The Leather Laundry

The Leather Laundry: The Doctor for all your Leather based Products& Services

The Leather Laundry is a niche spa and repair service for luxury leather gear. It cleans, colors, repairs, restores and revives premium leather shoes, handbags, jackets, wallets, belts & leather upholstery. The founders of The Leather Laundry have been in the leather industry for 30 solid years.

Based out of New Delhi, the parent company (a family enterprise) is one of India’s leading manufacturers and exporters of leather apparel and accessories. TLL is a second-generation initiative that is resolutely committed towards boosting the existing foundation and exploring newer horizons through focus, innovation and creativity.

It is a completely boot strapped venture for now. It came about in April 2015, and ever since it has completed about 4500 orders across Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata! It broke even within the first one-year of commencing operations. Revenue is growing gradually. It has also successfully completed several international orders.

SERVICES

The services are categorized in three segments comprising Laundry services, Customized services and bespoke leather jackets.

Laundry services comprises Cleaning and Moisturizing, Coloring and Refinishing, Repairing and Replacement. On the other hand, customization services include the following.

Customization services:

• Size alternation of garments to get the ideal fit.
• Modification of color and quality of lining and hardware as per your liking.
• Strap length adjustment of leather bags
• Personal monogramming of names, initials, messages etc.
• Modification of texture and color of leather as per your liking!
• Additional embroidery work/printing.

Apart from the above mentioned services, the company offers product specific services. They are given below:

1. Leather Jackets

• Leather jacket cleaning- Stain removal (grease, drink, water, ink damage, salad dressing, wine, blood, urine).
• Jacket repair (rips, tears, scuffs, open seams, scratches etc.)
• Repair/replacement of loose buttons, buckles, eyelets, rivets and other trims.
• Zipper repair & replacement (most of our zippers are from the same company as those used by luxury brands).
• Lining repair & replacement.
• Leather patchwork & panel replacement (from our huge stock of different qualities &colours).
• Leather jacket polishing.
• Jacket recolouring& restoration.
• Jacket alterations (size & design).
• Anti fungal treatments (leather mold and mildew removal).
• Deodorizing.
• Rehydration- (through the use of leather conditioners).

2. Leather Handbags, Briefcases, Travel Bags & Small Leather Accessories (wallets, belts, watch straps etc.)

• Bag repair (rips, tears, cuts, loose trims, open seams, broken stitch etc.)
• Replacement & Repair of bag piping
• Bag strap & handle repair, replacement or length adjustment.
• Hardware replacement ( buckles, D-rings, beads, ornaments, Swarovski crystals, zipper puller, locks, studs, rivets, eyelets, clasps & dog hooks)
• Canvas bag cleaning, leather bag cleaning, lining cleaning, leather dyeing and reconditioning.
• Torn leather panel replacement & patchwork
• Leather belt size alteration, extra hole punching, belt repair & cleaning.

3. Leather & Suede Shoes, Heels & Boots

• Shoe spa – shoe cleaning, shining, polishing & refinishing.
• Leather shoe dyeing & restoration
• Suede shoes polishing & restoration.
• Shoe repair -Sole repair & resoling
• Heel & sole pasting, insole repair & replacement, shoe stitching & patchwork, heel tip & rivet replacement etc.

4. Leather Sofas

• It also cleans, colours& polishes premium leather upholstery (couches, seats, sofas, stools, leather seats of cars, bikes, aircrafts etc.)
• Leather sofa repair (patchwork, tear repair & torn leather replacement)

Customer segment

The time and skill levels involved in restoring each leather item are very high. It is more like art restoration, where the technician has to work on several elements like stains, loose thread, dirt lining etc. Its services are analogous to that of a surgeon’s, both in terms of time expended and expertise involved. It has had people coming to it with precious leather gear (of high sentimental value) from their grandparents’ times, seeking advice on preservation and restoration techniques. It is thus selling a lifestyle and preserving memories.

Milestones

The key milestones for the next 5 years would be to focus on excellent quality and timely deliveries. It is looking to get as much traction as it can in Delhi/NCR, Mumbai& other metro cities of India. International tie-ups are also on the agenda. So is foraying into other verticals in a bigger way – like upholstery restoration & repair (couches, seats, sofas, stools, leather seats of cars, bikes, aircrafts etc.), reupholstering services, up cycling of waste leather products & bespoke leather accessories. Itwants the venture to grow organically (banking heavily on word-of-mouth).

What propelled the promoters including Mallika Sharma to take up this venture was an enviable experience of 2 and half decades in the leather industry. It already has all the technical know-how, expertise and synergies in place. Also a genuine dearth of professional leather care technicians in India, prompted us to jump in and fill the gap.

Her journey as a woman entrepreneur has been quite challenging. Yet she has enjoyed every bit of it. One should have an attitude to learn every single day of their lives. The biggest learning during her days of struggle has been to relentlessly persevere, to be more patient and to not let failures bog her down in anyway. Every set back is a stepping-stone to success. You need to set clear goals and work towards them every single day of your working career.

She keeps herself motivated during challenging times by remembering pearls of wisdom including Forgiving, Magnanimity in thoughts & deeds, Humility, Patience, No Anger, No quitting and, Winning always. All these were handed down through the generations by her father.

About the Founder

Mallika Sharma is a postgraduate masters of science in Finance and Investment from the UK. Besides managing affairs at The Leather Laundry, she also chairs her family-run export house as the president of the garments division. She is an avid blogger and a voracious reader. She plays tennis and loves travelling. She is passionate about causes of women empowerment, gender equality and environmental sustainability. She is also very passionate about creating novel ventures that are exciting and meaningful, precisely why TLL came into being.