RETOOLED FOR ROYALS
No longer have a travel companioned but still a handsome storer of indulgences, the modern-day trunk is a nostalgic hat-tip to history, with contemporary design values. Consider the creations of Trunks Company, many of which are bespoke for erstwhile royalty
Forbes Life, Sept - Oct 2015
Time was when a trunk was the quintessential treasure chest for the milling elite. Today, it has become a treasure in itself, evoking nostalgia bygone era, particularly among royals who, in a hat-tip to their heritage, are giving the trunk pride of place: After all, no one appreciates history quite like maharajas and maharanis.
Bearing insignias and their owners’ coats of arms, trunks have been a loyal and, often, luxurious companion to them for centuries, especially on voyages by sea. After World War 1, the art of trunk-making got real impetus, when leisure travel by steamer ships became the me. Aristocrats and the nouveau riche alike began to order trunks—hatboxes, jewellery cases and luggage—to store silks and other fineery.
Revered European houses such as Louis Vuitton, Goyard and Moynat were some of the coveted malletiers (French for trunk-makers) who created and engraved bespoke luggage for the rich. They even received a fair share of orders from Indian royalty. Maharaja Umaid Singh of Jodhpur, who ruled from 1918 to 1947, is said to have ordered a set of five custom-made Louis Vuitton trunks for a sea voyage that he undertook in 1925 to attend a polo tournament in England. These leather trunk still lie preserved in the Jodhpur palace by his grandson, Gaj Singh 11 of Marwariodhpur.
But as planes started to replace ships, trunks were nudged out of mainstream travel and air travel started the trend towards lighter luggage. As demand dwindled, so did production but trends, like most things in life, trace circles. Fifty years later (in the late 20th century), descendants and heirs recognized trunks as family heirlooms and started having them restored, recognizing their inherent aura of royalty. Perhaps that is why when Gaj Singh II sought to house his enviable collection of watches, he. I.e his ancestors, looked no further than the trunk. He turned to Trunks Company, which, now in its fourth year, has emerged as one of India’s premier malletiers. And the bespoke trunk created for him was the reason for Forbes life India’s visit to the company’s Jaipur offices earlier this year.
“The regal design of the trunk with a strong Indian influence appeals to me the most,” Singh told us in an email interview. And a closer look at the trunk explains his satisfaction. It blends old-world craftsmanship with contemporary style: The exterior is designed in navy blue leather and has gleaming brass rivets, handles and knobs; there is an engraved nameplate.
Carrying the crest of the royal family of Marwar, and it is finished with a bright yellow suede interior, delicate teak wood contouring and one of the best watch-winders in the world (imported from one of London's oldest and finest manufacturers, Rapport). The trunk tells a story of passion and skill, and also of Indianness with fine design values, the foundation on which brothers Priyank (36) and Paritosh (31) Mehta built Trunks Company. During their travels to Europe for the family export business, the brothers would come across trunks in exclusive showrooms and private residences. They observed that heritage was as important a facet as function, and kept this is mind when, in 2011, they decided to start a company that specialized in creating one-of-a-kind trunks. With its rich culture and past, Jaipur—the city they called home—was the perfect headquarters. Before they started manufacturing, the brothers embarked on a two-year reconnaissance during which they found (and trained) quality-conscious craftsmen in Jaipur, identified the best sources of raw materials from across the world, and drew inspiration from diverse muses. They imported leather from Italy, suede and supple lambskin from Chennai, and rivets from France. They designed the hardware themselves, custom-making it either in Jaipur or Alibaug, which is known for its brass work. The result of their work is showcased in the company's atelier in Jaipur's industrial district of Kartarpura. The wide range of trunks talks to the modern connoisseur, who prizes life's pleasures—be it aged whiskey or vintage sunglasses—and finds that the regal trunk houses them befittingly. Think dark shades of blue, red, grey and espresso with suede or lambskin interiors in bright tones of yellow, pink and pastel blue. Brass handles, which are silver-or gold-plated at the behest of their owners, gleam in the atelier's subdued light. Trunks Company's expertise lies in designing pieces tailored to the passions of their users. Consider a trunk that holds rifles and swords inherited by a young Rajput gentleman. Or one that can swivel and house shoes for the sartorialist, or one that lends itself to a game of poker, or displays jewellery, or even one that is dedicated to music with speakers, space for CDs and a state of the art music system.
