CARL FRIEDRIK

Carl Friedrik is a modern luxury brand creating high-end leather goods inspired by Scandinavian minimalism with a nod to traditional craftsmanship. The result is a collection of contemporary, functional products tailored to the lifestyle of today’s travelling professional. Brothers Niklas and Mattis Oppermann used their backgrounds in product design and finance respectively to found Carl Friedrik in 2012.

With legacy fashion brands viewing accessories as seasonal fashion items, and 50% of consumers noting a price-to-value disconnect, the pair had a desire to do luxury differently. Products are based on an intelligent and evolving consumer mindset whereby a briefcase, weekend bag or laptop sleeve is just as important as the products they house, and should be made to last for generations to come. An antidote to a market saturated with opaque brands and supply chains, Carl Friedrik’s methodology eschews wholesale channels, middlemen and markups in favour of a transparent online-only platform.

Consumers are therefor offered a premium product for less, with full visibility of the production process. Sturdy construction and rigidity are the blueprint of the Carl Friedrik product, which ranges from briefcases to weekend bags, tech cases to wallets. Simple geometric shapes are created using leather panels that have been carefully stitched together flat, revealing visible edges that naturally allow the product to stand out. Over time, the leather reveals a rich patina to compliment the aesthetic of each piece.

The modern consumer has a growing desire for personalised products, a call that is largely not yet responded to. At Carl Friedrik, almost half of clients choose to personalise their products and the brand’s service allows customers to create bespoke pieces, either through a monogramming service, lining colour or modular add-ons for certain items. Each leather product is handmade in Florence and Naples, and crafted to the highest standards at some of the finest tanneries, weavers, and factories in the world using only the finest natural vegetable-tanned leathers.

Carl Friedrik now sells to over 100 countries, with 30% of sales coming from the US, 25% from the UK, 20% from Scandinavia, and the remainder a complete mixture. The brand now stands by two overarching principles: 1) continue to create high-quality, minimalist product at a competitive price tag, and 2) no product is ever perfect. Prices range from £55 to £125 for wallets and tech cases, £275 to £495 for briefcases and bags.

more. www.carlfriedrik.com