Ukrainian handbags: what “handmade in Ukraine” means for a leather bag
A handbag “handmade in Ukraine” should be cut, stitched and finished by people in a workshop in Ukraine, not only designed there. You can check it in three places: what the product page says about where the bag is made, how its edges and seams are finished, and whether the brand names its own workshop. Ours is the Poelle atelier in Horodok, western Ukraine, where we have made leather bags since 2021. In the EU they ship free from our warehouse in Poland.
People look for Ukrainian handbags for different reasons: the design, the craft, or the wish to buy from Ukrainian makers. We can only speak for our own atelier, so this guide explains what “handmade in Ukraine” means at Poelle and how to check any bag yourself.
Designed in Ukraine or made in Ukraine?
A “Ukrainian brand” tells you where the company and its designers are. It doesn’t always tell you where the bag was made. Look for the words “made in” or “handmade in” on the product page and the label. If the page doesn’t say, ask the shop before you buy.
Every Poelle bag is made in Ukraine: our product pages say where the bags are made, and every piece is cut, stitched and finished in our own atelier.
What happens in our atelier in Horodok
Horodok is a small town in western Ukraine. Our atelier has worked there since 2021, and it is our own workshop, not a contractor. Patterns are drawn, leather and suede are cut, bags are stitched, edges are finished and every piece is packed under one roof. We don’t outsource production.
We make in small batches, without overproduction, so every bag passes through the same few pairs of hands. Before a new model is released, we wear it ourselves, every day. Every finished bag is then checked by hand: the seams, the edges, the hardware, how it opens and closes, how it sits in the hand.
We work with natural leather and natural suede. Linings are eco-leather or a dense textile, and the hardware is gold-tone metal. The exact materials, dimensions and weight of each model are listed on its product page.
If a color or size is not in stock, the atelier makes the bag for you in 10–15 business days. Being able to make a bag to order is one of the plainest signs that a brand has its own workshop.
How to check the work on any leather bag
Edges. The cut edges of the leather on the handles and the flap should be smoothed and finished evenly along their whole length, with no loose fibers.
Stitches. They should run straight, at an even distance from the edge, with the same spacing throughout. Look closely where the handles meet the body: that is where the weight hangs.
Lining. It should lie flat, without bubbles or loose folds, and the product page should say what it is made of.
Specifications. Dimensions, weight, handle drop, materials and the place of making. A brand that makes its own bags can usually answer every one of these questions.
We go through these points in more detail in our guide to what to check before you buy a bag.
Five Poelle bags and what they show
Carolyn is a tote with straight sides and a flat base; a dense eco-leather lining holds its shape. Medium, 40 × 26 × 14 cm, takes a 13-inch laptop (it is too small for a 15-inch one), and Large, 50 × 30 × 19 cm, a 16-inch one. Medium costs €530 in smooth leather and €550 in suede; Large €590.
Jane is built softer, around a center seam that holds the shape: 48 × 27 × 15 cm, a laptop up to 14 inches, 700 g. It costs €420 in smooth leather and €520 in suede.
Josefine is a hobo bag with a V-shaped zipped top and a short handle on metal rings, 30 cm wide and 20 cm high. €430 in smooth leather, €480 in suede.
The Elza Clutch is a large, soft envelope with a folded top: 43 × 25 × 15 cm unfolded, with two inner pockets, one zipped. €440 in black, brown or marsala leather, €460 in suede.
Object №03 is a trapezoid with a short, rounded handle. Small, 22.5 × 15 × 10.5 cm, and Medium, 33.5 × 21.5 × 13 cm, also have a strap of up to 140 cm; Large, 44 × 27 × 12 cm, is carried on the shoulder. From €710, €750 and €790.
The dimensions of all our models are in our guide to bag types and sizes.
From Ukraine to the EU: delivery, duties, returns
On poelle.eu, prices are in euros and include VAT and all duties and taxes, and delivery is free. Bags in stock in our warehouse in Poland reach other EU countries in 1–3 business days (1–2 within Poland). Bags from the atelier in Ukraine take 5–7 business days, and made-to-order pieces 10–15. The product page always shows the timing for the color you choose.
You have 30 days from delivery to return a bag, to an address in Poland. Every piece has a one-year Poelle guarantee from the day of delivery, on top of your statutory rights. We deliver to all EU countries, Norway and Switzerland.
There is more about how we work on our atelier page.
Questions
Are Ukrainian handbags handmade?
Not all of them. Check what the product page says about where the bag is made, and whether the brand has its own workshop. Every Poelle bag is made in our atelier in Horodok, Ukraine.
Is Poelle a Ukrainian or a Polish brand?
Ukrainian. Poelle was founded in 2021 and makes its bags in Ukraine. In the EU, the seller is POELLE POLSKA sp. z o.o., and orders ship from our warehouse in Poland.
How long does delivery from Ukraine to the EU take?
5–7 business days from the atelier, or 1–3 business days from our warehouse in Poland, free of charge and with duties included.
What leather are Poelle bags made of?
Natural leather and natural suede, with eco-leather or textile linings and gold-tone metal hardware. The materials of each model are on its product page.
Who founded Poelle?
Pavlo Popko and Petro Lyshak, in 2021.
