Pantone’s colour of the year 2024 - Peach Fuzz

We manufacture PVC leather or artificial leather for various components of open and closed footwear. We have been trusted suppliers to many footwear OEMs and brands in India, as well as neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Open footwear consists of formal, casual, sports as well as school shoes. On the other hand, open footwear consists of sandals, slippers, and other such products. Each type of footwear has different components that make the design, and we supply PVC leather for all those components. For instance, we supply PVC leather or artificial leather for shoe uppers (used on closed footwear), lining (that’s used for the inner side of the shoe as well as the tongue of the shoe), folding upper (the strip that goes on top in slippers and sandals), sandwich (a two side stiff PVC which acts as folding upper), the industry name for this is double sided coated PVC Leather. We cover the entire shoe.

We have a vast design library of more than one hundred embossing rollers, print rollers and design papers, making it easy for us to offer new products by trying different permutations and combinations. We also have low MOQ requirements which allows the customer to pick multiple colours and build a diverse portfolio of products.

Our footwear production is not only about delivering the best quality product to our clients, it’s more than that. Our in-house design team specializes in forecasting fashion trends and is continuously launching new designs, colours, and grains. All our products are customized as per the technical requirements of our customers.

Footwear is part of the fashion industry and so our clients require innovative designs, colors and grains every month. We launch new products every week after collaborating with our global partners and suppliers to keep up with market trends. Other than that, our marketing team travels extensively within India and other locations to catch contemporary trends and present them to our clients.

However, manufacturing PVC leather or artificial leather for footwear is not just about trends, we often face technical requirements. Some footwear types such as sports shoes, school shoes or safety shoes are very technical products. They require not only strength but also durability in different weather conditions such as extreme cold, high heat and humidity. We understand these concerns faced by our clients and try to be a trusted supplier so these issues are not a headache for the clients.

In a nutshell, we have the infrastructure and testing facilities to provide materials as per the specifications of our clients on a consistent basis.

One must wonder why brands pick artificial leather over genuine leather or fabric for their shoes, and the answer is quite simple. PVC leather or artificial leather is less expensive than real leather and more durable than fabric. PVC leather has a good look and feel. Another major reason that has taken light in recent times is that people want to be more sustainable, and that reduced the usage of genuine leather. Apart from being sustainable, people who follow strictly vegan lifestyles and stand for animal rights do not purchase anything made from animal skin, thus shifting to more cruelty-free products.

Most of our clients are big brands in the footwear industry and have their own specific requirements and specifications involving strength, durability, stretch and the like. Because our facilities help us meet those needs the clients have made us trusted partners and collaborate with us for their footwear requirements. The shoes that are made from our PVC leather or artificial leather are for the mass population and must be durable and withstand the test of time with ease. And, that has been one huge focus of ours during production. If you are a brand looking for a supplier for your products, then explore more about us here and get in touch with us.

Nothing ever works without a backing, not even artificial leather. Artificial leather or PVC leather is in reality PVC coated textiles. There are layers created to achieve the final product and a very essential layer is that of a fabric backer. Let’s talk about the crucial role a fabric backer plays in the final PVC leather product.

When it comes to PVC textiles, one crucial component that is not talked about often enough is the fabric backer. This is an unseen layer in the final product and plays a pivotal role in providing structure, strength, and durability to PVC leather, making it an indispensable element and an important step during artificial leather production.

A PVC textile without a fabric backer would be like a ship without a sail, lacking the necessary support to be a strong piece of fabric to use on a variety of furniture pieces, footwear, automotive etc. The fabric backer is what transforms a flimsy and thin PVC sheet into a robust and strong material which is capable of withstanding rigorous use and maintaining its quality as time passes.

One of the primary functions of a fabric backer is to add strength to the PVC textile. Without it, the fabric would simply lack the necessary strength and be susceptible to easy wear and tear along with other mechanical stresses. This is why we ensure that every product has a strong and durable backing.

Moreover, a fabric backer can also enhance the dimensional stability of artificial leather. When combined with the PVC layer, it prevents the material from warping or getting distorted when it’s exposed to varying environmental conditions, such as temperature changes or exposure to moisture. Fabric backing ensures that the fabric maintains its intended shape and appearance, contributing to its longevity and visual appeal.

