FOER
Finest leather accessories made in Munich
FOER – finest leather accessories made in Munich
»To us it’s all about timeless elegance and classic designs.«
Tells us a little about your backgrounds?
Foer is a project of passion for both of us. We are both in the final stages of our master’s degrees at the Technical University in Munich. Matthias studies Sustainable Building, and I study Robotics.
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What sparked the idea for Foer? Was there a key moment?
It happened on a trip to Sumatra during a break between studying my Bachelor’s and my Master’s degree. I was looking for a classic leather backpack and had one tailored there.
I then inspired Matthias to design and produce timeless leather backpacks: We bought a leather sewing machine and started designing and sewing the first prototypes in my parents’ studio in the vineyards near Stuttgart.
In what way are your leather goods special?
To us it’s all about timeless elegance and classic designs. They are the basis of Foer’s durable products. We focus on sophisticated craftsmanship in our own manufacture and only use the finest, vegetable-tanned leathers for our bags, belts and cardholders.
What makes your products sustainable?
All our leathers are vegetable-tanned. That means they’re free from pollutants (chrome III) and heavy metals. We only use raw hides from France and Germany, which are a waste product of meat production.
For the tanning that we do in Tuscany, we use natural substances such as chestnut extract, and the leftovers from the tanning drums are turned into fertiliser. The entire process is certified by Pelle al Vegetale. All our buckles and metal accessories are nickel-free. They’re sourced from a manufactory near Florence, which produces them individually for us according to our specifications.
And then, there’s the economic aspect: We have long-term agreements with all our suppliers, who are based in Italy and Germany, and we also run our own production. Although we think and act commercially, our business model is not exclusively geared towards profits – we want to create long-term added value for all participants throughout the value chain instead.
We have our own production in Munich to guarantee fair working conditions. So that’s how we keep all 3 dimensions of sustainability – ecological, economic and social – in balance.
What are you particularly proud of?
In 2019, we reupholstered the benches of Schumanns Bar in Munich with vegetable-tanned leather. Instead of throwing away the 30-year-old leather that came from the benches – and with many a story to tell from long nights and countless visitors – we decided to turn them into cardholders.
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