Marketing is all about satisfying the need of customers through a product or service or creating a need for something unique where none existed before. Furthermore, brands all over the world have ideally been created to fulfill this very condition but then again there is another category which comes into being because of sheer love or belief in a certain idea or product.

LuxuryNext brings to you a story about how love for travel, passion for photography and a need for stylish camera cases to match ones fashion sensibilities all culminated in the creation of a unique brand called 1701.

I LOVE color! Anything fuchsia, orange, electric/neon/bursting  that’s what catches my eye. I blame it on my exposure to India. Which is why I couldn’t bear the thought of carrying around my new Canon 60D in a black plastic looking thing I have attached a picture of the very first case I made, just for myself to carry around on a backpacking trip one summer. It was durable, had ample space for everything (phone, wires, cards etc), and it was bright, said Karishma Jhalani (Co-Founder and Creative Director) when we asked her about the inspiration behind the brand 1701.

Along with Ashwin Jain (Co-Founder and Managing Director) who shared her vision and saw great potential, she designed a collection of luxurious, fashionable yet functional SLR cases and behold, camera clutches! Each creation has been inspired by the many memories of their varied travels translated into a vibrant cocktail of products, one collection named as The Decollete inspired by the mystery of Paris and another The Gaucho based on the spirit of cowboys from Las Pampas, Argentina. Fascinatingly, they have not only managed to capture the soul of Rios Ipanema beaches well known for their carnivals and samba nights in an exclusive line named as The Ipanema but you also have The Jaipur Express which consists of m?lange of gorgeous colors, handcrafted thread, beads and mirror work.

Moreover, these beauties have ample space to carry your precious device along with your travel essentials like your cell phone, debit/credit card or that gorgeous shade of lipstick or mascara and probably much more. Handmade in India of the finest leathers, beads and materials available, 1701 case comes with a reversible carrying bag  suede on one side, waterproof on the other, a perfect combination of practical and fun. These bags are so gorgeous you don’t even need to use it for carrying your equipment use it instead of your purse, duffle bag, and clutch – compliments are sure to follow you.

Hence this should come as no surprise then, that long before they had even launched their brand they were already retailing internationally at Miki Kano at Saaya in Tokyo and were selling online on sites such as http://www.shoplatitude.com/ as well as http://www.thefancy.com/. In India you can catch them at The Second Floor Studio in Khan Market and Shahpur Jat and the final topping as they say; three weeks ago they also launched their official website: www.1701.in/ where they are offering delivery via FedEx shipping to the UK, the USA, and selected countries in the EU.

With reference to their future plans for the brand, Ashwin said, We’re not looking for huge volumes or quick distribution, but rather are selective as to where our customers can experience our brand. By growing slowly and getting to know our customers through curated channels, we want to refine our product offering to creating those objects that people wish to be expressive. In the process, we hope to replace the mundane and utilitarian cases, bags, and receptacles that hold and carry our necessities – cameras, laptops, phones, travel essentials – and transform them into items of curiosity and wonder.

In the end it all boils down to the fact that if you believe you have an interesting product you can always leverage it provided you are able to identify potential consumers and most importantly are able to narrow down appropriate channels/mediums to promote the same.