Our Story
The idea for MARAI was born after we learned that Switzerland burns tens of thousands of goat and sheepskins from the food industry every year. This has been taking place ever since the regional leather industry came to an end in the 1950s. Fortunately, some of these hides still find their way to G. Neuenschwander Söhne AG in Oberdiessbach, a trader and tanner of hides and furs with a tradition extending back over 150 years. Due to decreased demand, however, the fur trade has been slumbering for several decades: the warehouse is bursting at the seams. If no buyers are found for the hides in the near future, they too will have to be burned.
MARAI wants to counteract this wasteful development. In a world where resources are becoming increasingly scarce, it is precisely these natural and circular materials that need to be used.
Our project is a start. We process the hides locally using natural tanning agents to create beautiful leather and skins that will last for decades. In small manufactories, we use the leather and skins to produce timeless, high-quality products that will faithfully accompany you in your daily life for years to come.
Our Name
MARAI is an anagram of Maria and pays tribute to Marie Engel, who married the company's founder, Gottlieb Neuenschwander, in 1861.
Engel-Marei, as she was popularly known, was central to the success of the Neuenschwander enterprise. She actively helped with the business and was always energetic, resolute, and persistent: a strong personality, in other words. She also ran an herbal dispensary in the village, and was feared by doctors and pharmacists alike due to her avant-garde approach.
We embody this pioneering spirit. With MARAI, we create something forward-looking and unique. In this process, we take our responsibility as a manufacturer seriously and make an important contribution to solving the ecological and social problems that face our society.
MARAI is a project of G. Neuenschwander Söhne AG.
Our Motivation
Environmental destruction, microplastics, global warming, the loss of biodiversity: our way of living is part of the problem, yet the power to change it rests in our own hands. Conscious choices can truly shift things. This is what we wish to shape with MARAI: uniting the craft of local resources from the food industry with mindful leather and sheepskin production, local craftsmanship, and timeless design. MARAI is thus far more than a new bag label—we are telling a story.
Our Values
We design timeless bags and accessories from regional leather and sheepskins – with deep respect for people, animals, and nature. We choose natural materials over synthetics, tanned with plant-based agents rather than harmful chemicals. All of our materials, production, and craftsmanship take place within a 150-kilometre radius. This creates a close bond with our partners, complete transparency in how things are made, and strengthens the local economy. And because we believe transparency is all too often missing in fashion, we openly share how our pieces come to life – from the very first step to the finished object.