Ettinger Timeline

Gerry Ettinger founded Ettinger in 1934. Having worked as a film producer in Italy and Germany (where he worked with Marlene Dietrich), he used his extensive contacts in continental Europe and England to create a range of luxury gifts, which became renowned throughout the UK for quality and innovation.

As the master of five languages Gerry Ettinger was known for his international outlook and ability to do cross border deals at a time when international travel was still considered exotic. In the 1950s he acquired a small leather goods manufacturing business, which had been making leather goods in London since the 19th century, and he used this foundation of craftsmanship and design to build the business which is Ettinger today.

In 1990, Robert, his elder son took over the reins and continued the tradition of craftsmanship and quality as well as bringing in some more contemporary designs. He has since further 'internationalised' and developed the business in Asia, South Africa, Australia, and the US. All these regions have become very important to the Ettinger brand.

In 1992 Ettinger was privileged to obtain the prestigious Wimbledon Licence for various accessories, which started years of collaboration between Ettinger and the world-renowned Wimbledon Championships.

In 1996 Ettinger was honoured to be granted the Royal Warrant to The Prince of Wales: "By Appointment to HRH The Prince of Wales, Manufacturers of Leather Goods, G Ettinger Ltd London".

In July 1999, Ettinger acquired one of Walsall's oldest leather goods manufacturing companies, James Homer Ltd (established in 1890). This acquisition breathed new life into one of the oldest and last surviving English leather goods manufacturers in Walsall. Homer is now at the heart of Ettinger's handmade manufacturing process and is home to some of the most skilled leather craftspeople in the UK.

It isn't easy to find very good crocodile-print leather, so when we found this beautifully embossed leather, we immediately launched a collection. It is so close to real crocodile skin that you are bound to get impressed looks.

With our Japanese partner we opened our first and only shop in October 2010. The shop is located in the famous Ginza district of Tokyo and holds some of our most exclusive lines.

In times of crisis, gold bullion always seems to convey a reassuring sense of durability. It was in this context that Ettinger revived the traditional technique of hand-riveting gold and silver corners onto fine black calf wallets: the Bullion Collection was born.

Ettinger's Brogue Collection was re-designed with a fuller, more intricate brogue pattern. The pattern was laser-cut into the top leather to reveal the bright yellow lining of the wallet.

Following the success of the first e-commerce website, Ettinger took its web experience to a completely new level by incorporating a more flexible content structure and offering even more purchasing options, including personalisation and multiple currencies. The customer experience was also enhanced through the better use of technology, like parcel tracking and tablet-friendly browsing.

To commemorate 150 years since the opening of the London Underground, Ettinger created The Metropolitan Collection of bags to reflect the contemporary tastes of the modern city traveller.

In July 2013, Ettinger celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation by joining over 200 Royal Warrant Holders brought together by the Royal Warrant Holders Association to exhibit in Buckingham Palace Gardens. To coincide with the celebrations, Ettinger launched the limited edition Coronation Festival Capsule Collection, comprising four classic commemorative products, each carefully selected to demonstrate the wide ranging skills of the Ettinger craftspeople.

Ettinger celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2014 with major commemorations in Japan by launching some limited edition products. Maintaining the same level of craftsmanship and ensuring continuity in style, with ever the eye for detail and distinctive personality, Ettinger has established its reputation over the years as one of the best British leather goods manufacturers, of which very few are left.

Dreamlike and highly distinctive, the Saint Crispin collection demonstrates perfectly how emotions can be conveyed through the finest leather, carefully tanned in such a way as to preserve the natural beauty and character of the leather and expertly crafted into objects of refined elegance. The patron saint of leather workers and cobblers deserves no less and this collection is our way to celebrate the absolute finest leather craftsmanship.

A new logo and the first Ettinger monogram were launched to reflect the brand’s heritage and give it a stronger identity and personality with the distinctive London Tan colour now taking centre-stage. Soft launched at the end of 2014, the new logo and monogram were rolled out in 2015 across all its products, packaging, stationery and communications.

In 2016 the British Government's GREAT Britain campaign asked Ettinger to make a unique leather masterpiece to showcase the excellence in British leather craftsmanship. We chose to collaborate with bespoke shoemakers Gaziano & Girling, with whom we made a one-of-a-kind portfolio featuring elements specific to their shoemaking and our small leather goods making traditions.

Ettinger launched it's third ecommerce website. Creating a design forward, mobile first approach has been paramount to the build of this new site and to making our customers' journeys faster.

In 2017 we celebrated 20 years of holding a Royal Warrant to HRH The Prince of Wales.

In Spring 2017 we had the pleasure of announcing our first global brand ambassador - Jessica Mendoza, the leading British show jumper. Jessica is one of the youngest riders ever to represent Great Britain at senior international level. She attended the Rio Olympics as the travelling rserve and now has her sights firmly set on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In autumn 2017 we launched the newest and ninth colour of our Bridle Hide Collection - the Ettinger Grey. The new grey is contemporary, yet classic, complementing the signature London Tan interior.

In spring 2018 we launched our most practical and colourful collection - Spectrum. This collection includes travel boxes, glasses cases and pill boxes in bright and bold coloured calf and suede leathers.

In autumn 2018 we launched our heritage inspired Capra Collection. "I visited the same tannery in France where my father, Gerry, sourced this luxurious goat leather. The Capra Collection combines the best of Ettinger's heritage and tradition with a modern design and colour, thus creating a harmony between the old and new." - Robert Ettinger

2018 saw the first Ettinger retail cabinets pop up in leading retail stores in the UK, USA and Germany. 2018 saw a great expansion in retail with more stores than ever stocking Ettinger. You can now find us in many of the most regarded stores around the world.

The inaugural Walpole Power List 2019 highlighted the 50 most influential people in British luxury and we were delighted the CEO of Ettinger was named one of the Legends, to be described as 'high-profile figures with a significant role in shaping the culture and legacy of British luxury today'.

To celebrate Ettinger's 85th anniversary we created a 85 pieces only limited edition notebooks in collaboration with a British artist Rory Dobner and heritage printers and Royal Warrant holders Barnard & Westwood, with a percentage of the proceeds going to the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST).

In July 2019 Ettinger was delighted to spearhead the first ever British Men's Style Multi-Brand Press Day at the wonderful Spencer House in London. The House was filled with 13 British brands and a well-over 100 journalists.

From 2019 Ettinger offers their customers an opportunity to create their very own bespoke Ettinger accessories from a wide selection of options. Starting with the product choice to the colour of the thread, customers can choose between eight models, 34 leathers, 20 threads and two linings.

In 2019 Ettinger expanded further into the United States of America and opened its first 'Flagship Residency' in Turnbull & Asser's New York Townhouse in Manhattan.

In 2019 Ettinger announced a major partnership with the renowned Gieves & Hawkes on No. 1 Savile Row with the opening of the 'Ettinger Accessories Room'. The Room offers the most expensive choice of Ettinger accessories and bags in a London retail space.