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Forbes
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
From Little To Liffner: The Brand Evolution Behind An It Handbag Label
Paulina Liffner von Sydow, founder of Liffner, Photo Credit: Mithias Nordgren When Paulina Liffner von Sydow launched her Stockholm-based handbag line in 2012, she called it Little Liffner. The name felt right at the time: playful and modest. But over a decade later, she realized it wasn't just a brand name. The 'little' was a metaphor for how she had been approaching the business: quietly, cautiously, and maybe, in her own words, playing small. Don't get it twisted: 'Little' had nothing to do with the brand's actual success or the founder's potential. In reality, Liffner von Sydow and her namesake brand have been making big moves since the beginning. More recently, the handbag line known for combining Scandinavian simplicity with fine Italian craftsmanship has undergone a rebranding, and is now boldly known as Liffner — and the shift is more than a switch in language. 'I think a part of me used 'Little' as a kind of safety net,' Liffner von Sydow reflects. 'I used to tell myself this was just a little project — no one needed to care too much,' she says. 'But after more than ten years, I realized I had built something with real staying power. It was time to own that.' Liffner has become a cult name in quiet luxury, known for sculptural silhouettes, minimal design, and a distinct Scandinavian sensibility. It's a brand that's flourished in the whitespace between heritage luxury and fast-trend hype, offering thoughtful handbags that feel both current and enduring. The brand has also gained fame thanks to its roster of celebrity fans: from Jennifer Lawrence (who has been photographed carrying Liffner's suede Belted Bucket Bag) and Kendall Jenner, to Taylor Swift (who has worn a Liffner crossbody bag to a Kansas City Chiefs game), as well as Katie Holmes and Lady Gaga. The recent rebrand, which officially took shape at the end of 2024, wasn't a dramatic overhaul but a tightening of vision — 'a formalization,' as she puts it. 'It just makes everything go better together.' (It's synergistic that Liffner von Sydow has a branding background, before pivoting to fashion designer and founder.) Unlike many buzzy accessories brands that rise fast and fade faster, Liffner has sustained and scaled over a decade — a rare feat in fashion. The brand was picked up by Barneys in its second season, a stamp of approval that helped propel it early on. It also caught a wave of virality when Hailey Bieber was photographed carrying a Liffner evening bag to meet President Macron at the Élysée Palace. 'It wasn't just that Hailey carried our bag — it was where she was going,' Liffner von Sydow says. 'She was going to the French presidential palace. That was a special moment.' Iconic belted bucket bag, Photo Credit: Courtesy of Liffner But visibility hasn't been the only driver of longevity. Much of Liffner's durability lies in its operational discipline. The brand has remained lean and founder-owned, with no outside investors and a bootstrap mentality that favors creative control and sustainable growth over rapid scale. 'I've seen so many brands hire too many people too fast,' says Liffner von Sydow. 'We've stayed small and bootstrapped, which gave us the freedom to pivot quickly, especially during the pandemic.' For years, Liffner von Sydow led with instinct. As a founder with a background in branding and PR, her path into fashion was unconventional. 'I didn't have a grand business plan,' she says. 'I just saw a gap. At the time, there weren't many handbags that were clean, elevated and accessible. It felt intuitive.' But after ten years, she began craving a shift. 'I asked myself: if I'm spending this much of my life building something, what do I want it to give back?' She landed on four answers: financial success, connection with like-minded women, moving to New York City, and owning and operating a brand she could be proud of. And perhaps most radically, she began speaking openly about money and profitability. "In Sweden, women rarely talk about making money. It tends to make people uncomfortable,' Liffner von Sydow says. 'But once I started having those conversations, everything shifted.' She began designing more intentionally, listening to what resonated with customers, and embracing her role not just as a creative, but as a CEO. 'I used to cringe at calling myself an entrepreneur or a designer,' she admits. 'Now I own both.' Ironically, for a founder with a branding background, Liffner von Sydow admits she resisted leaning into brand-building for years. 'I've always had a complicated relationship with luxury,' she says. 'There's a side of it I love — craftsmanship and beauty. But I hate when branding feels manipulative, like it's tricking people into thinking they need something to prove their worth.' Instead, she focused on product. She obsessed over quality, manufacturing and materials. But after a decade of refinement, she realized it was time to embrace the full picture, including brand identity. Dropping 'Little' represented a power move. 'I wanted our name and voice to match the level of product we were making,' she says. 'It's not a rebrand. It's a tightening of everything, almost like a 'growing up' moment." With the brand now available on Net-a-Porter, a power move Liffner von Sydow likens to getting stocked at Barneys back in the day, the timing of the rebrand couldn't be sharper. 'It's a huge stamp of approval that we're super happy with.' It's also the type of momentum that Liffner is excited to ride throughout 2025 and beyond: the brand is set to be available in even more retailers by the end of the year. And while celebrity moments still drive visibility, what excites Liffner von Sydow most is seeing the bags in the wild — on real women, in real lives. 'That's always been our North Star: designing for women who are going places.' She means that literally and figuratively. From the morning gym run to evening events, Liffner bags are meant to move with you — seamlessly, stylishly, and without shouting. As for what keeps her grounded? A personal mantra rooted in martial arts philosophy, often linked to Bruce Lee: 'Stillness in motion.' "I'm such a forward-moving person, but I have to remind myself to just take moments and find stillness in that too. That's when the best ideas come.'
Vogue
02-06-2025
- Business
- Vogue
Liffner's Handbags Define Everyday Luxury—Discover Vogue Editors' Go-To Styles for Less
Photo: Courtesy of Liffner When a canvas tote feels too casual for the office and dinner after, but a mini top-handle too impractical, there's one handbag brand Vogue editors turn to: Liffner. Founded by Paulina Liffner von Sydow, Liffner specializes in the kind of 9-to-whenever handbags that make a wardrobe that much harder. Its range of sensible suede totes and shoulder bags make for perfect everyday styles, while its smaller designs are equally covetable for moments when you don't have to transport laptop and lunch to and from work. The structured, fits-anything-and-then-some shapes of the Sprout and Penne totes (named so for its pasta-shaped closure) are year-round staples—both senior executive shopping director Libby Page and senior shopping writer Cortne Bonilla have been known to sport theirs at Vogue HQ—while the Micro Pillow Pouch (in suede or leopard) is a favorite for minimalist, evening-ready polish. New to the lineup but no less desirable: the Belted Buckle Bag (defined by its long, loop-like closure and available in multiple strap lengths) and the Flat Leather Basket Bag—a summer must-have perfect for adding personality to with a beaded bag charm. Liffner's contemporary luxuries are already well-priced, which makes owning one of our editors' favorites even more inviting as an Insider with 15% off.
