A member of the Borge Garveri family recently reached out to me to let me know that the tannery is no longer in business. It was a family run operation for 120 years (established around 1870).Unfortunately, last year they had to close their doors due to a series of factors including the "global financial crisis, the strength of the Norwegian kroner, a lack of raw-materials caused by a strong increase in raw-material prices, internal quality challenges and frost and flood damage". [Reference here.]
J.Crew frequently used Borge Garveri products in their leather handbags. Customers would see the "leather tumbled by Borge Garveri exclusively for J.Crew" in product descriptions. J.Crew would even go as far as sharing: "By the way, it's pronounced "Borg-ee," with a rolled R." ;)Their leather was always beautiful, "indescribably rich" as J.Crew would say. One of my favorites, is the Frankie Bag (as shown in the image to the left). I personally own (& love) this bag.
So it is with sadness that I say "farvel for alltid" ("good-bye forever" in Norwegian) to Borge Garveri. :(
They made fantastic bags, J.Crew probably should have considered continuing to work with them.
ReplyDeleteThat is so sad to hear! That bag is truely gorgeous. You are one lucky girl!
ReplyDeleteIt's unfortunate to see the end of quality manufacturing from Borge Garveri. I have several of the J.Crew bags as I love the feel of the leather and the soft suede inside. I'll cherish them even more now that it is the end of an era.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post Alexis, what sad news. I have several bags and will treasure them even more.
ReplyDeleteI wondered why we haven't seen any mention of Borge Garveri in a while.
Thanks to the Garveri family for crafting the type of heirloom quality many of us here are looking for.
It is very sad to hear they are closing down. Their bags will surely become collector's items now.
ReplyDeleteThat is sad! And I fear once again for future trends in products/pricing. High price, cheaper material, poor craftsmanship. :<
ReplyDeleteSo sad to hear about the loss of this quality craftsmanship. Alexis, you are lucky to have your Frankie bag to cherish! It is lovely. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteI love the bag in the photo you selected!
ReplyDeleteHow nice that the family contacted you.
:( That sucks. My favorite J.Crew purses are the Borge ones.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do not own any JCrew leather bags (I only liked their canvas prints and other designs and have purchased to many to count!) I do understand something you love being discontinued as very sad indeed!
ReplyDeleteHowever, there are many high quality leather handbags still being made out there. I have found Radley bags to be the best quality leather anywhere. That is why I passed on JCrew ones and many others out there.I discovered them while living in Europe/UK. They are now sold in limited designs in the US at Bloomingdales.
Good morning! Kinda OT -- but does anyone know the name/style of the shirt model is wearing in this pic? thanks!
ReplyDeleteConster: That's the Suzannah shirt in liberty fabric, style no 85791.
ReplyDeleteThere's definitely lots of quality leather bags to be had out there, but it is sad to see Borge Garveri have to fold. Plus it's a fresh reminder of how great J.Crew used to be....
Barbabelle -- thanks for your help :)
ReplyDeleteThat is a terrible shame. I don't buy J Crew bags as a matter of course, but if I did, this is the level of quality I'd expect for what they charge. Hope this is not a sign of more cost-cutting on the way.
ReplyDeleteAnd I will add a shameless plug for Marc Jacobs leather handbags ... the quality is amazing, and I will never let go of any of mine. I've had them for years and they still look fantastic. They can be a bit heavy with the hardware and the heft of the leather, but it isn't an issue for me. I've bought all of mine pre-owned on eBay and I love them like they're my children! :)
ReplyDeleteVery sad news...My love of J Crew bags has really declined lately and a lot has to do with the lack of quality and super boring styles.... I keep waiting for some fresh colors and styles. I love the colors of the Borge bags and the quality was fabulous.
ReplyDeleteI have seen some Michael Kors bags at TJ Maxx that had a similar quality leather to the Borge, although not quite as nice, and in similar styles to some favorite J.Crew bags. And they are about $129.99... and if you can score one on clearance, even better. They also come saturated colors which makes me happy!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the sharing the post Alexis.I have the Anya Bag and have always loved the Borge Garveri tumbled leather. In these times of cheap, flimsy manufacturing, it is sad to see a quality, family manufacturer with so much history close its doors.
ReplyDeleteForget the purses... where on earth can I find that incredible argyle dress?! Is that a recent J.crew item? I am in love with it! Can someone email AJCandrian@gmail.com if you know where to find it?! THANKS!!!!
ReplyDeleteAJ Candrian,
ReplyDeleteThat dress is from Fall 2007. It's one of those items I'm STILL looking for. My local crew had a limited size run of smalls and by the time I got around to trying to order it, it was sold out. I kick myself for not owning it. :(
I know this is an old post, but I was blessed earlier today.
ReplyDeleteAt a resale store, I found a lemon/pine Borge Garveri uptown tote for $45. I jumped on it and had to chuckle, because I still have the small accessory catalog from 2008 and have marked off things that I either bought that season or found secondhand.