ABOUT THE BRAND
RODTNES was founded in the spring of 2012 by architect and designer Mette Rodtnes. RODTNES creates exquisite leather goods from premium natural leathers. The brand’s design philosophy is rooted in the modern, nordic design tradition; functional, minimalistic and with careful attention to detail. The RODTNES signature is the exquisite quality of materials and designs that suggest something new but made to last far beyond fast-trend fashion.
Mette Rodtnes is an experienced architect and designer, who has worked within all scales of her trade, from large scale architectural design, over spatial and interior design to furniture design and - not least - design of leather bags and small leather goods. Mette still works as an architect and designer within spatial design, but she also uses her skills to develop new designs for RODTNES. No matter which scale she works in, her attention to detail and critical approach to quality is the same.
Mette constantly strives to merge the very different roles of a bag in the best possible way: the pragmatic role of being a functional container and the much more intangible role of being a style statement.
”Whether a woman carries a canvas tote from an underground label in Berlin or a crocodile clutch from an exclusive French brand, it tells you something about her. You get a sense of who she is. Choosing a bag that you like, is choosing a bag that tells people who you are. For me, this is the most fascinating aspect of designing.” Mette Rodtnes
HIGH QUALITY & REASONABLE PRICES
The RODTNES collection is exclusively available on our webshop, allowing us to offer significantly lower prices than if our bags were also sold through traditional retailers. By selling directly to you, we eliminate the need for sales agents and distributors, ensuring that your purchase isn't burdened by unnecessary markups. This makes it possible for us to produce leather bags under healthy and sustainable conditions (read more below) in the most premium leather qualities available, and sell them to you at prices that are significantly lower than similar products on the market.
We focus on removing costs that don’t add value to our products. This is also why we don’t calculate our prices with an overhead that would make it possible for us to later offer discounts or seasonal sales. Most other brands set their prices so high that they can lower them during sales and still maintain a healthy business. This approach doesn’t make sense to us; we believe in fair pricing all year round, not just during Black Friday or other sale periods. We hope you appreciate this approach as much as we do.
ABOUT OUR PRODUCTION
RODTNES bags are consciously designed and handcrafted, focusing on workmanship, quality and longevity.
Since 2016 we have worked closely with a small team of specialists in crafting artisanal leather goods. The team is comprises of highly skilled pattern makers, cutters, stitchers and finishers. The factory works with ethically sourced materials and each piece is carefully made using traditional techniques to produce products of the highest quality.
With respect for standards of social and environmental responsibility, the factory is independently audited annually to ensure they align with standards of the internationally recognised organisation SEDEX. With each audit, new goals are implemented for continual improvement in areas of health and safety, operational efficiency and waste management. A member of our team also visits the factory every 1-2 months.
The premium leather used to make RODTNES bags is sourced responsibly from our tannery. The tannery is audited annually by the Leather Working Group (LWG). LWG, is a member-led non-profit organization that is dedicated to driving excellence in the leather industry, minimizing the impact of leather production and challenging industry perceptions, through a suite of tools and ESG certification. The LWG audit protocols allow the assessment and certification of best practice in leather manufacturing facilities, ensuring brands and retailers can make responsible sourcing decisions. Our tannery achieved a Gold Standard, the highest rating in their last audit.