Episode 1: Why is Italian Leather so highly regarded?
This is a question we are often asked – why do people consider Italy the capital of leather making in the world. So first, It’s important to not...
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Welcome. We're glad you're here.
At Silver & Riley, innovation and quality are at the core of everything we do. We meticulously craft timeless and classic products designed to make moving around a more seamless and luxurious experience. Our bags, with their rich colors and exquisite attention to detail, are designed to elevate any style. As a luxury brand, we are committed to using only top-tier materials. This unwavering commitment stems from our belief that exceptional quality is essential to providing our customers with the best possible experience.
Brand Statement
Elegant, luxurious, and thoughtfully designed, Silver & Riley offers travel and fashion accessories that never compromise on style or quality. Our Made in Italy products are crafted in the same renowned factories, following the meticulous processes of other established high-end luxury brands. We are dedicated to providing top-notch items that seamlessly combine style and functionality, ensuring you never have to compromise.
Our Core Values
We are proud to be a women-led, principled brand guided by our core values of customer focus, product innovation, inclusivity, team diversity, social awareness, and an unwavering dedication to ethics and integrity.
From Concept to Creation
Our skilled artisans pay impeccable attention to detail from when we begin the design and prototyping process, to when the goods are created and ready to be delivered to you.
Integrity lies at the core of our ethos, and we firmly believe in upholding the highest standards of craftsmanship and service. As such, we unequivocally reject the notion of cutting corners.
Our Products
We create timeless and classic travel and fashion accessories that are aimed at making moving around as seamless and as stylish as possible.
Our bags are gender-inclusive and feature premium full-grain calf or cowhide leather that matures elegantly, acquiring a rich patina over time, as well as high-grade parts, including metal accessories and threads, sourced from top-tier suppliers.
Additionally, our partners hold the following certifications:
- Leather Working Group - Gold Certification
- Company with Management System Certified
- ISO 9001:2015 for Quality
- ISO 14001:2015 for environmental impact
- ISO 28000 for Supply chain safety management
- OEKO-TEX Leather Standard
- Der Blauer Engel certification for reduced environmental impact
Brand Story
We launched in late 2019 inspired by a sense of possibility and a desire to make moving around more seamless and enjoyable. Our founder envisioned a luxury travel and accessories company that blends functionality with style seamlessly to fill the void in the market that seemed to lack products that were both aesthetically pleasing and practical. She conducted extensive market research and leaned in on focus groups to identify preferences and common challenges. Then the search for skilled artisans led to Italy, where excellence and quality are core values, and sustainability is prioritized. 136 rejections and closed doors later, Silver & Riley was born.
Today, our products are meticulously crafted in the Tuscan region of Italy and we pay particular attention to detail and customer intimacy throughout the entire process. Most of our items are also designed to be multifunctional offering maximum utility and exceptional value so you can always get the most bang for your buck.
Buy 1, Give 5:
Empowering Women
Empowering Women
We award 5% of all sales to women entrepreneurs both domestically and in emerging economies.
The Buy 1, Give 5 program is our hallmark program that supports women entrepreneurs through the issuance of micro-grants to help start, grow and scale their businesses.
Starting a business, particularly one requiring significant capital, can be challenging. Women, especially those from underrepresented minority groups, may face steeper startup costs due to economic and income inequalities, often limiting their growth potential. We know this well because we faced similar challenges, hence why this program is imperative.
Through our Buy 1, Give 5 program, we seek to assist women entrepreneurs across various industries fund their dreams. 5% of all sales are allocated to this fund and awarded to women entrepreneurs bi-annually. We started this program right at launch, so it grows as we grow.
You can feel great knowing that not only are you purchasing a quality product, you’re also helping potentially close the opportunity gap for underrepresented women entrepreneurs.
About the Founder and Designer
Hi, I'm Lola, and I'm so grateful you're here. Silver & Riley is my life's passion, and I am thankful every day to work towards this vision.
Getting here has been quite the journey. With no manufacturing connections or contacts, it took me a year and 136 rejections to find my first partner factory. But I was determined. I often joke that throughout this journey, I've taken the long staircase and felt every step along the way. This has built an incredible amount of resilience and further strengtened my mission.
Resilience has been a constant thread in my life. Born and raised in Brownsville, Brooklyn, and later growing up amid debilitating poverty in Agege, Lagos, I have witnessed firsthand the stark inequalities that exist in our world. These early experiences ignited two commitments in me: first, to make sure I am honoring the opportunities life has granted me, especially as an able-bodied individual, and secondly, solidifying my dedication to serving others as my life's calling.
I'm a lifelong learner, dreamer, and doer, passionate about people, the world, giving back, and making things better than they once were. I'm grateful for my education as it has been the differentiator in my life and allowed me to rewrite a different story for myself. I've studied around the world and have earned degrees in Engineering, Mathematics, Strategy, and Finance, but I'm most grateful for my "real world" education.
