Ever heard of camera straps made of Pochampally ikat? Well, now you have!

Photographer Kishor Krishnamoorthi is reinventing the camera strap to make it more fashionable and functional
A strap from the Kiki Store
A strap from the Kiki Store

Is your dull, worn-out camera strap looking a tad shabby at your shoots? Yes, they may be durable, nonetheless, they could still do with an upgrade. At Kiki Store, the once ordinary camera strap, now goes designer — from Pochampally ikat to block print fabric. And who better than a photographer to make this a reality? Meet Hyderabad-based Kishor Krishnamoorthi, founder of the photojournal Concorde Zine, who finally says out loud what we’ve all been thinking, "Regular camera straps look very generic. Additionally, the rexine around your neck makes you sweat and it’s just not made for Indian weather."

As a photographer, who has both a design and fashion sense (thanks to his wife Mandakini Rao), he felt the need to accessorise his camera with cloth rather than rexine. While fashionable is good, functionality is better. Kishor was introduced to two strong fabrics — Pochampally ikat from Pochampally, Telangana and block print fabric from his wife's fabric design house, Kolam. "I wanted to use local material and make it right here, you know, to celebrate Make in India and all that," he says, adding that the straps also use vegetable-tanned leather and are manufactured in Chennai. Thus, Kiki Store was born.

Save the date: At the event to launch Kiki Store, straps will be lying around for people to try and for the early birds, purchased straps will be delivered on the spot

"I did not want to sell products I wouldn't use, so I used the straps myself to see if it could withstand my routine", he says. So to pilot test his idea, Kishor started wearing his designer straps on assignments, even international ones, for four months. Kiki has already been to Europe, France and an Indian wedding here and it has caught the attention of all. "Most were blown away by the fact that I could accessorise my camera in this way," says Kishor, who adds that the strap comes in a cotton pouch. "Initially we thought of a paper bag, but we all know it just ends up in the dustbin. So we thought a pouch would not only look smart, but also add to the functionality, and photographers can keep things like their memory card in it," he explains.

Snap time: Kiki strap on display in it's full glory

Currently, the straps are available in twelve designs, six in each material. Kishor has also launched a crowdfunding campaign and each strap is priced between $40 to $50. With the hope of meeting his target of $25,000 in a month, he plans to launch in different cities including Chennai and Mumbai. He also has the support of a few big-wigs in the world of photography like Joseph Radhik, a Sony Global Imaging Ambassador, who owns a strap from Kiki’s, and Raghu Rai of Magnum Photos, who has used the strap and likes the comfort it offers. If this idea works, Kishor is also open to making other accessories, he says, "We would love to think of other ways to make these fabrics a part of a photographer's life." Now that's something to look forward to.

Check them out at kikistore.co

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