Serbian and Orthodox Gifts
Arandjela makes leather goods for the occasions an Orthodox family marks: a baptism, a slava, a wedding, a name day, Christmas. Each piece is cut and hand-sewn in Chicago by Nikola Arandjelovic, a Serbian-American craftsman, from full grain vegetable-tanned leather, and sealed with a seraphim drawn from Byzantine iconography. The name itself is Serbian: Arandjela, after the Archangel.
Why a leather gift
Icons, crosses, and candles have their place, and most Orthodox households already have them. A wallet or purse is different. It is carried every day, it wears the way a life wears, and it can be handed down. A NO. 88 given at a baptism will still be in the godson's pocket at his own wedding. Leather that is vegetable-tanned darkens and softens with the years; the gift keeps changing hands with the person.
For a baptism or christening
The NO. 88 One Piece Wallet, for a godfather, a kum, or the child to grow into. It can be marked for the occasion through custom work.
For a slava or a name day
Le Gabriel, petit for the woman of the house, or the NO. 88 for the host. Both ship wrapped in butcher paper, tied with suede lace, and sealed with the seraphim, so they arrive ready to give.
For a wedding
A matched pair, the NO. 88 and Le Gabriel, petit, for the couple. Custom work can add a date or initials.
For Christmas and Božić
Orders for December should be placed early. Each piece is made to order by one pair of hands, and the reserve list fills in the weeks before the holiday.
Custom and heraldic work
Arandjela takes commissions for pieces marked with a family crest, a saint, or an inscription in Cyrillic. Write through the Custom Work page with the occasion and the date, and Nikola will answer personally.
Made in Chicago, Serbian by blood
The brand is rooted in old-world travel and Balkan heritage. The seraphim seal on every package comes from the Byzantine tradition the Serbian church still keeps. More about the maker on the World page, and about the workshop on Made in Chicago.