Our Artisans
Leatherwork in Pondicherry runs in families, not resumes. Across pockets of the region, from Shanmukhapuram and Muthialpet to Villianur and the villages towards Auroville, workshops often share space with family life. Skills are passed from one generation to the next, learned at someone's elbow, hand over hand, mistake by mistake.
THOLÉ works with around twenty artisans, most of them women, who come each morning from the villages around town. Some walk, some arrive by cycle, others by scooter. Their years of experience bring precision and an instinct for the material that cannot be taught overnight.
Yet much of this knowledge now rests with older generations, as fewer young people see craft as a path towards financial security and opportunity. As THOLÉ grows, we aim to create more opportunities, support better and more consistent incomes, and invest in new skills and techniques that help our artisans meet contemporary standards of craftsmanship.
Pondicherry does not simply supply our leather. It gives us the hands that shape it. Our commitment is to ensure that the people behind our work have greater opportunity to grow with it.