About us

At the beginning of the 19th century, in 1818, there lived in Naples a young tanner named Vittorio Valmio. His workshop was located in a narrow alley near the harbor. From the very start, he was known for his extraordinary attention to detail and his desire to create not just products, but true “artifacts of time.” His work quickly became known in the neighborhood, but the turning point came when Caroline Bonaparte — the younger sister of Napoleon and former Queen of Naples — heard about him. Although her political power was long gone, her influence and refined taste remained.

When she learned about the talented craftsman, Caroline ordered an entire collection of leather travel and ladies’ handbags — for herself, her friends, and relatives. It is said she personally chose the colors and shapes, and Vittorio delivered the very first bag to her residence in Naples. A moment of recognition. From then on, Valmio’s creations began to appear in the hands of aristocrats, scholars, travelers, and diplomats. Each piece was handmade, with respect for both the material and its future owner.

And this is exactly how our story would begin — if we wanted to tell you a romantic fairytale that sells. But the reality is different… and precisely because of that, it is more truthful and far more interesting.

Let’s move 200 years forward, into the real world. The year is 2018. A young design engineer living in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, realizes he needs a comfortable — and above all stylish — bag for his business trips. Browsing the market, he finds nothing suitable.

Without much hesitation, the idea comes — why not have the bag made? Exactly as he wants it. Choosing the leather, lining, fittings, clasps. After talking to several small studios skilled in working with leather and clarifying all the details, the decision is made: design a bag that will fit perfectly. And so, directly in AutoCAD, next to technical blueprints, the first leather travel bag design is drawn. This is how the brand M.HELENS was born. No queens, but with an idea. No legends, but with a real story. The name was inspired by the volcano Mount St. Helens — dormant but powerful, in Washington State, USA.

And you might ask: why M.HELENS, when we’re talking about Valmio? Friends, just a little more patience — the story continues.

One general rule applies: when you create something for yourself — with quality, practicality, and beauty — people notice quickly. Friends and colleagues began asking where they could buy such a bag. Were there other models?

As you can guess, engineering gradually took a back seat. The main focus became the production and sale of leather goods. We started with a small range of bags to meet different customer needs — from compact urban styles to spacious travel models. And of course, we decided to sell online — not limiting ourselves to one country, but making our products available to people worldwide. In the winter of 2019, we decided to participate in the KABO trade fair in Brno.

The goal was to get a deeper understanding of the market and a better feel for what customers really wanted.

By the way, that booth was the most striking at the entire exhibition. We designed it ourselves, bought the wood, varnish, and paint — and assembled everything by hand in an ordinary garage.

The company grew and evolved, and in spring 2020 we made the decision to rebrand. This is how the Valmio brand and company you know today was born. New style, new name — same philosophy.

Today, Valmio has created several premium sub-brands and confidently sells its products throughout Europe.

Our models are created in various parts of the world. We source leather in one place, hardware in another, textiles elsewhere. Everything comes together in products designed with both functionality and style in mind. Our goods are made in both large factories and small family ateliers, where craftsmen with over 20 years of leatherworking experience actively contribute to the process — helping with construction, sharing expertise, suggesting ideas, and refining new models. We constantly follow trends and expand our range, often combining natural leather with other materials like nylon, canvas, and polyester. This gives us more freedom and flexibility to create interesting, stylish, and practical designs for different purposes and different people. Through this approach, we strive to stand out on the market — and not become part of the faceless mass market.

We deliberately avoided clichéd phrases like:
“with love for detail” or “we check the tanning process at every stage”.
Yes, it sounds nice. But everyone says it — and often there’s nothing behind those words. We simply describe things as they are. Without pathos. Without fairytales. Without big promises.

If you are building a brand with a name, quality must be a given and come first. It is not a reason to boast — it’s the foundation.

The story of Valmio is not a marketing trick.
It’s a journey. Real. Alive. And ongoing.

The journey of a small company that — without billion-dollar marketing and advertising budgets — strives to compete with global premium brands and find its place among them.

And finally — a sentence we often repeat: “The pleasure of good quality lasts longer than the pleasure of a low price.”

Thank you for being with us. We may not be perfect in everything, but we strive to be better every day. The Valmio Team