Handcrafting a backpack for life
- Leander handcrafts backpacks made from local, top-quality materials
- From his small village, he exports backpacks all around the world
- He moved from London to the countryside of Bavaria
Leander Angerer comes from a creative family. At Central St Martins College in London, he completed a master's degree in industrial design after studying design in Dessau. While still living in London, he discovered an empty workshop in rural Bavaria and immediately saw its potential. He decided he could work on ideas without worrying about generating income right away. Moving from London to rural Bavaria was not easy, "My life is still characterised by a tension between rural and urban." Leander wanted to handcraft an outdoor product that can be used both in the city and in the country: a backpack. As a way to ensure that all of his requirements were met, he produced the backpack entirely by himself. The result is a high-quality backpack made from premium, locally-sourced materials.
Interview
- How did you manage to start selling backpacks all over the world?
- As I completed the product design for my first backpack, I realised that the backpack would have to be sold for at least a 5-digit amount to make any profit. It took almost four years for the solution to find me.
- What happened?
- Initially, I sold a few items every now and then and the quality of the backpacks spoke for itself. Design magazines published articles about my work and eventually, a Japanese company became aware of my work. Their approach is to sell design products via pop-up stores in large Japanese cities. In the past few years, I have sold my backpacks all over the world.
- What gave you the confidence to stick with your idea for four years?
- It would be fair to say that I am naturally stubborn. The idea was hard to let go of. I was sure that my backpacks had a place in the world. My parents are both freelance artists, so I grew up with the idea that during a process you often have questions or doubts about where things are going.
- What do you love most about your craft?
- My work allows me to do what I want exactly the way I want it, and I love the life I have created with it. It shows that it is still possible to build a free and good life in Germany as a one-man show with a craft, innovative ideas and sustainable production. As it stands, I have three children.
Leander Angerer is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2010
Where
Leander Angerer
