“When I started travelling for work, I realised I was taking so many different bags with me, like a laptop bag, a backpack, a clutch for evening dinners. I wanted to reduce the amount of bags I had to bring, but also wanted to be prepared for different situations. So I searched for bags with versatile sizes and uses. When I couldn’t find anything as functional, good-looking or sustainably manufactured as I knew was possible, I designed and made my own. That’s how Kørt Håndlaget Lær was born.”
It started with a woman, trying to solve a problem
— Courtney Marles, Founder and Owner
An intelligent design
At Kørt Håndlaget Lær, we believe the items you buy and wear should serve you with style and functionality, without any compromise. Our signature pieces, the Kymera and the Kassowari, are many bags in one, designed to transform as occasions arise, to suit the moments and flow of your workday or overseas travels, and to transition with you as you move through all stages of your life. The promise of intelligent design, beauty and simplicity is woven into each and every one of our products, along with the quality and trust of being individually handcrafted in Norway. Watch how our Kassowari is made via this link.
Highest quality materials
When you purchase a Kørt bag, you are investing in a bag for life. Not only for everyday life, but a functional companion that will last you many, many years if given a little love and care. Our Kymera and the Kassowari bags are made from a single piece of patented and double faced Italian leather, which means the leather is the highest quality and the bag is optimised for longevity. The buttons that enable the bags to transform are new, patented technology sourced from Germany. At Kørt Håndlaget Lær, we are also striving to use materials and processes that contribute to a sustainable future.
A family history
Today, you can find the Kørt Håndlaget Lær workshop on a small farm in Norway. Although the story starts, as most good stories do, a long time ago and far, far away. Courtney’s great-great grandfather lived in Outback Australia, where he made leather saddles for the townsfolk from the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. Her grandfather and mother also produced their own leather goods to use on the family cattle property. Courtney’s interest in the craft led her to attend a few short courses at a boutique leather tannery in Sydney. Interest became passion, and over the years, she has continued to develop her skill and mastery. She moved to Norway in 2017 and has lived there ever since.
A lot of love
Kørt Håndlaget Lær was born from a deep love of leathercraft and the beauty of the natural world. Too often, luxury fashion means low functionality at a great cost to the environment: it’s a fancy dress you wear just once, fake nails and private jets. But this is not the Kørt Håndlaget Lær definition. To us, luxury is about the details, slowing down to do things right, to design and redesign – until that thing that you create is the best version of itself, usable to its full potential and able to withstand the test of time. Driving everything we do at Kørt Håndlaget Lær is the principle that the things we make and use should have more than one purpose and a positive impact on the world.
