The handbag has become a particularly public expression of taste. There are logos, waiting lists and silhouettes recognisable from several restaurant tables away. Liffner offers a rather more discreet proposition: beautifully made bags with enough personality to be noticed, but no need to announce their origins.
Founded in Stockholm in 2012 by Paulina Liffner von Sydow, the Scandinavian leather goods brand combines expressive minimalism with Italian craftsmanship. Its bags are handcrafted in small batches at a family-run atelier outside Florence, balancing refined silhouettes with unexpected proportions, sculptural hardware and tactile materials.
That duality is important. Liffner’s bags are clean but never clinical, useful but rarely predictable. The design may begin with a straightforward pouch, tote or clutch, yet there is invariably something to interrupt the good behaviour: a mandala-shaped fastening, an offbeat colour or a surface that changes character as it catches the light.
For AW26, Liffner has given its Scandinavian restraint a more decadent wardrobe. Crushed velvet, deep burgundy croc and rich shades of green introduce what Liffner von Sydow calls “rock’n’roll minimalism”. The silhouettes remain disciplined, but the mood has loosened its collar.
Fabric of Society speaks to the founder about thoughtful design, the influence of New York and why the best evening bag should look equally persuasive with denim.
What did you feel was missing from the handbag world when you founded Liffner, and does that same instinct still guide you today?
I was looking for bags with beautiful craftsmanship and a distinct point of view at a price that felt reasonable. Something refined with personality, without a big logo. I couldn’t find quite what I wanted, so I decided to make it myself. That instinct still guides me. The collections have evolved, but I’m still looking for that balance of strong design, quality and value. I want women to fall for the bag itself and feel good about buying it.
There is a refreshing directness to that proposition. At a moment when luxury can appear increasingly preoccupied with recognition, Liffner places the emphasis back on the object. The attraction should be the shape, material and way it fits into a wardrobe, rather than its ability to perform a particularly expensive piece of semaphore.
Your designs balance clean lines with unexpected details. What makes a bag unmistakably Liffner?
It’s exactly that combination of simplicity and an interesting twist. A Liffner bag should never be complicated and should never be boring. There needs to be something that catches your attention: a proportion, a sculptural closure or an unexpected material. I’m very to the point in every aspect of my life, as a designer, in my communication and in running the business. I think that comes through in the bags. The idea should be clear, without too much explanation.
The clarity is evident across the collection. Liffner does not rely on decorative excess to make a bag distinctive. Instead, interest comes through the tension between a familiar silhouette and one carefully judged disruption. It is minimalism with better conversation.
Which shape, texture or colour best captures the spirit of AW26, and how did it find its way into the collection?
AW26 was very much about colour and texture, with a mood I thought of as rock’n’roll minimalism. There’s something slightly decadent and undone about crushed velvet. It catches the light beautifully and gives a simple shape a completely different character. Alongside chocolate velvet and deep burgundy croc, it brought richness to the collection while allowing us to keep the silhouettes clean.
Crushed velvet has a useful lack of perfection. It shifts beneath the hand and responds to the light, preventing a precise shape from feeling overly pristine. On Liffner’s bags, it provides richness without tipping into nostalgia. The chocolate and burgundy tones offer an equally persuasive alternative to black, particularly when worn with leather, denim or evening tailoring.
How has your design language evolved since launching the brand, and what have you become more adventurous about?
The foundation is still simplicity, but I’ve become more adventurous with colour and materials, and we’re developing the evening side of the brand. Moving from Stockholm to New York a little over two years ago has influenced that enormously. I feel freer here. The energy and the way people dress encourage experimentation. Then there’s something as simple as having more daylight in winter. It genuinely makes working with colour much easier, and I think you can see that in the collections.
The move from Stockholm to New York feels legible in the contrast between restraint and exuberance. The Scandinavian foundations remain, but colour has become bolder, textures richer and the evening proposition more assured. Even minimalists, it seems, occasionally want to stay out late.
If you could keep just one bag from AW26, which would it be and how would you style it?
The Pushlock Pouch in green crushed velvet. That green feels like a signature for me; I’ve returned to it in different collections over the years. I’d wear it with a good jean, kitten heel and an oversized drapey leather jacket.
It is also an excellent summary of the Liffner approach. A tactile evening bag worn with denim and relaxed leather feels more modern than saving it for a formal dress. The contrast removes the ceremony while retaining the glamour, which is precisely what makes the styling work.
Finally, a little preview: what has been occupying your moodboard for Spring/Summer 2027, and what might surprise us?
There’s a London ’90s party-girl reference running through the moodboard, filtered through our minimal approach. I’m interested in contrasts: sleek shapes with tactile surfaces, dusty pink and textured greys with a little gold or an abstract animal print. The Paper Clutch is an important silhouette. We’re continuing to explore evening bags with a relaxed attitude, pieces you can carry with jeans as easily as something dressed up.
It is a compelling direction for a brand built on contrasts: Stockholm precision meets New York energy, while the spirit of a London party girl makes an unexpected appearance. The SS27 Paper Clutch keeps the silhouette sleek, leaving textured surfaces, faded colour and flashes of gold to provide the after-dark attitude.
Liffner’s appeal ultimately lies in making distinctive design feel uncomplicated. The bags carry what is required, improve almost everything they are worn with and never insist upon explaining themselves. Rather like the best-dressed woman in the room.
