As a Melbourne based label that is designed and produced wholly in Australia, Smena is now made up of a team of dedicated, inspired individuals who pride themselves on continuing to support the Australian manufacturing industry. Smena is committed to supporting the dying art form and trade in Australia, harnessing the skills of local artisans to produce highly crafted fine leather goods.  We are innovative and resourceful in our designs and with our attention to detail and exquisite leathers, we are proud of our brand.

This has always been our core philosophy; it differentiates us from other brands.  It offers our customers uniqueness in design, materials and make. The reality is that Australia’s leather craft industry is not as strong as it once was and although we will continue to support it, we realise that it is necessary to explore new ways of expanding the brand without sacrificing our beliefs.  We believe that it is important to educate and promote the importance of supporting locally made and keeping jobs in Australia. 

Sustainability is also very important to us at smena. The way the industry is moving is unsustainable, labour conditions and environmental impact are growing concerns. There needs to be a cultural shift away from fast fashion.

There is something about mass produced, cheap, million-of-a-kind products that doesn't sit right with us at smena. There will always be the big chain stores offering standard, generic, sometimes lovely, products and there may be a need for that kind of purchase along the consumers journey but ultimately the place for all of that excess product is landfill.

 Imagine giving a gift, for your self or loved one that is hand made by a talented local artisan whose passion and dedication went into each sketch, cut, fold and stitch. At smena we generally make to order, only holding small amounts of stock and only produce small runs. We don't over produce so we don't waste valuable resources. This may mean a slightly longer delivery time on purchases from our on-line store but we believe looking after our environment is far more important than a quick fashion fix, in the knowing that once you receive your smena product, you will use and enjoy it for years to come.