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
NO INFLATED MARKUP’S
Most other brands set their prices so high that they can offer discounts or lower their prices during sales periods and still make a profit. This approach does not make sense to us. We believe in fair pricing all year round, not just during Black Friday or other sale periods, and we calculate our prices without an inflated markup that would make it possible for us to offer discounts or have sales. Instead we offer fair prices to everyone every day.
NO MIDDLEMEN
In order to offer high quality products at reasonable prices, we focus on removing costs that do not add value to our products. That’s why the RODTNES collection is only available on our own webshop. By selling directly to you, we eliminate the need for sales agents, distributors and retailers and - not least - we’re able to cut out the profit these middlemen would need to make from your purchase. This approach allows us to offer significantly lower prices, than if our bags were also sold through traditional retailers.
Our approach 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 hope you appreciate our mission to offering high quality at reasonable prices.
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.