Alaan Leather

Alaan Leather is tucked away in the Vishwanath Singh Chawl, specifically at units 6 and 7. We are right opposite the Gold Field area in Kala Killa, Dharavi. If you’ve ever been to Dharavi, you know it’s a place that never stops moving. Our workshop is in a chawl, so space is very tight. We use every inch we have for storing leather and working on it. It’s noisy and there’s always something going on just outside the door. We aren't a big factory; we are just a small team of people who know how to handle hides. The floor is usually covered in scraps and the tools we use for cutting and measuring. It gets very hot in the summer months because the ventilation isn't great in these old buildings, but we just keep the fans running and stay focused on the work. People often get lost trying to find us the first time because the lanes here can be confusing. We mostly work with local buyers who know the quality of the leather we source. It’s a tough environment but there’s a lot of skill in this neighborhood. We don't have a fancy website or a marketing person. We just show up every day, open the shutters, and start working on the leather piles until it's time to go home. The neighbors are good people and we all help each other out when needed.