Think there’s nothing new in bags?
It’s not easy coming up with something new when it comes to bags. You’d think it has all been done by now. It’s even trickier when you don’t have teams of highly paid designers at your disposal.
Yet the tougher the luxury business gets and the more powerful the big brands grow, the more teeny start-ups there seem to be. It’s as if the challenges become irresistible. The results? Chic, surprising, under-the-radar labels that offer a fresh eye on the bag and leather goods scene.
Somehow, three new British labels have come up with something interesting yet understated – and all of them devoid of obvious branding and blingy hardware. Take Stelar, a diminutive line up of distinctive, sleek clutches and purses and one round leather bag – next year’s shape of choice. A labour primarily of love, it’s the offspring of Lorna Watson, a former jewellery designer who worked at Dior, De Beers and Astley Clarke, holidayed in Bali and saw a chance to boost the “exceptional artisanal skills” that were slowly dying as low paid, undervalued craftspeople drifted into tourism jobs.
Sustainability has become a growing creed, but it’s only viable if the end product appeals to affluent customers.
Stelar’s bags are instantly desirable, subtly different without being gimmicky.
Every item is hand-cut and hand-woven from leather and comes with its own code that allows customers to track its origins and the person who made it online. These are not a cheap buy, but they’re lovely – sleek, elegant and a model for the way things can work (From £195; thisisstelar.com).
Innis’s bags are also exceptionally covetable and slyly distinctive. Like Stelar, Innis has hit on a quiet aesthetic that somehow holds your attention. Perhaps that’s not so surprising, given Victoria Innis Chandor, its founder and designer, worked on J&M Davidson’s bags for years. Designed in London, made in Italy, there are five different shapes in a roster of colours, all leather lined but exceptionally light, deceptive, spacious and functional. The bottle green lined cream Tutti tote is on my list, but their winter red is pretty fabulous too (From £575; innislondon.com).
And for stylish organisers there’s Stow London, a selection of irresistible travel accessories, from suede-lined leather jewellery cases to luggage tags, made in Spain but conceived in Cambridgeshire, by Carol Lovell, who worked in travel but now spends her time making paper blueprints of her accessories. So far, Stow is pleasingly niche. But Meghan Markle is a very engaged fan. You know what that means: they won’t remain secret. Lovely colours and quality and not overly compartmentalised like some, they promise an orderly transit experience where nothing gets left behind and everything’s in its place. If only. (From £100; Stowlondon.co.uk).