Launer London

Launer London is a British manufacturer of luxury handbags and other small leather goods founded in 1940 by Sam Launer who emigrated to London from Czechoslovakia during the Second World War. The company first sold a handbag to a member of the British royal family in 1950 and subsequently was awarded a Royal Warrant by Queen Elizabeth II.

Launer London
IndustryLuxury goods
Founded1940
FounderSam Launer
Headquarters
Warlingham, Croydon
,
United Kingdom
ProductsHandbags
Websitelauner.com

History
Launer London, Holtshill Lane, Walsall

In 1940, Sam Launer founded Launer London, and began making handbags in a small rented workshop in London's Soho district.[1] He had left Czechoslovakia after it was occupied by Germany early in the Second World War.[1] Launer died in 1955, and the company remained a family business until Gerald Bodmer purchased the company in 1981.[1]

In 2011, Launer started producing bags in colours other than their traditional black, brown, and navy.[1]

Subsequently, turnover has risen 167% since the 2011 figure of £1.5 million.[1] In March 2019, Launer reported a 23% increase in turnover to £4 million.[1]

Royal warrant
Queen Elizabeth II with a Launer bag in 2015

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother first purchased a Launer bag in the 1950s, and later gave one to her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II.[2]

In 1968, Launer London were given a Royal Warrant by The Queen, and have supplied her with bags since then.[2][3][4] She has bought more than 200 of their bags, according to CEO and owner Gerald Bodmer, and her three favourites appear to be a black leather Royale, a black patent Traviata, and a third custom-made bag.[2][5] She also has kept all of her mother's Launer bags, according to Bodmer.[2] The Traviata is Launer's bestselling design, partly due to the influence of The Queen.[2] The Traviata is handmade in Walsall, in the West Midlands and retails for about £1,800 in 2019.[4][6]

References
  1. Fish, Isabella (19 March 2019). "Exclusive: Rise in revenue at Launer London". Drapers. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  2. Foussianes, Chloe (9 January 2019). "Queen Elizabeth Has Carried the Same Three Launer Bags for Years, Because Like Her They Improve with Age". Town & Country. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  3. "How to make a handbag fit for the Queen". BBC News. 21 April 2016. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  4. "Royal Family Christmas pudding photos: Five things to spot". BBC News. 22 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  5. Escobar, Sam (1 April 2016). "The Queen Owns 200 Purses From This Brand". Harper's Bazaar. And wait 'til you see how much just one costs.
  6. Hardman, Robert (2018). Queen of the World. New York, London: Random House, Century. p. 69. ISBN 978-1-4735-4964-7.

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