Our Philosophy

Buying less, choosing better and enjoying longer.

From day one, that has been at Studio Gyzell’s core. You may have come across the term “Ecology Centred Design”, or ECD, a few times and we’re here to explain a little bit more about what we mean by that. With the term ECD, we formulate our unique philosophy of sustainable entrepreneurship. With this philosophy, we look at the total impact of our choices and we go for the best possible option for People and Planet. There is not a step we skip, we see the details but also look at the whole story and have an integrated approach to sustainability in product design.

From principles to product

Studio Gyzell’s company mission is stimulating a movement of mindful consumption by showing the timeless beauty of a storytelling bag. We believe that customers will make conscious choices if they are well informed, motivated and the product is not only sustainable but also attractive and available. In this day and age, the term “sustainable” or “eco” seems to be thrown around rather lightly. Frequently used as a mere marketing tool rather than a core philosophy. Often, it’s unclear what exactly is sustainable about a product, or how a brand is acting consciously in every step of their production, not just the step they’re describing. When Aniko, our founder, did her research into sustainable product development she promised herself that her brand would be different. That she would not make vague and unclear promises. That every choice she made could be justified from her own point of view on sustainability and that she would share the information with customers. Based on her scientific background and experience in occupational and environmental health, she developed Studio Gyzell’s integrated approach to sustainable product development. At Studio Gyzell we see the beauty in not just the product, but the process. Taking you along every step of our journey with ECD as our guiding principles. Ecology Centred Design is not about perfection, it’s about progress and balance. We would like to share our philosophy with you.

Adjust to change

Studio Gyzell believes in the power of change. Not just for the future, but for now. Under the present production and consumption patterns of our current lifestyle, we require the natural resources of two Planets Earth. At Studio Gyzell we think that industry and consumers share the responsibility for restoring and preserving our ecosystem. We need to act together by producing and purchasing lower quantity and higher quality products. Ethical production, transparency and reliable product information are the keys to well-informed purchasing. At Studio Gyzell we see conscious decision making as a challenge for both brands and customers. Meaning, our choices matter. Whether we’re choosing what tomatoes to sell and to buy, hopping on the bike or taking the car or what type of bag we produce and wear. It’s truly in our hands to change our everyday choices. Which is why Studio Gyzell believes in adjusting the mindset to embrace change. Adjusting small things in life can make a big difference.

Our purpose at Studio Gyzell is to support customers transforming society towards a more sustainable one. That’s why we put an ecological perspective at the centre of our bag design. Ecology investigates the interactions between organisms and their environment. It is closely related to sustainable development which focuses on people, planet and prosperity. In a world, where everything is related to everything, it is possible to adjust a small part to change the whole system. Understanding that helped us to formulate our integrated approach, called Ecology Centred Design.

Balancing ethics with aesthetics

At Studio Gyzell we rethink product development where design, functionality, quality, style, manufacturing and maintenance all serve the same goal: making conscious choices possible and attractive to customers. As sustainability is a complex, dynamic and global topic there are no simple solutions. We believe that perfect results on every single aspect of a production chain are not yet possible. Instead, we strive for an integrated approach to sustainable development with the best possible result for the planet and people. Because a true ecological approach must integrate environmental and social issues as well. So we focus on working conditions, socio-economic and health aspects, preservation of natural systems and environmental impact. We select designers, suppliers and manufacturers who share our philosophy, including social responsibility criteria in our purchasing process. Besides that, we are transparent on all steps of our supply chain. In the future, we will constantly improve our methods based on new innovations and going beyond the latest sustainability trends. Here are some of our conscious choices for our first collection.

• Made in Europe: By locating our sourcing and manufacturing in Europe we share many benefits due to the strict European social and environmental regulations. Besides that, the European supply chain brings raw materials, production location and customers closer to each other, reducing the impact of transportation including minimizing carbon footprint, as well.

• Made to last: We use only the best crafters and high-quality materials. Matching this with timeless and functional design makes that our bags will last a lifetime. Besides that, we promote long-term maintenance and support beautiful ageing of Studio Gyzell bags by providing guarantee, care instructions and repair services. Investing in the longevity of products is an important aspect of sustainable thinking. No need to recycle when your product is of long-lasting quality.

• Selecting suppliers: Our materials, like our Italian bovine leather, Icelandic fish leather and Tencel lining, are made sustainably in their own way. We choose to work with suppliers and manufacturers who respect the environment and employee rights. Our suppliers have a wide range of methods they use to safeguard social and environmental values in their production practices. We give you an example to reflect our view and selection criteria on our materials. You hear a lot lately about vegetable tanned leather products called “eco”. For us, the way of tanning only wasn’t enough when we were looking for the right leather production partners. After doing research on this topic, our conclusion was that leather production is a globalised and complex chain of many stages with potential sustainability issues. Vegetable tanned leather might possibly have a more negative impact on human and environment than chrome tanned leather, depending on the diverse production methods in the complex supply chain. That's the reason why, after thorough research, we selected suppliers who implement sustainability in every step of their production chain, not only in tanning methods. Focusing on waste and water management, responsible use of chemicals, air pollution, CO2 emission, renewable energy and social policy.

• Sustainable materials: Finding the right materials has been a long process. After evaluating different types of materials, our conclusion was that for now, genuine leather was the best option. This is mainly because we haven’t found a material that offers the same long-lasting quality that actually improves with age. Vegan alternatives are often synthetic plastics with their own environmental impact and unknown long-term value and durability. For our first collection, we use bovine leather and fish leather, both up-cycled waste materials of the European food industry. At Studio Gyzell we are aware of the evidence that supports the call for engaging in the transformation to reduce meat consumption and to improve animal welfare. We definitely see the challenge in finding the right sustainable leather. Also here, we see the solution in choosing less but high quality and ethically made animal products with improved traceability. But as long as we keep on consuming meat and fish, there will be waste we have to deal with and can make use of.

The lining material of our bags is TENCEL™ Lyocell. The fibres are made in Austria of wood from sustainable forests that are certified or inspected according to FSC and/or PEFC standards. The fibres are produced by an environmentally responsible closed-loop production process. Meaning that wood pulp is transformed into cellulosic fibres with high resource efficiency and low ecological impact. This solvent-spinning process recycles process water and reuses the solvent at a recovery rate of more than 99%. TENCEL™ Lyocell fibres are very strong and durable and have a long-lasting quality.

Change is in our hands, or hung over our shoulder

To round things off: it’s all in the bag. Lifelong quality, sophisticated and smart design fused with ethical production. Studio Gyzell bags are handcrafted investment pieces, that can easily be customised. Making conscious choices available and attractive to all women around the world with their ever-changing desires.
The timeless style of the Supernova Shopper, Lyra Shoulder Bag and Orion Clutch can be kept understated with the beautiful black leather. Or it can be switched up by adjusting one of the ten different front flaps on the bag. Allowing you to go from brunch to business with this unique colour detail of feminine burgundy, scarlet red, warm brown or even striking gold shades. At Studio Gyzell we want to show that it is possible and fun to make less impulse-driven purchases and still change your look.

Each Studio Gyzell bag is a lifetime companion that changes and ages beautifully, together with you. That you pass on to your daughter or even granddaughter. We hope that you enjoy reading about Ecology Centred Design and that you feel inspired to pass on the principles behind the bags too. To us, at Studio Gyzell, that is the purest form of luxury.

One bag, your choice. There are countless ways to change. It’s as simple as that.