At Ria & Richard, sustainability is not a finished achievement. It is an ongoing responsibility.
We create bags and accessories intended to be used regularly, enjoyed for years and kept beyond a single season. Our approach begins with thoughtful design, practical function and dependable quality.
By focusing on versatile colours, timeless shapes and useful details, we aim to create products that remain relevant in everyday life.
Our Approach to Materials
Every material has an impact. When selecting materials, we consider appearance, performance, durability, care requirements and suitability for each design.
We choose materials that allow us to create well-made, accessible products without losing the clean Scandinavian expression at the heart of Ria & Richard.
We are also continuously exploring improved alternatives, including materials with recycled or partly bio-based content, whenever they meet our requirements for quality, appearance and performance.
Why We Choose Vegan Leather
Vegan leather is central to many of our collections. It allows us to create structured shapes, soft finishes and rich colours—without using animal hides.
The technology behind vegan leather has developed significantly in recent years. Modern materials can offer improved durability, softness, colour consistency and everyday performance while remaining lightweight and easy to care for.
Its consistent surface can also help reduce visible defects and unnecessary material waste during cutting.
Vegan leather offers several practical advantages:
- It is animal-free.
- It can be lightweight, durable and easy to care for.
- It provides consistency in quality, colour and finish.
- It offers greater flexibility in texture, structure and design.
- It can help reduce material waste during production.
- It allows us to offer considered design at a more accessible price.
We recognise that conventional vegan leather is often made partly from synthetic materials and is not without environmental impact. We therefore do not describe it as a perfect or entirely sustainable solution.
Instead, we focus on selecting dependable materials, designing products for lasting usefulness and exploring improved alternatives as material technology continues to develop.
Whenever possible, we look for recycled-content and partly bio-based options that can maintain the quality, durability and appearance our products require.
Our goal is simple: an animal-free material should not only look good when it is new—it should perform well and remain part of your everyday life.
Designed for Longer Use
For us, responsible design also means creating fewer reasons to replace a product.
We pay particular attention to the areas that matter most in everyday use, including handles, straps, closures, linings, stitching and hardware.
Before production begins, we review samples and refine their construction, proportions and functionality. We want every detail to contribute to a product that is both practical and enjoyable to use.
Taking proper care of a product can significantly extend its life. We encourage careful use, suitable storage and cleaning according to the specific material.
Our Production Partners
Our family has been involved in bag manufacturing since 1999, giving us first-hand experience of materials, construction, quality control and the realities of production.
Today, most of our production partners are located in Guangdong, China.
We work closely with our partners throughout the development process and visit the factories regularly. These visits allow us to review materials, inspect samples, discuss workmanship and follow our products from the initial idea to the finished design.
Long-term relationships help us build openness, consistency and shared responsibility.
Independent Audits and Standards
Our main bag production partner in Dongguan has undergone independent third-party social and management-system assessments.
These assessments have included:
- amfori BSCI social monitoring, conducted by SGS
- ICS social auditing, conducted by EUROFINS/AQM
- ISO 9001 quality-management certification, issued by Bureau Veritas for the production and sale of bags
The social audits cover areas including:
- Management systems, transparency and traceability
- Child labour and the protection of younger workers
- Forced labour
- Discrimination, harassment and disciplinary practices
- Freedom of association and grievance mechanisms
- Working hours and overtime
- Wages and employee benefits
- Workplace health and safety
- Environmental management
Audits and certifications represent assessments made at a particular point in time rather than a guarantee of perfection. Regular communication, factory visits and continued follow-up therefore remain essential.
We require our production partners to provide lawful and respectful working conditions, protect employee health and safety, prohibit child and forced labour, prevent discrimination, and manage chemicals and waste responsibly.
As Ria & Richard grows, we will continue strengthening our supplier requirements, documentation and follow-up processes.
A Continuing Journey
Ria & Richard is still a young brand, and we know there is more work ahead.
We will continue learning, asking questions and improving the choices we make from materials and product construction to production, supplier follow-up and packaging.
Our ambition is to create bags and accessories that bring together Scandinavian simplicity, everyday function, animal-conscious choices and generations of craftsmanship.