HANAN International - When passion becomes a brand

A few weeks ago, I added the brand HANAN International, which makes beautiful bags, to my range. Bags made from high-quality leather, manufactured in Europe and designed in Germany. Every horse lover immediately notices the small details, like the stirrup on the zipper and the beautiful horse heads in the brand's logo. Many large leather manufacturers play on their connection to equestrian sports, even if very few still have any connection to their original craft. At HANAN International, it was the other way around; through the love of horses came the love of leather products. I asked Paulina Vogelgsang, the co-founder, about this.

Dear Paulina, you are the developer and founder of the HANAN International brand. How did you get involved?

I have always had a great passion for Arabian horses. Since my childhood, they have accompanied me and shaped my life and influenced my style. When I was 12 years old, my mom fulfilled her own childhood dream and
We bought two Arabian mares for ourselves. We now have five horses. They are (still) kept at our house, and we do the stable work ourselves from morning to night. We were constantly torn between finding a suitable bag that could accompany us in everyday life and on the go, one that combined functionality and aesthetics.
A bag that stores the essentials so we have our hands free for our horses. A bag for mucking out, for riding, for lessons, or for short trips. A bag that fits a cell phone, keys, and money. This need led to the creation of HANAN with its first bag—our Saklawi belt bag .

How did you come up with the name HANAN International? What does it mean?

The name Hanan is a traditional Arabian girl's name. It means "the merciful one." It became known among Arabian horse breeders through a small, previously unknown, bay filly born in 1967 at the Egyptian State Stud El Zahraa. Hanan was imported by the German horse breeder Dr. Hans Joachim Nagel and founded a dynasty of wonderful Arabian horses worldwide. It is the promise of a small seed from which a fairytale forest of beautiful trees will grow. The promise of the creative power through which the wildest dreams become reality. Hanan became known worldwide for her exotic type, her noble elegance, her special pride and lightness—a previously unknown, extreme, oriental beauty.

 

You got into horses through your mother. What do horses mean to you?

My horses are family to me. There are no more beautiful creatures than Arabian horses, both in their appearance and their character. They have inspired artists for centuries: painters in the royal stables, poets have composed poems about these "drinkers of the air," and sculptors have attempted to capture the spirit of Arabian horses in life-sized sculptures or small pieces of jewelry. This is how they have captivated me, too. My Arabian mare is my muse—she accompanies me in many of my artistic projects and can also be found in almost all HANAN campaigns.

Do you have a favorite Coach House product?

Yes! I love my brass-colored stirrup candlesticks; they sit on my dining room table all year round. My guests often comment on them—they're real eye-catchers.

Thank you, Paulina, for this interesting conversation. I'm looking forward to the many other products you have planned!