Svala was founded by Helga Douglas to create beautiful, stylish, versatile pieces that are animal-friendly and produced sustainably. Unable to find exactly the kind of accessories that she was looking for, Helga created a line of luxury, vegan, handbags and accessories that are handcrafted in LA from premium, European, innovative fabrics. 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.