Our Story
Svala was founded by Helga Douglas to create beautiful, stylish, and versatile pieces that are animal-friendly and produced with sustainability in mind. Initially founded with loungewear and sleepwear, Svala soon expanded to include a line of luxury, vegan handbags and accessories—handcrafted in LA from premium European and innovative fabrics. Today, Svala continues to evolve as a modern lifestyle brand, united by a commitment to craftsmanship, timeless design, and conscious materials.
Svala has been featured in publications such as Vogue, Forbes, Fashionista, Purist and the LA Times. In 2019, Svala was a nominee for the Eluxe Magazine sustainable luxury Eluxe Awards and in 2020 was awarded Best Vegan Brand of the Year. In 2023, Svala won an International Sustainable Award from the Luxury Lifestyle Awards. Helga is originally from Sydney but now lives in Los Angeles. The inspiration for Svala’s name comes from Iceland, where Helga's mother is from. Helga has always loved the Icelandic girl’s name Svala, which means swallow in Icelandic. The swallow bird is a symbol of love, loyalty, freedom and hope in many cultures - everything that Helga wanted her brand to stand for. Svala is inspired by Helga’s love of animals and nature, her affinity for the relaxed, colorful feel of Sydney and LA and the simplicity of Scandinavian design.
Svala has been featured in publications such as Vogue, Forbes, Fashionista, Purist and the LA Times. In 2019, Svala was a nominee for the Eluxe Magazine sustainable luxury Eluxe Awards and in 2020 was awarded Best Vegan Brand of the Year. In 2023, Svala won an International Sustainable Award from the Luxury Lifestyle Awards. Helga is originally from Sydney but now lives in Los Angeles. The inspiration for Svala’s name comes from Iceland, where Helga's mother is from. Helga has always loved the Icelandic girl’s name Svala, which means swallow in Icelandic. The swallow bird is a symbol of love, loyalty, freedom and hope in many cultures - everything that Helga wanted her brand to stand for. Svala is inspired by Helga’s love of animals and nature, her affinity for the relaxed, colorful feel of Sydney and LA and the simplicity of Scandinavian design.