Steamer trunks, which were stacked during sea voyages, remain the most popular pieces of luggage. They form the basis of Trunks Company’s work, but the brothers have upended the rules when designing the cavernous insides. The poker trunk, for instance, has wheels for easy maneuverability as well as a top drawer that contains a cigar box, a cigar cutter, a lighter, an ashtray and a cigar pouch. There is a set of drawers for poker chips. a separate shelving area to store decanters and flasks, a tray to serve the drinks, glass holders, drawers for money, and another for felt. The top of the trunk unfolds to reveal a polished teak wood trays resting place for a drink or even a cigar. “What is the point of sticking to old ideas when lifestyles have changed” asks Paritosh.
“We have reinterpreted trunks to carry the symbol and code of the past, but recreated them to suit modem routines:’
He is particularly proud of a `bar trunk’ that took up an entire wall of the owner’s house. Catering to another special order, he created a silver and brass trunk, which required 22 kg of silver.
It takes months, anywhere between 40 and 280 days and an average of 900 hours of painstaking labor, to make one trunk. The price of single piece can range from ₹3-4 lakhs and can go as high as ₹18 lakhs, if not more.
The hefty price tag is not a deterrent. Such handcrafted trunk are timeless and will always be a unique reminder of an era of leisurely travel with an enduring elite appeal to those who have taste and an eye for luxury,” says Singh.
He is not the only erstwhile royal to have approached the Mehta brothers for a bespoke piece of luggage. Others include the recently married Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar of Udaipur.
Then there is the royal family of Qatar, which visited Jaipur last year; they came across an installation of trunks at the hotel they were staying in. One thing led to another, and among the range of trunks that the atelier designed for the royal family was a unique piece to store ittar (non-alcoholic perfume extracted from flowers). The ittar trunk was a rare and exciting challenge for Paritosh. He needed the measurements of each crystal bottle holding the precious perfumes so that he could design the perfect resting place for them, without the threat of spillage or spoilage.
These trunks are a sublime vision of old-world craftsmanship with an inherently Indian spirit— concept-driven and vitally functional,” says Paritosh. It is an art form which, for all its modernity, adheres to traditional craftsmanship. Even the safes installed in jewelry trunks have traditional wheel-based loc., not only to keep the vintage appeal, but also because this mechanism is said to be more reliable than its digital counterparts. Everything from the lever mechanism to electronic elements (like rhea watch winder in the Royal Watch Trunk) is either designed in-house or imported from specialists. Most trunks also have tiny LED lights embedded in the interior to present the objects of the owner’s affection in greater detail. After all, a 21st century trunk doesn’t just store prized possessions—it displays them. "The focus is on the treasure factor," says Paritosh.
The trunks tend to contain inherency Indian motifs. The company's logo is inspired by Indian jaali work, and the use of vivid color inside the trunks has the stamp of Rajasthan.
Tradition is important to Paritosh and Priyank who are endeavouring to incorporate art and craft native to Jaipur (carvings, embroidery or even fabric) in the design. `We want to transform trunks to become statement pieces used to cherish one’s treasure, quintessentially urban in functionality, but with the reflection of Indian heritage,. says Paritosh.
Stamped with the past, built for the present and preserved for the future, these trunks are built to hold everything—even a bit of yesteryear magic.
(The writer had travelled to Jaipur on the invitation of Trunks Company.)
PACKED AND READY TO GO
Despite their rather one-dimensional appearance, trunks are complex pieces of luggage, and come in different shapes and sizes. Their various avatars are linked to human migration and travel. A look back at some of the more popular models:
Saratoga trunks: With its rounded top and elaborate trim, the Saratoga was popular with the affluent. Its cavernous inside was divided into compartments and trays.
Steamer trunks: These flat-topped trunks (some had slightly curved lids) were common between the 188os and 1920s. They get their name from the fact that they were used by sea-farers, and stored on steamer ships for the duration of their owners' journey.
Cabin trunks: These 19th century trunks had a neat and compact design, which allowed them to be stored under the berths of trains and steamers. They came with strong locks because owners used them to store valuable items such as jewelry.
Hat trunks: The name says it all. These square-shaped trunks were specially designed to carry hats and bonnets (usually six at a time). They came in all shapes and sizes with flat tops, dome-shaped lids and even extravagant trimmings and designs.
Wardrobe trunks: These were very large trunks that had a separate storage space for shoes, hangers for clothes, and a privacy curtain and make-up box. They were so large that they usually had to be placed vertically on one end and opened like a cupboard.
Oak slat trunks: Built on a wooden frame in various styles, these trunks were vertically covered with thin slats of oak. This showcased the skill of the malletier and was an indication of the wealth of the owner.
