You know where you stand with Carl Friedrik leather. When you browse their website, on each product page you’ll see a tab titled ‘materials’. So far, so similar to many other retail websites.
But click on this and you’ll find complete details of the sourcing of each material used in their designs. The tannery in which the leather was produced and the method used, the factory in which the product was made, what the lining is made of and where it was produced, even details of the zip.
It is that kind of attention to detail that has brought the company to fame in such a short time. Founded in London in 2013 by Swedish brothers Niklas and Mattis Opperman, and named after their mother’s father, the brand was born when one of them wanted a gift for the other. Mattis wanted to buy Niklas a high-quality leather laptop case. He couldn’t find one that he thought was the right value for money, so he designed one.
That whole process led to the creation of a business founded on great design, value for money and complete openness when it comes to sustainability. They now sell laptop cases and briefcases, luggage and weekend bags, accessories and even office-ware.
The company’s modern looking yet classic designs tend to come in three classic colours, cognac, chocolate and black, which, when you’re looking for tasteful leather products are pretty much all the shades you need. A Carl Friedrik suitcase has even featured in Succession, the TV drama about the media mogul and his family whose sartorial standards are as high as their morals are low.
The quality of the company’s bags and accessories has not always worked in their favour. When they supplied shops, some of them found they could mark up the prices so much it began to compromise the Oppermans’ vision of affordable luxury. They solved that problem by taking their business exclusively online. You can now only buy direct from them, ensuring the quality/price balance stays exactly how they want it. That route is serving them well — they launched in the US earlier this year.
All the leather they use, full-grain Vachetta, comes from a family-run tannery in Florence, Italy. It is vegetable tanned, using natural tannins found in tree bark, leaves and roots.
Carl Friedrik is a company that puts its money where its mouth is when it comes to the ‘buy well, buy once’ philosophy. It offers a lifetime guarantee to cover repairs or replacements for functional damages to all products. That means they will replace all stitching, metalwork, zips and handles for free, forever.
Now that is the sign of a company with complete faith in its own products.
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