As a global citizen, I've traveled to over 100 countries, fully immersing myself in various cultures and ways of life. From the streets of New York, Lagos, and Milan, to the shores of Rio de Janeiro, Honolulu, and Okinawa, and the hills of Auckland, San Francisco, and Valparaíso, I diligently study and soak up inspiration from my experiences. I see possibility in everything and everyone and deeply believe that business can be a force for good. I also believe that there is nothing we cannot accomplish if we have the determination and optimism to keep getting up and giving it another go.
With Silver & Riley, I am grateful to blend my engineering and global business background with my love for fashion design, inherited from my late mother, to whom the brand is dedicated. I cherish the opportunity to create high-quality products that make people look and feel good, and using my gift as a vehicle for positive change in the world. Our Buy 1, Give 5 program is one example of this commitment.
Prior to committing full-time to Silver & Riley, I enjoyed a fruitful corporate career as a Strategy Consulting Executive with Accenture and Deloitte, where I led major engagements across various industries, focusing on CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods). My past clients include Estee Lauder, Kellogg's, Coca-Cola, and Bank of America. Most recently, I served as VP of GTM (Go-To-Market) Strategy at Salesforce, where I also held the role of Global President of the firm's Black ERG (Employee Resource Group).
Outside of Silver & Riley, I am actively involved in initiatives that support education, economic empowerment for underrepresented groups, diversity and inclusion, and women's rights. I am also an avid photographer, a passionate sports fan, an auto enthusiast (I once dreamed of being a car designer), and I've never met a Belgian waffle I didn't love.
Getting here has been quite the journey. With no manufacturing connections or contacts, it took me a year and 136 rejections to find my first partner factory. But I was determined. I often joke that throughout this journey, I've taken the long staircase and felt every step along the way. This has built an incredible amount of resilience and further strengtened my mission.
Resilience has been a constant thread in my life. Born and raised in Brownsville, Brooklyn, and later growing up amid debilitating poverty in Agege, Lagos, I have witnessed firsthand the stark inequalities that exist in our world. These early experiences ignited two commitments in me: first, to make sure I am honoring the opportunities life has granted me, especially as an able-bodied individual, and secondly, solidifying my dedication to serving others as my life's calling.
I'm a lifelong learner, dreamer, and doer, passionate about people, the world, giving back, and making things better than they once were. I'm grateful for my education as it has been the differentiator in my life and allowed me to rewrite a different story for myself. I've studied around the world and have earned degrees in Engineering, Mathematics, Strategy, and Finance, but I'm most grateful for my "real world" education.
As a global citizen, I've traveled to over 100 countries, fully immersing myself in various cultures and ways of life. From the streets of New York, Lagos, and Milan, to the shores of Rio de Janeiro, Honolulu, and Okinawa, and the hills of Auckland, San Francisco, and Valparaíso, I diligently study and soak up inspiration from my experiences. I see possibility in everything and everyone and deeply believe that business can be a force for good. I also believe that there is nothing we cannot accomplish if we have the determination and optimism to keep getting up and giving it another go.
With Silver & Riley, I am grateful to blend my engineering and global business background with my love for fashion design, inherited from my late mother, to whom the brand is dedicated. I cherish the opportunity to create high-quality products that make people look and feel good, and using my gift as a vehicle for positive change in the world. Our Buy 1, Give 5 program is one example of this commitment.
Prior to committing full-time to Silver & Riley, I enjoyed a fruitful corporate career as a Strategy Consulting Executive with Accenture and Deloitte, where I led major engagements across various industries, focusing on CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods). My past clients include Estee Lauder, Kellogg's, Coca-Cola, and Bank of America. Most recently, I served as VP of GTM (Go-To-Market) Strategy at Salesforce, where I also held the role of Global President of the firm's Black ERG (Employee Resource Group).
Outside of Silver & Riley, I am actively involved in initiatives that support education, economic empowerment for underrepresented groups, diversity and inclusion, and women's rights. I am also an avid photographer, a passionate sports fan, an auto enthusiast (I once dreamed of being a car designer), and I've never met a Belgian waffle I didn't love.
What's in a name?
Silver & Riley honors my late mother, a skilled entrepreneur who ran several businesses including a jewelry business. She often adorned my siblings and I in beautiful gold pieces, but I preferred silver, inspiring her special nickname for me. Nearly two decades since her passing, the name Silver & Riley carries her memory and brand principles.
Her influence extends beyond the name, as I apply the customer intimacy lessons I learned from her, striving to make each customer feel valued and important. I truly consider our community family and always strive to go above and beyond to serve.
I hope you appreciate the passion, dedication, and care infused into every aspect of our brand. Thank you for choosing us!
xoxo, Lola and the Silver & Riley team
Her influence extends beyond the name, as I apply the customer intimacy lessons I learned from her, striving to make each customer feel valued and important. I truly consider our community family and always strive to go above and beyond to serve.
I hope you appreciate the passion, dedication, and care infused into every aspect of our brand. Thank you for choosing us!
xoxo, Lola and the Silver & Riley team
Recent Press
Introducing our Founder Series
Hello, I’m Lola Banjo, Founder, Creative Director, and Designer of Silver & Riley. At Silver & Riley, we create timeless and beautiful t...
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