STN.bags

Production Locations

• Zevekote (Gistel), Belgium

STN.bags comes from one place: founder Stien Vandecasteele’s own atelier in Zevekote (Gistel), Belgium, where she makes every bag, wallet and accessory by hand. The brand collects its leather in Europe and says it sources residual leather through suppliers in the Netherlands and second-hand shops in Belgium.

Working Conditions & Living Wages

Because Stien designs and makes everything herself, there’s no external workshop or subcontractor in the picture, which keeps the labour side simple and easy to trust. 

Materials

• Surplus and deadstock Leather
• Secondhand fabric 
• Organic cotton (for the packaging) 

STN.bags works almost entirely with leather. On its own leather isn’t an obvious low-impact material, which is why the brand says it only uses residual leather: surplus, deadstock and second-hand pieces, plus old leather clothing and furniture. It buys batches of leftover leather through a Dutch supplier, and even makes the linings from second-hand fabric or leather.

STN.bags claims that it avoids extra tanning chemicals and water use.

Packaging

The brand says its bags travel in an organic cotton sleeve and, where needed, are wrapped in kraft paper, making the packaging completely plastic-free. 

Water Usage & Chemicals

Because the leather is already tanned and dyed before Stien receives it, the brand has no control over those steps. For some projects and collections, STN.bags says it actively looks for offcuts of vegetable-tanned leather, a lower-impact tannage. 

Circular Product Design

The brand designs around reuse: existing leather and second-hand fabrics become new bags and laptop sleeves. Its ​‘I once was a…’ collection turns a customer’s own leather jacket, garment or keepsake from a loved one into a one-of-a-kind piece, giving materials a second life instead of a landfill.

Circular Business Models

The brand offers maintenance tips and a repair service, and makes the point that the most circular bag is the one you already own. 

Customers can also bring in their own leather to be transformed. 

Distance & Complexity of the Supply Chain

• Zevekote (Gistel), Belgium 

This is a genuinely short and simple chain. Stien sources leftover leather locally, from second-hand shops and suppliers, then works with it herself in Belgium. The brand says even the buttons and buckles are sourced locally. 

Transportation

• Given the local, small-scale set-up the distances are short.
• For shipping, the brand says it relies on local postal services.

• Upcycled leather

The bags and accessories are made of upcycled leather. 
The brand’s position is that by using residual and upcycled leather, no animals are farmed or killed specifically for STN.bags, and good-quality leather stays out of landfill. 

Product Design

STN.bags stands for handmade, made-in-Belgium design. The permanent collection features sleek, elegant bags and purses with playful details, and Stien produces everything in limited runs, so pieces stay genuinely distinctive.

Slow Fashion Processes

Stien makes to order for custom bags, working directly with customers on their dream design, and the ​‘I once was a…’ service turns your own item into something new. She also offers a range of locally made gifts you can personalise.

Transparency on Product

Because every bag is handmade by Stien in her own atelier, customers know exactly who makes their piece and which materials go into it. And since there’s no external factory in between, costumers can put any question straight to the brand and get a direct answer from the person who actually made it.

Transparency on Processes

Costumers can visit the atelier or use the contact form, and Stien is happy to show her costumers exactly how the bags come together.