SWISS DESIGN. Italian CRAFTSMANSHIP.
KARLEN SWISS HANDBAGS
In the tiny village of Torbel in canton Valais, located in the valley of Zermatt, a booming cottage industry is churning out fashionable accessories. Torbel is the home to the Karlen family who make the unique and trendy "Swiss Army Recycling Collection"- an ensemble of bags made from old recycled Swiss Army blankets, with recycled army leather straps wherever possible.
SIMA of AUSTRIA BELTS & PURSES
Sima Gürtel GmbH is a small family-owned and operated company established in 1984. Sima specializes in unique bags and belts with Austrian and alpine motifs. Sima products are designed with a combination of materials; new leather, recycled leather, recycled army leather bags, cowskin, rabbit fur, metal appliques and Austrian crystals.
SUMMER 2023
PRE-ORDERS ARE OPEN
OUR STORY
BESSO IMPORTS curates and distributes unique footwear and accessories from across the European Alps to the North American Market
FOUNDED IN 2012 by the husband and wife team of Sandy Diem and Bob Richardson, the Richardsons spent years seeking out unique products to bring to their store in Mont Tremblant, Canada. Now Besso Imports makes these same products available to high-end ski, sport, shoe and accessory shops across North America.
THE FAMILY theme runs large at Besso Imports. Sandy and Bob named the company after the Besso Mountain in Zinal Switzerland, a small ski village that they visited for close to 50 years, and all products distributed are sourced from family-owned and operated businesses in the Alps.
OUR BRANDS
AMMANN SHOES 1917 is Besso Import’s keystone collection, and has been owned and operated by the Ammann family for over 100 years. Today it is operated by the great grandson, Marc Ammann.
KARLEN SWISS is a collection of bags and accessories all made from recycled Swiss Army blankets. Karlen Swiss is owned and operated by the Karlen family with their factory high up in the Swiss Alps in a small town close to Zermatt.
SIMA GURTEL, also a family owned company from Austria, makes belts and bags from both new and recycled leather decorated with metal, fur and crystal motifs. Each product is specifically designed for Besso Imports by Sandy.
BESSO also carries a line of belts made in Italy for Besso Imports and that compliment the Ammann footwear collection.