NEW YORK — Browse the women’s section at major retailers and top specialty stores on both sides of the Atlantic and you’ll likely come across Arma, a Dutch leather brand with a contemporary take on apparel and a refreshingly reasonable price point. While much of the luxury market is recalibrating after years of price increases, Arma has remained committed to its lane, offering leather outerwear between $700 and $1,700.

Founded in 1985 by Aram Aykaz, along with three business partners in Amsterdam, the company is now helmed by his daughter Mayal Aykaz, who oversees all creative, and son Arden Aykaz, who leads production and operations. Now serving as co-CEOs, the siblings are thoughtfully charting the brand’s next chapter of growth.

And they’re off to a good start.

As of fall 2026, the collection is sold at Mytheresa and Nordstrom, in addition to Net-a-porter, Bergdorf Goodman, Selfridges and Le Bon Marché, which doubled its order this year. Net-a-porter also significantly increased its investment for fall 2026, building off an outstanding first season the year prior.

While department stores and online retailers provide visibility to a broader customer base, success with specialty stores is a critical component of Arma’s strategy. The channel accounts for 85 of the 100 doors that carry the brand in the U.S., making product assortment and relationships with buyers pivotal. Arma received higher-than-average order values from U.S. specialty stores, driven by strong sell-throughs, in-season reorders and quick replenishment that was made possible through their own factory.

“We always add extra orders from the skin, which we keep as let’s say stock, and then at the moment when we see a specific item or color running well, we try to reproduce from the leftover stock skins that we have. Within Europe, we can deliver in-store within two weeks. For the U.S., it’s a bit more complicated because the delivery time is a bit longer, but usually two to four weeks,” explained Arden Aykaz.

To support its growing wholesale business, Arma will begin shipping from a U.S. warehouse in October. The U.S. is now the brand’s fastest-growing market, while the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) remains its largest. Momentum is also building elsewhere. In Milan, for example, leading multibrand boutique Antonia sold out its initial inventory of Arma within weeks of introducing the label.

A key facilitator of that growth has been Parrot, Arma’s international sales agency. According to Arden Aykaz, the relationship helped accelerate the brand’s expansion. “Once we started working with our international agent, it just went so fast, and I think it’s because the product was working so well and we had a good foundation already. We had our factory and good product.”

Some of their bestsellers are the leather and suede outerwear, especially the brand’s different iterations of the bomber silhouette. The range is expanding further with shearling coats, separates like leather skirts and pants offered in leather and suede. There is also menswear, which was the main business when the brand first launched. Women’s is now center stage.

Beyond distribution and production, Arma’s competitive edge lies in its combination of quality and pricing. Maral and Arden’s father, who grew up in Turkey, cultivated long-standing relationships with local tanneries before establishing the brand’s factory in Safranbolu, roughly 400 kilometers from Istanbul. It was not the obvious choice. Several hours from the country’s international airport, the location reflects a people-first decision: the company’s longtime general manager wanted to return to his hometown. His expertise and oversight proved instrumental in creating a manufacturing operation capable of meeting the brand’s exacting standards.

It’s always been a family affair at Arma, whether by bond or by blood. In addition to Maral and Arden’s mother, their cousins work at the company too. And their father remains closely involved, even if unofficially.

That way of thinking has been woven into business from the beginning. As Mayal Aykaz recalled, “What my father always told us from the beginning is that having a good partnership — if your stores are happy and your customers are happy — then we are going to be happy. Otherwise, you will not succeed.”

Nearly four decades later, that philosophy remains the foundation of Arma’s growth.