Launer London
Launer London is a British manufacturer of luxury handbags and other small leather goods founded in 1940 by Sam Launer who emigrated to London from Czechoslovakia during the Second World War. The company first sold a handbag to a member of the British royal family in 1950 and subsequently was awarded a Royal Warrant by Queen Elizabeth II. History. In 1940, Sam Launer founded Launer London, and began making handbags in a small rented workshop in London's Soho district. He had left Czechoslovakia after it was occupied by Germany early in the Second World War. Launer died  in 1955, and the company remained a family business until Gerald Bodmer purchased the company in 1981. In 2011, Launer started producing bags in colours other than their traditional black, brown, and navy. Subsequently, turnover has risen 167% since the 2011 figure of £1.5 million. In March 2019, Launer reported a 23% increase in turnover to £4 million. Royal warrant. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother first purchased a Launer bag in the 1950s, and later gave one to her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II. In 1968, Launer London were given a Royal Warrant by The Queen, and have supplied  her with bags since then. She has bought more than 200 of their bags, according to CEO and owner Gerald Bodmer, and her three favourites appear to be a black leather Royale, a black patent Traviata, and a third custom-made bag. She also has kept all of her mother's Launer bags, according to Bodmer. The Traviata is Launer's bestselling design, partly due to the influence of The Queen. The Traviata is handmade in Walsall, in the West Midlands and retails for about £1,800 in 2019.