History

In a family with a long tradition of working with leather goods, Willem-Jan
Beernink was surrounded by leather bags and design from a young age. This is how his deep affinity for the craft developed.

His grandparents began selling leather laces and hides for making leather soles in 1936. Leather bags followed later, which were sold at the market and resold. His father continued the wholesale bag business, after which he and Willem-Jan decided to launch their own brand in 1993. Bear Design was born!

Since then, the BEAR brand has been a leading name in the Netherlands, but has also built up a strong international reputation, as can be seen in Germany.

Willem-Jan is still involved in design and purchasing, alongside his sister Annelies.