Gårdendal: Sustainable Leather Goods of Sweden

Gårdendal is a sustainable Swedish accessories brand that produces handcrafted vegetable tanned and organic leather goods. The brand was founded in 2015 by a former architecture student, Andreas Gårdendal, whose designs are inspired by building shapes and structures. In the brand’s own words “traditional methods and modern design merge to form timeless, minimal collections”.

Gårdendal is built on the following values: great company culture, working conditions, and social responsibility. In an effort to address widespread problems with the fashion industry outsourcing production to poorer areas of the world where working conditions do not meet minimum health and safety standards and where brands often take little (if any) responsibility for workers and the environment, Gårdendal acquired its own leather goods production house. Atelier Sigma, situated in the heart of Romanian Transylvania, has been up and running since 1991, established with the help of their small artisanal team and larger production houses. According to Atelier Sigma’s website, their product aim is “always quality over quantity”. To read more about Atelier Sigma visit their website here.

Gårdendal bags are made out of two pieces of vegetable tanned leather, which has been sown on a high speed post bed machine to give the bags a single sew for maximum quality. The leather comes from Tärnsjö Garveri, a tannery based in Tärnsjö, Sweden. According to their website, this tannery is among the remaining 5% of tanning houses worldwide who still employ the tradition of vegetable tanning in favour of the more time and cost-efficient chrome excel method. They have chosen to respect the environment with their business practices using bark extracts, water and water-based finishing. To read more about Tärnsjö Garveri visit their website here.

The ‘Nude Backpack Medium’ (pictured) is a modern take on classy backpack. As an organic vegetable tanned leather, this stunning nude colour will age beautifully over time. The backpack is unlined inside, has one pocket, and a zipped lid with magnetic flap. It fits laptops like the MacBook 13’’. Gårdendal pieces start at €350 and are made to order with an estimated delivery time of three to four weeks.

As I am not someone who is big on flashy products, I have always preferred bags that don’t have a big or shiny logo. I prefer products with a focus on structure and craftsmanship. I love the fact that Gårdendal’s logo is naturally embossed on to the front of the bag, hidden in plain sight, and consistent with the brand’s philosophy of showcasing minimalist and natural beauty.

I may have a slight obsession with this backpack and can’t wait to use it over and over again!

Which bag is your favourite?