Inspired by a journey – Created for the world
Everything great starts small – and that's also the case with Gusti Leder. The idea was born when our founder, Christian Pietsch, was traveling through India as a student. He was fascinated by the craftsmanship of the local leather makers and laid the foundation for a company that combines timeless designs with sustainable production.
Since its founding in 2009, Gusti Leder has grown into a globally trusted brand. Based in Germany, we now stand for handcrafted leather bags and accessories that combine tradition and modernity. Our first products were leather bags and backpacks – now, bicycle products are also an integral part of our product range and are among our greatest successes.
Our goal: long-lasting quality, thoughtful designs, and close collaboration with our producers. Each product tells its own story and impresses with exquisite design, elegant colors, and high functionality. With our passion for leather, we create products that never go out of style – for people who appreciate something special.
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Our Mission
Create fascinating and innovative leather products that make you look stylish and always keep you on trend."
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Our vision
"We strive to become a highly productive and effective organization by promoting fairness and transparency in the workplace."
Our goals
A significant portion of our sales currently comes from products tanned using chrome. However, we are aware that this type of tanning can have negative environmental impacts. Therefore, we have set a goal to increasingly source leather that has been tanned naturally and in an environmentally friendly way. It is important to us to contribute to a more sustainable future and to increasingly focus on vegetable-tanned leather, which is more resource-efficient and better for the environment.
Our second major goal is to reduce our reliance on traditional online marketing strategies and increasingly rely on alternative ways of reaching customers. Instead, we aim to establish a stronger presence in various city centers. A great way to strengthen our presence in different locations is to open pop-up stores. These temporary stores allow us to raise awareness of our brand and reach more and more customers who love leather and make it their trusted companion. By establishing ourselves more frequently in city centers, we aim to create unique shopping experiences and spread our philosophy of sustainable leather widely.
Our values
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adaptability
Adapt to changes and respond quickly
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organization
Maintain ethical behavior in the workplace, demonstrate punctuality, and fulfill obligations on time
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communication
Promote teamwork and collaboration through clear communication
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reliability
Maintain integrity in our professional conduct
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improvement
Promote employee professional growth through knowledge sharing and collaboration in the workplace
Philosophy in practice
Gusti Leder stands for transparent production and the responsible use of materials – always in harmony with people and nature.
Leather - We only use leather from animals raised primarily for meat production and breeding. The hides are a byproduct that we process into high-quality leather goods to ensure the wise use of resources.
Transparency - Sustainability, environmental protection, animal welfare, and fair working conditions are essential values for us. We are actively committed to ethical and environmentally conscious production.
Discover our product lines
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Gusti Leather Nature
Our first brand was Gusti Leder Nature. Our collection of bags in this category consists primarily of vegetable-tanned goatskin.
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Gusti Leather Studio
The company's second product line is Gusti Leder Studio. These unique products are primarily made from buffalo and cowhide leather and are tanned using the chrome tanning process.
You founded Gusti Leder about 14 years ago. What are you most proud of?
You founded Gusti Leder about 14 years ago. What are you most proud of?
I'm proud of the team because they've managed to address many different topics and improve our products. And yes! This is especially important for our customers.
You visit India very often. Why do you do that?
You visit India very often. Why do you do that?
Because it is important to get a first-hand look at the situation, both with our manufacturers and with our team, to meet in person.
So, your manufacturers are in India?
So, your manufacturers are in India?
Yes, in India, as well as in Italy, and we now have some producers in Pakistan.
How important is sustainability to you at Gusti?
How important is sustainability to you at Gusti?
Sustainability is very important to me. But it's a big word. I think you should break it down into small actions. So, what exactly have I done this month, this quarter, this year to make our company more sustainable? It's not just about whether you're labeled sustainable or not. It's more about what you did this quarter to make it more sustainable.
What is your position on sustainability and what have you implemented so far at Gusti?
What is your position on sustainability and what have you implemented so far at Gusti?
I think sustainability is a big issue. For example, I don't think we should have a sustainability manager. Instead, every team leader should think about what they can do to improve sustainability. In every area, we work on many different things simultaneously.
Can you name at least one thing?
Can you name at least one thing?
I'd say 60-70% of our sales currently come from chrome-tanned items. This is harmful to the environment , and therefore our goal for Gusti is to have chrome-free leather in the future. Although we already use 40% vegetable- tanned leather, we aim to be completely chrome-free by 2024.
What are your short-term goals for this year?
What are your short-term goals for this year?
We're currently working on many small projects. For example, we've reduced the amount of plastic in our items and completely eliminated plastic bags. Instead, we now ship them in paper bags. But then we learned that even paper isn't sustainable. So, it's best to receive them as pure leather without packaging. We're now trying to coordinate this with our distribution channels.
What do you want to achieve in the next few years?
What do you want to achieve in the next few years?
I want to make Gusti less dependent on online marketing. For us, and for me, it's very unsustainable to pay Google or Facebook for advertising, even though we have to right now. So I want to have a stronger presence in the city center.
Do you slaughter animals specifically for your leather, or are you using materials already available on the market? And do you have these raw materials?
Do you slaughter animals specifically for your leather, or are you using materials already available on the market? And do you have these raw materials?
No animal was killed for our leather. Not specifically for our leather. This is reflected in our prices. For example, if a company sells a crocodile leather handbag, such bags cost €500-600 because the animal was killed for its skin. We, on the other hand, utilize waste from the meat industry. Preserving this waste allows us to offer affordable and sustainable items, since leather, as a byproduct of the meat industry, can be considered sustainable.
What has been achieved at Gusti so far?
What has been achieved at Gusti so far?
I would say the biggest thing we've achieved is specializing in a niche. We really started with fashion items like backpacks and found our niche. And I'm really proud of that, that we've delved so deeply into cycling products, which I don't think I've ever officially said. But three years ago, I was going through a pretty difficult time and found motivation in bicycles. Now being successful with our cycling products is really, yes, if you ask me, one of our great successes.
What do you love most about Gusti Leder in general?
What do you love most about Gusti Leder in general?
I think there's more than just one Gusti Leder. It has different facets. We all have our stores, where our store managers and team members work every day, doing their best to improve, craft, and sell. Then there are other parts of the company, for example, on the logistics side, where it's all about improving processes so we can ship our items faster. We try to answer our emails more quickly and, in another area, repair as many items as possible.
Our story
Our values
organization
Maintain ethical behavior in the workplace, be punctual, and fulfill our obligations on time
communication
Team collaboration and cooperation through clear communication
reliability
Demonstrate integrity in our professional conduct
improvement
Promote employee professional growth through knowledge sharing and collaboration in the workplace
Christian Pietsch, CEO Gusti Leder
