Our story
About MADZAG
MADZAG is a dog accessories brand from Budapest. Since 2013, we have made leather dog collars, leashes and poop bag pouches by hand, in small batches. We design urban classics: durable, beautiful, modern pieces that let dogs and their people stand out.
We work with deadstock cowhide and natural vegetable-tanned leather. We only have 3–6 square metres of each colour, so every batch is genuinely small and colours can sell out. We leave the leather edges natural on purpose, and our leather products don't stretch out with use.
Every piece is cut, stitched and assembled in our studio in Budapest. Our first tester and model is Habók, who was with us before the brand was.
MADZAG has been featured in Forbes Hungary and selected for the HFDA design SPEED mentor programme. See all our press coverage.
Leather is a living material: it wears and ages well. With everyday use, a collar or leash usually lasts 3–4 years, and rotating two sets helps, just like with shoes. We also do repairs: carabiner swaps, restitching worn seams, and refreshing worn colour. More answers in our FAQ.
Our story
In 2013, Melinda came home to Budapest after six months at a design studio in Madrid, to her very much missed dog Habók, full of ideas for a collar inspired by the Bauhaus movement. Her greatest influence was Anni Albers. She was fascinated by Spanish leatherwork, but wanted to create something entirely modern for Habók.
She had to start from scratch: she had experience in designing furniture, but leather was a whole new world for her. With the help of her leather-expert friends and a long process of trial and error, the Bauhaus Collection was born, bringing MADZAG to life.
The collection became a hit. It was even featured in Design Milk, and here we are, years and many collections later, still making collars, leashes and other beautiful dog-related objects.
Melinda also asked Karolina Kárász to join with her photography to create a blog about responsible urban dog keepers in Budapest. The blog is about our responsibilities as part of society: adopting a dog, socializing, handling difficult situations and, most of all, the joy of having a four-legged companion. We make a statement by keeping our dog on a leash and always carrying waste bags (in a pretty bag pouch).
Melinda takes pride in building a small, female-led business and supporting other small, female-led businesses.
On our products
We believe in slow design: we make everything by hand. Working with leather is a never-ending learning curve, and even after more than ten years we are thankful to keep learning.
Deadstock is leftover leather from agricultural or manufacturing production; using it is a step towards eliminating production waste. We use leather because it has proved the best material for us: it breathes, it is durable and hard-working, and it ages beautifully, bearing the marks of every adventure you go on together. Read our care and cleaning guide.
Leather can also be repaired: re-stitched, and metal parts changed if needed. Many of you contact us for repairs after years of everyday use, and we are glad to fix our old products. Get in touch with us.
If you share our values, join the pack! #madzagpack #urbandogkeeping
With ♡,
Melinda (our designer) and Habók (a very good boy)
