images courtesy Samsøe Samsøe
Samsøe Samsøe Shapes Its Future with the HERØ Bag
The new HERØ bag marks a new chapter for Samsøe Samsøe. For Naima Chamberlayne, Head of Footwear and Accessories, this moment isn’t about redefining the brand but articulating its core more confidently. The bag supports that shift through proportion, construction and a silhouette that is both clean and assertive. Its sculptural form draws from Danish architecture, while the ergonomic shape introduces a subtle challenge to the straight lines often associated with Scandinavian restraint.
Experimentation with material plays an important role in the design. Though the silhouette remains constant, each leather and finish gives the form a different attitude, creating a dialogue between accessories and ready‑to‑wear. Even the updated Ø detail reflects a more assured embrace of identity, integrated into function rather than applied as branding.
In conversation with Naima Chamberlayne, we explored how HERØ came to define this new direction.
How did you translate the idea of a “new era” for Samsøe Samsøe into a physical object?
For me, it wasn’t about inventing a new era or redefining what Samsøe Samsøe is. It was about becoming clearer about who we already are. We’ve always stood for considered minimalism, but this moment called for more definition and confidence.
The HERØ bag became a way to distill that shift into something tangible. We focused on proportion and construction. The silhouette is clean but assertive. The details are subtle but intentional. It’s less about decoration and more about identity.
I think it represents a brand that knows exactly who it is.
When you think about the HERØ bag, what emotion or attitude did you want it to carry?
Quiet strength.
I wanted it to feel self-assured without trying too hard, which feels very Scandinavian to me. modern, composed, and slightly directional. The HERØ bag customer doesn’t chase attention; she or he commands space through presence.
There’s a softness in the curves, but also structure. That duality felt important, strength and ease coexisting.
The bag has a sculptural, almost architectural silhouette. How did you approach shaping that form?
There’s a strong influence of Danish architecture in that process, which to me is about form, proportion, and practicality, a way of elevating the everyday.
Living and working in Copenhagen, you’re constantly surrounded by that thinking. There are so many references here, from functionalist buildings to contemporary design. Yet I find that Danish people don’t always celebrate it enough.
Scandinavian design is often associated with straight lines and restraint. Introducing a curved ergonomic silhouette was a subtle way of challenging that. The curve brings softness and movement, while the flap remains sharp and controlled.
That contrast was intentional.
What role did material experimentation play in the development of the bag?
Material was central because the silhouette remains constant, but the expression shifts.
We developed the HERØ in recycled leather, Italian polido skins, distressed finishes, and a dotted hair-on-cow leather, which is the most directional interpretation. The polished leathers feel precise and architectural, while the distressed leather version brings edge and character. The hair-on-cow introduces texture and depth, and it connects directly to a statement outerwear piece in the ready-to-wear collection.
That dialogue between accessories and RTW was important. It allows the bag to move beyond being an isolated object and become part of a broader narrative.
I like the idea that the same shape can speak to different personalities. The structure is consistent, but the material gives it attitude.
The updated Ø detail is subtle but symbolic. How did you rethink this signature element?
The Ø is part of our name, so it naturally carries meaning. But it’s also a very specific sound in Danish language, it is quintessentially Danish and fundamental to our identity.
When designing it, we wanted to avoid treating just as branding. Instead, applying it onto the bag, we integrated it into the function. It became part of the design. A sign of a more confident era for the brand to embrace our identity.
Does the HERØ bag set the tone for a broader accessories universe you’re building?
Yes, it does.
The HERØ bag establishes a clear design language, defined silhouettes, purposeful details, and confidence in restraint. That language will extend beyond bags.
Footwear is a natural next step. We’re thinking about accessories as a complete universe, with the ambition to dress our customer head to toe and across gender in a way that feels cohesive and considered.
It’s not about expanding into the category for the sake of it. It’s about building consistency. The same clarity you see in the bag should translate into shoes and other categories, creating a stronger overall expression of the brand.
What excites you most about where the accessories category is heading under your direction?
What excites me most is the opportunity to build something with longevity.
Accessories have a unique power; they can sharpen a silhouette instantly, but they also live with you over time. They’re carried daily, they age, they develop character. Designing with that lifespan in mind is incredibly motivating.
I’m excited about refining the point of view across bags, footwear and other accessories, and creating pieces that feel relevant now but still meaningful years from today.
For me, it’s about building an even stronger appetite for the brand’s accessories. Samsoe has a loyal customer base, which has been achieved not through noise, but through consistency and conviction.