Another significant benefit of a fabric backer is that it improves the overall look and feel and handling of PVC leather. By providing a smooth and consistent surface at the back, the fabric backer truly enhances the user’s experience and makes it easier to work with the fabric while installing and maintaining it.

So, how is a fabric backer made?

Much like any other material, the fabric backer is made via knitting and weaving. But when it comes to the final process of how it is added to create the final PVC leather product, the process is different.

The process typically involves geling the PVC resin on an existing fabric backer and further processing it through big ovens to get the final, desired artificial leather. A strong bond is created between the layers of the PVC resin and fabric backer to ensure they merge well together to produce the final fabric. Going through intense heat in the ovens ensures that the fabric backer is effectively reinforced in the PVC resin.

We do customize the thickness and composition of the fabric backer to meet specific performance requirements. We work closely with our global and domestic suppliers for R&D and fabric innovation to stay up to date with what’s best out there. Having a fabric backer to create the final artificial leather products adds to the characteristics of the fabric being fire-retardant, antimicrobial, and more. However, this is not a one-step process. For example most fabrics are generally made from polyester, but to achieve the desired fire-retardant specification we blend polyester with cotton.

In conclusion, the fabric backer is a critical component that significantly enhances the performance, durability, and versatility of all PVC leather. Without it, it’s not possible to make high-quality, long-lasting artificial leather.

Klassik has been successfully supplying PVC leathercloth and foam laminated textiles to automotive OEMs and the aftermarket for replacement seat covers since 2001. We have been doing so through direct supply as well as technical collaborations.

Our journey in this industry has seen substantial growth over all these years.

We started by producing for the local market, which is also known as the replacement market. The replacement market is where one would go to purchase new PVC Leatherseat covers or get new covers made in the occurrence of damage, needing a different color or other such instances.

Starting from there, we gradually went on to supply to major automotive OEMs (or original equipment manufacturers). The growth has been fulfilling.

As we grew further, we started supplying PVC Vinyl to major global brands for various automotive requirements. However, working with brands across the globe has been a completely different experience for us as a company. For starters, different countries require different variations - we supply PVC Vinyl to the USA. PVC leathercloth to the UK and PVC leather or Rexine to India. Then, getting approval from an automotive company is a long and technical process. It’s not only about successfully achieving the price target of the brand but we also need to get cleared by their styling and technical teams. We often work closely with the styling teams and engineering teams to match the approved grains and colors, as well as the stringent technical requirements of automotive interiors.

Not only that, the requirements for these automotive brands are extremely extensive as their list includes specific features such as high strength, durability, stain resistance, anti-squeak, UV resistance, cold crack resistance, and Low VOC to name a few.

As a company, we have global approval for some of the car models, and our material has to perform in all kinds of weather conditions and situations.

To ensure that our products and our company meet all these needs successfully we have a focused production process. Our technical capabilities allow us to tick-mark every requirement that our clients have without any concern. We have invested in top-quality machines that allow us to make the product in various widths such as 140 cm, 150 cm and 158 cm, giving us an edge. We recently received the IATF 16949:2016 certification, which is specific to the automotive industry.

We supply a wide range of PVC Vinyl, PVC Leathercloth and PVC leather products to automotive companies which include materials for automotive seats, interior and door trims, gearboxes, tool kit pouches or covers, along with hood toney covers or trunk covers.

Apart from all the essential requirements we receive from our clients we also hugely focus on durability and style. A car is a very special possession for anyone and why shouldn’t it be every bit long-lasting and stylish? Your mode of transport should also be comfortable and the PVC leather ensures that the seats don’t get too hot unlike real leather or tear up like fabric and make your journey smooth. PVC leather is also easier to clean in comparison to the rest and hence, easier to maintain. Anything that lasts long is deemed as a good investment and for us, that is PVC leather or artificial leather products. And since many brands locally and globally are seeing a shift towards being sustainable and environmentally friendly, real leather is being used less and less, giving way to artificial leather or PVC leather.

You can explore our entire automotive collection here