Guides
Sourcing guides for brands.
What we've learned from three decades of making bags, leather goods and scarves for brands — written for founders and sourcing teams.
How to find a bag manufacturer you can rely on
A practical guide for founders and sourcing managers: where to look, what to send, how to vet a factory before you pay for bulk, and the red flags worth walking away from.
MOQ for bags: what minimum order quantity means, and how to work with it
Why bag manufacturers set minimums, what drives the number, and how to launch a small first collection without paying a premium on every piece.
How to write a bag tech pack, with a template
What a manufacturer needs from your tech pack to sample and produce a bag correctly — section by section, with a template and a worked tote example.
Vegetable-tanned vs chrome-tanned leather: which is right for your bags?
How the two main tanning methods differ in look, feel, ageing, durability and environmental impact, which bag styles each suits, and how full grain, top grain and 'genuine' leather fit in.