About Lumi
HISTORY
Lumi Accessories was founded in New York City in 2000. The New Yorker designer duo Sanna Kantola and Bruno Beaugrand were celebrating Millennium in Europe and found an old felt factory in Finland who could manufacture felt products in snow-white felt. They designed simple white felt hats and bags and added leather handles and details onto them. The designers decided to call the products LUMI after the snow-white material produced in Finland (Lumi is the Finnish word for snow).
Lumi products were quickly bought by New York downtown boutiques and by the Japanese distributor HP France who brought the brand to Japan in 2001.
In 2003, Lumi Accessories opened a Branch in Paris, France and opened business for Europe. Lumi expanded to leather products and presented a new handbag which would become the Lumi core product and best-seller: the Supermarket Bag made in leather, with multiple handles, removable inside pockets and clean, timeless design. The line expanded to multiple collections made in leather and seasonal fabrics. Small leather goods and gloves were added into the selection.
In 2006, Lumi Accessories introduced a second handbag line, Mhann, for their male customers. As of today, Lumi is sold all over the world in over 25 countries in department stores, specialty stores and boutiques. Lumi Accessories operates both in Europe (Helsinki, Finland) and in USA (New York) with offices, showrooms and flagship store.
CONCEPT
“From every day objects to luxurious objects of desire”
Lumi product inspiration is founded in every day life. Plastic supermarket bags, Grandma’s chubby coin purses, Chesterfield couches and rain gloves all find their new life in Lumi products. The object of Lumi is to turn the ordinary to extraordinary, and to add function, beauty and sparkle along the way into every product we design.
We believe in original, timeless design and lasting materials. Every handbag, wallet or glove we design has a well-thought function, size, material and color. As a bonus, Lumi products are also featuring a lot of added gadgets such as expandable handles, phone pockets and key fobs inside them.
Every Lumi design is made from carefully selected materials and custom-tanned leather and hardware details, in the color palette carefully chosen for each season.
We believe that timeless design does not have to be boring or overly minimalist. Functional and lasting can also be feminine and playful.
From the various backgrounds and history of Lumi, we pull out the best of every world into the world of Lumi:
From Finland: function and simplicity
From France: luxury and sensuality
From New York: energy and touch of vintage
We strive for perfection and simply want to provide the best bag for you, every day.
DESIGNERS
SANNA KANTOLA
Sanna Kantola was born in Finland in 1972. She studied Fashion Design in Helsinki and in Paris and graduated from UIAH University of Art and Design in Helsinki with Master of Arts degree in 1998. She started her career in Finland as a Free-lance designer for a Finnish handbag brand Three Bags and designed cell phone cases to Nokia. She also worked as a Fashion editor and stylist for various Finnish magazines during 1990′s, and did internships in Paris for Promostyl and Louis Feraud.
After moving to New York City in 1998, she joined Ralph Lauren as the sole Handbag Designer for the brands Ralph, Polo Sport and Polo Jeans.
Sanna is one of the Founders and Partners of Lumi Accessories and the Designer of Lumi.
BRUNO BEAUGRAND
Bruno Beaugrand was born in France in 1971. He studied Industrial Design in Champagne and in Paris and graduated with Master of Arts degree from ENSAD Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs in Paris in 1998.
He moved to New York City in 1998 to work as an Industrial Designer for company 4Sight and designed packaging for clients such as Pepsi, Unilever, L’Oreal and Johnson %26 Johnson. In 2000 he joined Tiffany to create the Tiffany Watch Collection which was launched world wide in 2002.
Bruno is one of the Founders and Partners of Lumi Accessories and the Designer of Mhann.
