Handcrafted. One Story at a Time.
Anuschka™ is a premium brand of hand painted accessories. And yet, each Anuschka creation is so much more than merely an accessory. It is a story.
Each Anuschka accessory is unique. It is rich in design, form and possibilities. Fiery bursts of tropical carnations bring hot summer gardens to life in a hand-painted hobo. The pulsating luminosity of a tribal sunset on an elegant clutch. Regal peacocks in a feathered bloom of colors. Birds of paradise basking amidst protea,
anthuriums and orchids in the glow of a Hawaiian twilight. The lazy innocence of pansies against the backdrop of a wilderness safari. These are just a smattering of images. Moments in time. Flights of fancy. These are Anuschka stories that are born in the imaginations of our artistic visionaries. And meticulously translated into
exquisite hand-painted collectibles by our skilled artisans. So that you can own a prized piece of handcrafted storytelling.
Some may call it an accessory. A tote. A wallet. A lug-it-everywhere satchel.
But you’ll always know it’s so much more.
The Storytellers
Like all good stories, the tale of Anuschka starts once-upon-a-time, with just an idea. A vision. A dream cherished by founders Swapan and Roma Basu. A yearning to fuse art and function.A determination to use art, design and enterprise to empower and uplift craftsmen.
Since the late 80s, Swapan Basu and his wife Roma have been designing hand-painted Anuschka creations, continuously evolving the art and production process, while always preserving the integrity of the brand. The unique handcrafted luxury that is the weft and warp of each Anuschka product. For over 25 years, Anuschka has remained the only family owned, designed, manufactured and distributed one-of-a-kind hand painted collection at select boutiques across the world.
At the outset, Roma started designing hand painted bags while evolving the production process and refining the painting methodology. Today, it remains a closely guarded family tradition. An Anuschka creation isn’t born in a faceless factory churning out thousands of identical monotone bags every day. The makers continue to work as a family. Even today, Roma and Swapan are in the workshop every day, overseeing the production and ensuring that every Anuschka that leaves the workshop furthers the integrity of the brand.
Carrying it Forward
Swapan and Roma’s son, Bhaskar Basu, joined the family business over a decade ago and continues to bring the same passion and commitment to the family tradition. Having spent many summers working with his parents, he grew up watching his mother design and train artisans and his father select the leathers and coordinate production. Armed with a degree in Business Administration from Boston University, Bhaskar was instrumental in taking the brand international and founding The Basu Group Inc, USA in 2000.
Since then, catalyzed by Bhaskar’s keen understanding of local and international fashion trends, the brand has taken giant strides in growing its international footprint. Today, Anuschka creations are being individually hand painted by over a hundred highly skilled artisans working under Roma and Bhaskar’s guidance. These unique creations can be found in boutiques and luxury retail outposts in over two dozen countries.
Swapan and Roma’s two daughters as well as their daughter-in-law are all part of the family owned enterprise and work hard every day to take it to the next level.
Luxury with a Conscience
Even in the throes of rapid global expansion, Anuschka has remained true to its core values and is dedicated to employing craftsmen and artisans who would otherwise grapple with unemployment and economic hardship. From the days of Anuschka’s infancy, the Basu family was determined to find the most skilled artisans to paint their designs on the handbags. They recognized the improbability of finding a professional artist who’d be willing to spend hours in a factory painting the same design over and over again. In search of talented artisans to paint handbags by hand, individually and in large quantities to meet market demand, Roma Basu saw the need to do things differently. So, she took a leap of faith.
Roma hired unemployed and economically challenged young adults, armed with a basic sense of art and a keen eagerness to learn the trade. Roma personally taught them the intricacies of painting on leather in the family’s workshop. Over the years, by becoming a part of the Anuschka family, these skills empowered them to earn an honest living and provide for their families.
Enriching the Community through Fair Trade
The success of the Basu group and its tremendous contribution to its active community can be exemplified by such artisans like Kaushik who are still working with the company and growing the cycle of sustainability by recruiting others who are facing the same income challenges. A hands-on creative head, Roma is still in the workshop every day interacting with the senior artisans as well as their apprentices and coaching them to hone their skills. The Basu Group’s fair trade policies ensure that their artisans are paid higher rates than similar skilled workers in other industries. They support the artisans’ efforts with health insurance for their families and retirement benefits, enabling them to afford the basics that are taken for granted - electricity in their homes, the ability to send their kids to school and to plan for their retirement. All this goes a long way in boosting their morale, providing a support system and inspiring them to work better.
Thanks to Roma’s vision, a business challenge has evolved into a unique community engagement. The family’s passion and commitment is reflected in every
accessory created in the workshop by their team.
And with each accessory that they create, they simultaneously reinvent lives.