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Manufacturer Spotlight: Launer London

Posted by The Lanam Shop on Oct 6th 2021

Launer London HandbagFinding and retaining success in business is no easy accomplishment. Launer London knows this all too well. After leaving Czechoslovakia with his family, Sam Launer began creating handbags in the 1940s. In small workshops that he leased, Launer created exceptional products. Although styled for function, their quality stood out among others of its type. As Launer London began to grow, it attracted customers to some of London's elite department stores to find the company's products. By the 1950s, it was also attracting a variety of skilled craftsmen from the United Kingdom and abroad. The workforce brought with them new ideas and techniques for improving an already distinguished brand.

With Sam Launer's passing, son Freddie took control of the company in 1955. While Launer handbags and purses were still selling at stores like Harrods, other companies, Gucci for instance, subcontracted Launer to make their products. Focusing on these deals contributed to Launer London losing sight of its vision for the future. Marketing its own brand was not at the forefront of the management's strategy. This continued too long, even though Queen Elizabeth herself remained loyal to the brand, being spotted everywhere with a handbag donning a clasp denoting a Launer product, an oval resembling twisted rope. She had granted Launer the Royal Warrant, an official way for the company to advertise the fact that she was served by the business.

The 1960s and '70s were dark times for Launer London. While influential socialites and royalty remained customers, they were not enough to make the company viable. Failing to gain new customers, the practical decision was made to sell the company. In 1981, longtime brand admirer Gerald Bodmer became the new owner and kept the established Launer name. Bodmer had an extensive work history spanning two decades in the gift and leather goods market. With a loyal workforce behind him, Bodmer endeavored to put Launer back in the spotlight. One of his first obstacles was to move away from being a subcontractor so that the brand could focus on reinvigorating itself.

In the first few decades of new ownership, many facets of the company changed, but one thing remained: Launer would stay British; it would not outsource work to be done cheaply abroad. Even today, Launer handcrafts its own leather goods at home while responsibly sourcing materials. Each item is created by one individual from the Launer team of master craftsmen. Extensive training still takes place at the Launer factory to ensure high quality. Bodmer made changes to the Launer collection, but the overall look remained the same. He wanted the items to be classic, but they had to be kept from appearing dated. New generations of suppliers and customers had entered the marketplace, and in the early 2000s, space for Launer products began to shrink at favored department stores. Bodmer had to move the company forward boldly.

The time came in 2009 for Launer to carve out a piece of digital real estate. Opening an online store allowed customers wider access to Launer products. Buying small leather goods online was easy and popular for consumers. Launer's iconic Traviata quickly became a best seller once again when customers could choose it in new bold colors. Business was picking up, and soon it skyrocketed when Queen Elizabeth carried along a Launer handbag to her grandson Prince William's wedding. The Launer hallmark clasp easily stood out in the media coverage of the event just as it did on Helen Mirren when she performed in the Broadway production of Her Majesty. Celebrity power helped raise an awareness of the Launer brand.

Today, the company continues to prosper with the sale of leather purses, handbags, wallets, and other small items in stores and online. Launer London knows it must continue to reach consumers using new technologies. Today, Launer's products are more customizable than ever before. Their swatch collection contains calf, ostrich, mock crocodile, lizard, and python leathers that are available in a wide range of eye-catching colors and traditional shades. Buying a Launer London item isn't just like making an everyday purchase; it's making an investment in one's own style.