The cobbler whose tyre-rubber chairs went from a Mumbai slum to Rihanna

Persecuted craftspeople in Mumbai are transforming old tyres into sustainable accessories beloved by celebrities

Persecuted craftspeople in Mumbai are transforming old tyres into sustainable accessories beloved by celebrities

When Rihanna perched on a striking black ‘flap chair’ at flagship design fair Design Miami 2024, the image went viral. The pop star’s choice of seat wasn’t just about style: it carried with it the story of Chamar Studio, a design collective from Mumbai’s slums. The annual showcase of contemporary furniture and objects had put the marginalised Dalit community on the international stage.

For centuries, Dalits – historically labelled ‘untouchables’ – occupied the lowest rung of India’s caste hierarchy. Excluded from education and public life, many were restricted to low-status work. Although such discrimination was abolished by the Indian constitution in 1950, prejudice continues. Between January and June 2025 alone, 113 caste-based attacks were reported nationwide.

Among Dalits, the word Chamar traditionally referred to leatherworkers, but was weaponised as a slur. “Growing up in Mumbai slums, I used to be cursed as ‘Chamar,’” recalls Sudheer Rajbhar. He’s a Dalit artist from Uttar Pradesh, the founder of Chamar Studio and designer of the flap chair. “Today I embrace the word that once degraded me, using my art.”

Chamar Studio was born in 2015, just as bans on cow slaughter began spreading across India following the election of Narendra Modi, who promised to assert Hindu cultural identity. Within a few years, 20 of the country’s 28 states had applied beef bans. For many Dalits who relied on leather trades for survival, the law cut off access to raw materials and destroyed livelihoods.

“After the ban, the Chamar community could no longer work with animal leather,” Rajbhar told Positive News. “Generational skills became obsolete overnight. As a solution, we introduced recycled rubber as a sustainable alternative, transforming necessity into creative possibility.

“Most people see discarded tyres and inner tubes as waste, but for us they became a new medium. We clean, cut, and stitch them into durable, waterproof bags, shoes, and furniture that look and feel like leather but are cruelty-free and eco-friendly.”

For Rohan Kumar, a cobbler who still keeps a modest spot at Mumbai’s Virar railway station, joining Chamar Studio opened new doors. “I used to struggle with my daily earnings, working on the roadside,” he says. “Now my work is valued – not just for money, but for the respect it brings.” Kumar now crafts pieces that travel to galleries, with the studio’s recent exhibitions including PAD London, India Art Fair and Design Democracy Hyderabad.

Chamar Studio’s model allows artisans to stay rooted in their neighbourhoods. Rajbhar and his team assign creative tasks, collect finished products, and provide fair wages, profit-sharing and health insurance through the Chamar Foundation. “Employment here means more than income; it offers dignity, visibility and long-term community growth,” says Kumar.

Rihanna’s viral moment on the flap chair put Chamar Studio on the global map, says Anubhav Nath, director of Delhi’s Ojas Art gallery. “The beauty of art is that it can be a great social equaliser. When people value the design, it doesn’t matter where the artist comes from.”

Rahul Gandhi, leader of India’s opposition Congress party, visited the studio earlier this year, calling it a model of “production and participation”.