A Handbag Reflecting the Journey of Life

Inspired by the idea of Heidi embarking on a safari from Switzerland into the world, Founder and Creative Director Johanna Van Der Drift created the brand HEIGS, a name formed from “Heidi Goes Safari”. With a background in hospitality and design, Johanna, an interior designer, has been residing in the Swiss Alps for a long time and has always loved the story of Heidi. Initially, she crafted a logo featuring the traditional Scherenschnitt design, depicting Heidi seated on an elephant for custom-designed dishes in collaboration with Villeroy & Boch for her hotel. Drawing on her keen eye for design and her love for French fashion, she ventured into creating her first HEIGS handbag. After a decade, she refreshed the logo, recutting the Scherenschnitt to feature Heidi accompanied by a lion. “I have always wanted to create a long-lasting handbag that you could pass on to your daughter as a piece of heritage,” she reflects.

In 2022, Johanna embarked on the HEIGS venture with Daan Van Luijn. Both originally from the Netherlands, Johanna and Daan have known each other since he was seven. Daan, an experienced creative leader, has created brand strategies for renowned international brands, including Amazon, Meta, Balenciaga and Vogue Scandinavia. Bringing a decade of expertise of the intricate interplay between culture, brands and fashion, he assumes the role of co-founder and CEO at HEIGS. “With HEIGS, I can finally create a strategy for a vision of both Johanna and myself,” he expresses.

With Swiss artisan design and French craftsmanship, the luxury handbags of HEIGS embody timeless elegance. Though unintentional, Johanna and Daan quickly realized that their values align with the trend of quiet luxury. “We wanted to combine the ultimate practical handbag with timeless luxury,” Daan explains, referring to the simple design of the handbags. Wanting to remain exclusive, unique and innovative, Johanna emphasizes the importance of real luxury, attaching significant value to the time spent on hand stitching and ensuring her handbags are products of haute couture and haute maroquinerie. “You only need one bag that will last a lifetime. I always carry it everywhere, whether I am traveling or just going out,” Johanna believes. She further compares HEIGS handbags to life itself: “the handbag transforms with time, ageing like our own personalities.” Just as humans experience life and change as a result, so do the handbags, “they get scratches and stains, making them even more beautiful than in the beginning.”

Available in the colors of charcoal, brown and bordeaux, the HEIGS “En Suisse” handbag designs suit both women and men. “I carry the bag almost every day,” Daan adds. The “En Suisse” handbag is the foundation of their collection, which is expanding with other products and designs. Each handbag takes two weeks to make, with the opportunity to personalize them with initials and preferred exchangeable linings. Coming from an idea of practicality, the linings provide the timeless handbag with a sense of newness and fun. The exchangeable linings are available in case they get dirty, as the bag is made to carry a diverse range of objects, from powder boxes, laptops to books.

Aligning with the idea of sustainability, the linings are made of fabrics that are recycled or upcycled. With different origins, they are unique and limited. The handmade fabrics of toile de jouy, ordered from a small factory in Switzerland, are hand dyed with natural dye and come in the four colors of olive green, light green, red and rose. Another set of antique fabrics was found in a castle in Switzerland. Additionally, a new selection of ballet fabrics was sourced from a ballet shoemaker.

Knowing the origins of the fabrics is important to Johanna and Daan as it brings about a personal story, “they’re all sourced in the most sustainable way we can,” adds Daan. Moreover, the bags are not mass-produced but rather made-to-order. For this reason, opening a boutique someday is in sight. Being from Bern, Johanna hopes to open a boutique there for customers to see and feel the bags prior to ordering.

Being in business for a little over a year, HEIGS has been successful to the extent of supporting and uplifting young artists. “We love connecting with people, who are like-minded and have a sense for design and craftsmanship,” Daan explains. Among the talented individuals they have collaborated with are a leather maker and a designer from France. In addition, they collaborated with an influencer who fell in love with their bag and carries it all the time. Upon people receiving HEIGS handbags, Daan shares, “the best compliment we receive is people carrying our bags everywhere and everyday.”

Discover more about HEIGS here:
heigs.com