purpose

The handbags and accessories are designed and made in the atelier in Bruges. Here, designer Marlies herself makes all the designs by hand. You can take a look behind the scenes at the brand yourself, as the atelier and workshop area is located in the shop.

This way, we can be sure that every bag is made with love and attention to detail, all ethical and local!

purpose. uses leftover leather for its collections, almost exclusively cowhide. The brand mainly uses trimmings from other brands but also deadstock or hides that were rejected due to minor defects. purpose, can buy sustainable, high-quality materials without contributing to the leather industry’s negative environmental impact.

The use of residual and deadstock materials also means that purpose. cannot find out which chemicals were used in the leather’s previous production processes. Nevertheless, the brand tries to take this into account by also buying vegetable-tanned hides that were rejected due to colour differences or minor defects.

To minimise transport, all leather is sourced from European producers. Unfortunately, there is little transparency in the leather industry, so this is no guarantee that the animals have lived in Europe. 

Want to know more about sustainable leather and the issues in the leather industry? Then be sure to read our article on sustainable leather!

The purpose. collection consists entirely of recycled leather derived from cuts and deadstock. Processing these materials into handbags, accessories and interior decoration, purpose. prevents this leather from ending up in landfills. Moreover, by doing so, the brand ensures that fewer new animal skins are needed.

The Bruges-based brand also offers a recovery service to close the circle further. If stitching comes loose or has any other defect, you can certainly visit the atelier for repair or maintenance. purpose. also considers circular principles in their designs by often using no lining or zips. This makes the bags easier to repair and makes the bags easier to recycle after use.

purpose. has a short supply chain because the bags are handmade in its Bruges atelier. Moreover, the brand buys its materials from European producers to keep its supply chain short.

purpose. uses cow and pig leather, so it does not appear to be an animal-friendly brand at first glance. Yet, the brand does well regarding animal welfare by not using new hides. The brand exclusively uses recycled hides from cuts and deadstock. purpose. can use high-quality natural materials and avoid ending up in a landfill.

purpose. may have a fixed collection of designs, yet no two handbags are identical. Each bag is made depending on the material, so every bag is unique! 

Moreover, the brand works largely made to order. This means that the bag is made after you order it. This way, you can assemble the bag of your dreams, and the brand prevents overstock. Of course, purpose. does have some bags in stock in its shop and webshop.

Would you like to work with leather yourself, or are you looking for a fun activity to do with friends, family or colleagues? You can join purpose. for a fun workshop. The brand runs private and group workshops, ideal as a birthday gift or bachelorette activity!

Since purpose.‘s studio is located in the shop, you can easily take a behind-the-scenes look at the brand yourself. Top for transparency! The brand also sat down with COSH! to share more information about its materials and production techniques.

Unfortunately, there is still a huge lack of transparency in the leather industry. This is detrimental for small brands like purpose., as it makes the exact origin of the leather untraceable.