Aria Journal:
Founded in 2004, Sandqvist, started life as an experimental design project between three childhood friends; Anton, Daniel and Sebastian. Identifying a lack of design-led, functional bags available at the time, they set out to disrupt the status quo with a collection of rolltop backpacks, bags and accessories, crafted from sustainable materials and made for city life.
With their Scandinavian roots at the heart of everything they do, Sandqvist place sustainability and care for the environment at the forefront of their design methodology. We caught up with co-founder Sebastian Westin to find out more about their brand story.
Aria: Nature plays an important role in the Sandqvist philosophy, how do you enjoy the natural environment in your local area?
Sandqvist: “I’m based in Stockholm, something really nice about the city is that in the summer there are many places to go for a swim. Also, during winter there’s a frozen forest lake close by, where you can go ice skating or just have a walk around, make a fire and have a small barbecue."
Aria: What was the driving force behind starting Sandqvist?
Sandqvist: “When we started Sandqvist in 2004 we felt a lack of well-designed and functional bags. There were either really ugly “computer bags” or expensive high-end luxury bags. We wanted to make something in between. But back then we never thought this would be a global business, it was mainly a creative hobby for the three of us."
Explore Sandqvist's collection of rolltop bags, backpacks and accessories here.
Aria: Sustainability is a major consideration for Sandqvist. How do you ensure ethical production and the use of sustainable materials in your collections?
Sandqvist: “Sustainability is in our DNA. We would never do anything without all the background checks. We have a great design and production team and we work closely with independent organisations, such as Fair Wear Foundation and Leather Working Group. We use locally sourced Scandinavian leather and we buy our organic cotton directly from the farmers. But it can of course be difficult ensuring that all aspects of production are the best they can be for the environment, so it’s a really key focus for us to continue developing this aspect.”
Aria: What are the main considerations when it comes to designing a backpack for modern city life?
Sandqvist: Our four keywords applied to everything we do are:
- Sustainable
- Function
- Quality
- Scandinavian