Fledgling handbag firm catapulted into big league as tote sells out
‘It really is the greatest . . . we’re suddenly incredibly busy’
WHEN Leeanne Hundleby decided, on impulse, to send Meghan Markle a selection of handbags just a fortnight ago, it was little more than a hopeful punt.
The 45-year-old mother of four could never have imagined the effect it would have on the fortunes of her fledgling Scottish company, Strathberry. At the time, as far as the public was aware, Ms Markle was not engaged and had not even relocated to London.
Fast forward two weeks and the American actress was strolling along a packed Nottingham street on her first public engagement alongside her fiancé, Prince Harry, clutching none other than a Strathberry bag.
For the small company, which husband and wife team Guy and Leeanne Hundleby gave up their jobs to launch in 2013, the effect was off the scale. The bag, a tri-colour leather midi tote costing £495, sold out within minutes, and the phones rang off the hook. Ms Markle had not only put them on the map but catapulted them into a league of which many designers can only dream.
“It’s just amazing, it really is the greatest,” a spokesman for the brand told The Daily Telegraph. “It was a fantastic surprise and we are really excited. We’re suddenly incredibly busy.” The immediate effect on sales was proof, if any was needed, that Ms Markle would drive as much demand for the labels she chooses as the Duchess of Cambridge, whose outfits radiate the “Kate effect”. Strathberry was launched by Mr and Mrs Hundleby from a studio attached to the home the couple share with their four children and dog in Edinburgh. Although neither had a background in fashion – she worked as a consultant in the financial sector while he ran a production company – they had always wanted to build a brand together.
The Hundlebys worked closely with fashion bloggers, building a cult following, particularly in China. A Kickstarter campaign in 2015 raised in excess of £120,000, funding expansion plans, and they now sell their collections in the US, China, Singapore, Dubai and Hong Kong, as well as Edinburgh. Celebrities spotted with a Strathberry bag have included the singers Paloma Faith and Lily Allen, actresses Emma Watson and Karen Gillan and model Helena Christensen.