AESAERT

PRODUCTION LOCATIONS

• Gent, Belgium
• Tunesia

WORKING CONDITIONS & WAGES

• AESAERT produces part of the bags in its own atelier in Ghent, where Griet personally makes the custom made-to-order pieces. This ensures short distances and high transparency.
• The standard models are made by a Belgian family business that operates a factory in Tunisia and whose owners visit the site regularly. The factory works with an ISO 9000 system.

AESAERT works with a small number of reliably selected partners and maintains direct exchange with the Belgian tannery and the production site, which keeps quality and processes clearly traceable.

MATERIALS

• Vegetable-tanned cow leather (from Scotland and Scandinavia, tanned in Belgium),
• Belgian Tannery is Leather Working Group (LWG) Gold certified
• 100% Cotton lining
• Quality Zips made from solid brass (YKK)
• All metal parts adhere to the European REACH Regulation, ensuring compliance with chemical safety requirements.

The vegetable-tanned cow leather is processed without chromium and with plant-based tanning agents from mimosa and chestnut. This reduces chemical loads and, according to the brand, increases durability. According to AESAERT, the leather is a by-product of the Scottish meat industry and is processed in a Belgian tannery. The leather carries the Leather Working Group (LWG) Gold certificate as the Belgian tannery obtained this (verified 2025).

PACKAGING

• The packaging material for e‑commerce consists of a magnetic cardboard box, tissue paper, a cotton dust bag, paper cards and a synthetic ribbon.
• For packaging in the supply chain, cardboard boxes are used. Part of the production does not require packaging materials, as some products are produced on site.

WATER USE & CHEMICALS

AESAERT relies on vegetable-tanned leather, which avoids the use of synthetic chemicals, particularly chromium. Tanning is carried out with mimosa and chestnut extracts, which reduces the use of chemicals and puts less strain on wastewater compared to conventional chromium tanning. As vegetable tanning does not require synthetic dyes for fixing, there are also no classic bleaching or dyeing processes as in the textile industry. The vegetable-tanned leather is therefore one of the most sustainable practices in leather treatment.

According to the leather supplier, an innovative tanning process with water recycling has been used since 2010, saving around 13 million litres of water per year.

CIRCULAR PRODUCT DESIGN

The leather bags are made of leather and have a cotton lining that must be removed for recycling. Metal components such as buckles or zips must also be detached before recycling.

AESAERT offers repairs in-house, with services such as replacing zips, refreshing or repainting edge paint, and replacing the lining. Because the handbags are made with a traditional, artisanal construction, key components are built in a way that makes them straightforward to remove and renew individually rather than having to replace the entire bag. This approach supports longer use: if a zip fails, the edge finish wears down, or the lining gets damaged, the affected part can be repaired without compromising the rest of the bag. Each handbag comes with a two-year European legal warranty from the date of purchase, covering manufacturing defects. Where the issue is repairable, AESAERT can still assess the bag and propose a solution.
Customers are invited to bring their AESAERT bag to the studio in Ghent, where the repair is assessed.

CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODEL

AESAERT offers its own repair service. Repairs are carried out directly in the atelier in Ghent. On request, customers receive a loan bag during the repair period.

AESAERT offers bespoke pieces in which customers’ old fabrics are used, which extends their lifespan and keeps materials in circulation.

DISTANCE & COMPLEXITY OF SUPPLYCHAIN 

• AESAERT is headquartered in Ghent, Belgium (own atelier, main production)
• Tunisia, small manufactory of a Belgian family business (complementary small series)

TRANSPORT 

• Production to Shop Transport takes place by truck.
• E‑commerce Shipping is carried out via Bpost.

• Cow leather, vegetable-tanned, Leather Working Group standard Gold certified
• According to the company, the leather comes from cattle from Scotland and Scandinavia whose hides are supplied to the Belgian tannery as a by-product of the meat industry.

AESAERT uses leather from a Belgian tannery that is Gold certified according to the Leather Working Group (LWG) standard. The company complies with European REACH requirements, so the leathers used are free from banned harmful substances. Additionally, the choice for vegetable-tanned leather can further reduce the use of certain harsh chemicals during tanning, as it relies on plant-based tannins rather than chrome-based processes.

PRODUCT DESIGN

The collection includes timeless handbags, rucksacks, accessories and other leather goods. The brand offers various bag formats, model sizes and carrying options.

SLOW FASHION PROCESSES

AESAERT runs a slowly growing core collection to which new designs are occasionally added.

Customers can request individual colours or models, and very personal one-off pieces are also created in the atelier in Ghent.

TRANSPARENCY OF THE PRODUCT

For each item, information is provided on materials, size details, a short description, care instructions and delivery details. Information on production countries is not broken down on the website per product, but traceability is offered to anyone requested and COSH! was able to verify the certificates and full supply chain.

Part of the products is made in its own atelier in Ghent, so essential work steps are directly visible and a high level of transparency in the manufacturing process is maintained.

TRANSPARENCY OF THE PROCESS

The brand shares insights on its website into materials and handcrafted production steps. The in-house process in its Ghent atelier enables a high level of transparency. For the additional production in the Tunisian manufactory, AESAERT relies on process controls. AESAERT offers traceability on request, and COSH! was able to verify the full supply chain.