Stories from the atelier: Shashi Kumar Ram

Today, he can pick out the patterns with his eyes closed, but Masterji describes his first encounter with the signature Papa Don’t Preach pop of color

“When I first joined the company in 2019, I was overwhelmed by the colors and embroidery. I had worked with shoes for many years previously but this was the first time there was so much detailing involved. It was challenging but the experience brought me immense satisfaction.”?

Born in Bihar, Masterji has traveled extensively for the craft.?

“My best friend’s father was a tailor, cobbler and Masterji. He could do it all. I watched him since I was 19 years old and knew I wanted to stitch, weave and embroider the way he does. I moved from my home in Bihar to Shimla, just to learn the craft. Then I moved to Bombay in 2000 to kickstart my career.”?

Touted for their elaborate exterior, Masterji reaffirms why the process is much deeper than the diamonds on the shoes.?

“The shoes have a very shiny, luxurious look, each shoe is hand-set with 5,000 glass cut beads. The finishing and setting takes hours, of course the exterior has to look perfect. But I am most proud of the amount of effort we put into the interiors to make it 100% vegan. Our shoe department was set up with the vision of making clean, cruelty-free luxury products. We ask our vendors to give us signed documents, attesting that there is no mix of animal products with our raw materials.”?

Always seen with a little notebook and a pencil tucked behind his ear, Masterji’s favorite part of the job is the art.?

“Tanu and I make the patterns and new designs together. My favorite part of this process is sketching the designs. I got better at it with practice, before my drawing was not as sharp as it is now. I am 42 and it still excites me to see something that we have sketched on paper come to life.”?

The team at the shoe department, housed within our HQ, have a language of their own.?

?“You see the shoe names on the internet, but if you come into our department and ask for ‘Dandelion Twinkle,’ we won’t know what you mean. Me and my team call it “purple motiwala” because of the pearl detailing. We have always had our own names for the shoes based on how they look. Bangdiwala, Motiwala, that’s how we name the shoes internally.”?

Masterji’s love for the craft doesn’t blind him from seeing the realities of the Industry.

“I do love this line of work and I feel fortunate to have found a decent company?because we are not seen as assets in most places. Most Indian companies are known to over-work their karigars, it’s not a line I would want my children to go into. I want my children to explore other avenues of business, somewhere they are seen and respected for their contributions.”

Disclaimer: Masterji's story was told to us in his chosen language, Hindi. This interview was translated for the platform.