Written by Menswear Style in Interviews on the 11th November 2020

Established in 2012 LEFRIK started designing urban bags, backpacks and travel essentials using the highest quality eco-friendly fabrics made out of recycled plastic PET bottles. the brand was born to solve travel and city commuting problems by providing the most fashionable and functional bags for the modern digital nomad. They offer conscious consumers access to innovative products that while still being cool and savvy, are made avoiding the use of more natural resources. LEFRIK contributes to the environment by reducing the use of virgin polyester and rather extending the life of discarded plastic bottles, while saving energy in the production process. The brand is also proudly approved as vegan by the animal welfare organisation PETA.

In a recent episode of the MenswearStyle Podcast we interviewed LEFRIK Co-Founder Curra Rotondo about her background in the fashion industry, the story of how the backpack and travel accessories brand first started and how it's currently trading during Covid-19. Our host Peter Brooker and Curra also chatted about how they came up with the brand name, recycled plastic bottles, having a social and environmental impact, and giving back to the planet.

“We make backpacks out of the highest quality recycled materials made from discarded plastic bottles. During my time working for other fashion companies I had the opportunity to see how things could be made in a better way, because in fashion everything is made with seasons in mind. We were constantly pushed to create new collections and new items. My co-founder is a climate activist and is passionate about the environment. We both strongly believed there was a possibility of creating a profitable business with an environmental and social impact. We both understand sustainability, not only as a matter of being good to the planet, but also to the people on it. So, it was in 2011 when we started with the idea of creating a travel accessories brand to solve community problems. There was a gap in the market, and we travelled to Taiwan to look for sustainable fabrics. In 2012 we had developed a 100% sustainable company. When looking for a brand name we wanted a short name which would be easy to remember in many different languages. We also always had in mind that we wanted to be a global brand. We later realised LEFRIK had a meaning in French which is a slang word for money, which I found funny, but it’s an easy name to remember and overall people like it. During the Covid-19 pandemic we’ve had the chance to reorganise everything without affecting any of our suppliers directly. We’ve been forced to delay shipments but I think it has helped us to join forces and count on each other whilst passing through these difficulty times. I think being a slow fashion brand has played in our favour because we don’t produce massive quantities.”

This is a shortened transcribed edit of episode 87 of the MenswearStyle Podcast with Curra Rotondo, Co-Founder of lefrik.com. You can listen to the full version below or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast player.

We sit down with Curra Rotondo from LEFRIK who make sustainable bags, travel accessories and backpacks made from recycled plastic bottles.