Werner, our founder started running a leathergoods manufacture way back in 1976 with 22 years. A few years later he took over his father's chemical business and thus had to give up his engagement in the leather business. Werner travelled intensively, while organising the export network. Plenty of years to test all kind and brands of travel luggage. His frustration was that if one wanted good quality materials and workmanship, one had to recur to any of the popular brands in the market.

Other brands with lower prices offered products with very limited durability. Broken zippers, torn lining, broken seams, defective locks, etc. many weak points that rendered the articles useless even if the outer materials themselves self were still in good condition. When looked good, it was not functional. When the article was functionally designed, the fittings and looks were not nice.

Out of this problems the desire to offer leathergoods in a timeless design, built to last, value for money that would be worn specially by people who shared similar values and who rather went for a certain understatement.

How could all this be brought together? Living in Spain, it was not difficult to team up some of the rapidly spreading industrial design companies that Barcelona is so famous for. Add to this the leathergoods manufacturing know-how acquired way back in 1976 and the vast travelling experience during the past 20 years.

SCHARLAU borns from the will of its founder, Werner Scharlau, to find the perfect briefbag. Our leather articles are thought for people with exquisite taste that enjoy wearing high quality products.

Collection No. 1 is the maximum representation of the dream and desire of its founder and brings together the brand core values: durability, functionality and timeless elegance. Items such as the zippered briefbag and the executive backpack are the stand out articles.

We craft our products for people who have exquisite taste and enjoy wearing and possessing things of beauty. Timeless beauty, that is. Products made to last, from selected and superior materials, that will keep their shape and look after many years.

For people that think things through, everything has to have its place, where everything can be found in an instant. Space for today’s gadgets, like, laptops, cables, mobile phones, tablets etc.

People who know their own worth and prefer understated elegance. Who want value for money, yet do not want to see other people, who don’t share the same values, walking around with the same products. The owner’s name is engraved on a metal plate inside each bag converting each article into something unique.