In my journey to love myself fully and unconditionally, I have been practicing spirituality and healing. This path has led me to an eye-opening realization: many people struggle with self-acceptance and overlook the true magic and beauty life has to offer. In a world where media often reflects negativity and drama, maintaining a positive mindset can be especially challenging.
In Autumn 2017, I decided to create a solution, one that would inspire self-love and empower individuals to manifest their true potential. This is how the brand was born.
When the time came to create my own brand, there was no other choice but to use my own name. It just felt right, as this entire journey has been so deeply personal to me. My mother gave me one name, and my father another, so I’ve always felt that there is a certain strength in my name. It’s something I’ve always loved.
My full name is Lisette-Maria Puhalainen, and I am a leather designer from Estonia, a small, yet incredibly beautiful and naturally stunning country located just south of Finland. Estonia is known for its warm summers with long, light-filled nights, and its cold, snowy winters that transform the landscape into a winter wonderland. The country boasts a vast coastline dotted with countless small islands, while on the other hand, its deep, quiet forests offer a serene and untouched tranquility.
From early childhood, I carried within me a deep love for bags and shoes, and in our family leather was cherished as a noble, natural material. At the age of fifteen, alongside my studies, I began attending a leather art club, where my affection for leather as a medium grew even stronger. It was there that I crafted my very first bags. Immediately after graduating from high school, I continued on to university, enrolling in the leather design program. For a time, I also studied in Finland, where my focus turned to shoemaking. Yet, despite this, it was always bags and accessories that truly won my heart, because, regardless of a person’s height, build, or size, a bag is universal, a piece that suits everyone.
Later, my journey took me to internships in Riga, the capital of Latvia, and in Vienna, Austria. These practical experiences, together with my studies abroad, gave me more than three full years of academic learning ever could. During that time, my personal vision and my understanding of the leather design world became ever clearer and more defined. The knowledge and connections I gathered along the way remain invaluable to me even today. Upon returning home, at just twenty-three years old, I took the leap and established my own namesake brand. I learned quickly how to adapt, and I received immense support from my entrepreneurial parents. In this way, I grew alongside my brand, and my brand grew with me. Now, nine years later, I find myself still in constant transformation, always evolving.
Later, my journey took me to internships in Riga, the capital of Latvia, and in Vienna, Austria. These practical experiences, together with my studies abroad, gave me more than three full years of academic learning ever could. During that time, my personal vision and my understanding of the leather design world became ever clearer and more defined. The knowledge and connections I gathered along the way remain invaluable to me even today. Upon returning home, at just twenty-three years old, I took the leap and established my own namesake brand. I learned quickly how to adapt, and I received immense support from my entrepreneurial parents. In this way, I grew alongside my brand, and my brand grew with me. Now, nine years later, I find myself still in constant transformation, always evolving.
My style has remained faithful to its roots, yet it has matured, grown more refined, more feminine with time. As a designer, I am mostly minimalist, and my work is undeniably touched by the spirit of the Nordic lands. I seek harmony in form rather than in loud patterns or extravagant materials, allowing each creation to communicate its message with quiet clarity. For me, quality is sacred. The stories we tell through our pieces are not ostentatious or clamorous; they are whispered luxuries, intimate in their elegance. I believe that a truly valuable brand does not need to display its logo in bold, it is recognized by its handwriting, its authenticity, and above all, its quality.
At Lisette-Maria, we create more than just leather products. Each bag, each accessory is an invitation to manifest confidence, courage, and self-love through design. We create timeless, minimalist pieces that resonate with positive energy and a deep sense of purpose. Every detail, from the high-quality leather to the durable hardware used in our designs, reflects our commitment to quality and authenticity. Our engraved messages are designed to uplift and remind you of your inherent worth.
The brand’s very first classic model, “You are loved,” beautifully embodies the symbiosis of minimalist and feminine design. It is a bag that transitions effortlessly from casual everyday wear to more formal evening occasions, which is why this very first piece of the brand has remained timeless and perfectly suitable for any setting. Lisette-Maria bags are crafted from sturdier, low-texture leather to ensure weather resistance and easy care. Each product is fully lined and includes inner pockets for convenience, with every edge and corner exquisitely finished, turned-in leather without raw cuts or rubber trims. The engravings on the bags are subtle and refined, revealing their messages only to those truly present. It is an intimate, quiet luxury that speaks to the wearer in the most genuine way.
In fact, I’ve always felt that I need this brand more than the brand needs me. During my personal development journey, there came a moment where I felt the need to tattoo the word “armastan”, which means “I love” in Estonian, on my arm, so I could see it every day as a reminder that I am loved, and that I must never forget it. That same message became the first one I engraved onto a bag I made for myself. And just like that, everything began to unfold naturally. The idea of placing a message on every bag simply evolved on its own.
The entire design process is what truly makes my eyes light up. But most of all, it brings me joy to give something meaningful back to women, who are all so incredibly beautiful, and my greatest source of inspiration.
I delight in finding joy in the smallest of things, for in today’s fast and restless world, I believe such moments of joy are more essential than ever. I also find happiness in seeing others smile. This is why I have never subscribed to the unwritten rules of the larger fashion world, where models are often confined to strict measures of size, age, and expression. Through my brand, I wish to honor women in their truest essence and natural being. For what could be more beautiful than a woman who treasures her authenticity, feels at home in her own skin, and, by embracing this, inspires other women to do the same? With each passing day, I strive to move ever more deeply in that direction myself.
And the truth is, a high-quality bag is something we all need, everywhere and always. When you carry a Lisette-Maria piece, you carry powerful messages with you. They’re there not only to inspire you, but also to quietly touch the hearts of those around you. In this way, the message spreads, one beautiful bag at a time.
With love, Lisette-Maria Puhalainen
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