past what one team can make with care. Small means knowing every piece, and standing behind every one.
The process
How a bagis made
- 01
Cut
Each panel is marked and cut by hand, placed around the natural marks of the hide.
- 02
Stitch
Holes are punched one row at a time, then saddle stitched with two needles and waxed linen thread.
- 03
Finish
Edges are sanded, painted and burnished, and the brass hardware is set by hand.
- 04
Number
The maker stamps the batch number inside and signs the card that travels with your bag.
Our values
What we hold to
- 01Hand made alwaysDetails that matter
Every Karvelle bag is cut, stitched and finished by one maker from start to end. We do not run a production line. The person who begins your bag is the person who signs it.
- 02Choices that matterThe house philosophy
We buy full-grain hides from two tanneries we have visited and trust. Hardware is solid brass, thread is waxed linen. If a cheaper part would not last, we leave it out.
- 03Made to lastBuilt to last
Saddle stitching holds even if a thread breaks. Edges are sealed by hand. And if something does wear out, send the bag back and we will repair it, for as long as you own it.
- 04Small by choiceSmall by design
Eleven makers, one studio, a few hundred bags a year. Staying small lets us know every piece that leaves the bench. Each one is numbered so we can trace it back.
A word from the founder
Would I be proud to carry this myself? If the answer is yes, it is ready for you.
Meher Kapoor · Founder, Karvelle
“Bags that look better in year five than on day one.”
The Pink City Review“A small studio doing slow work very well.”
Atelier Quarterly“The stitching alone is worth the wait.”
Slow Wardrobe Journal“Quiet, well made, and built to be repaired.”
Loom & Hide“Proof that eleven people can run a leather house.”
The Maker's Almanac