UK Edition
The handbags you won't see your friends carrying
Disgruntled with the lack of sleek-yet-practical handbags with minimal branding and affordable price tags, this handful of creatives found a gap in the market...
Manu Atelier
Story: Sisters Beste and Merve Manastır grew up surrounded by handbags in their father’s 1976-founded Istanbul-based leather factory, and formed the brand under his artisan umbrella in 2014.
USP: A commitment to preserving old craftsmanship while keeping the bags at an affordable price point.
Price: From £290
Best for: Those searching for a preppy midi bag that’s not a satchel.
Key style (below): Pristine
Loeffler Randal
Story: Initially a footwear start-up, Jesse Randal founded Loeffler (pronounced Leff-ler) Randal in 2004 because she couldn’t find shoes that felt like a natural extension of her own understated style. Alongside husband and business partner Brian’s passion for accessories, the brand branched out into covetable arm candy too.
USP: Bags that are a little bit daring, beautifully well-made and effortless to wear
Price: From $250
Best for: Pattern and colour enthusiasts looking for bags with pizzazz.
Key style (below): Ryder satchel
Grace Gordon
Story: Grace Gordon’s mission for the brand was twofold: to promote traditional craftsmanship while using contemporary design. Her ethos translated into sleek, boxy bags that could be mistaken for Scandi origin.
USP: Vegetable tanned leather on androgynous hardware.
Price: From £150
Best for: Scandi style fans
Key style (below): Lucy cross-body
Meli Melo
Story: An island girl at heart, Melissa Del Bono (nickname Meli) was inspired by the wicker baskets local women carried around her native Lipari, Sicily. Her own interpretation of the straw style would come to be known as the BB bag and the foundation of Meli Melo in 2005.
USP: Having worked as a PR for Harper’s Bazaar and Asprey, Del Bono has the insider edge of understanding the timeless, minimally branded bags women search for.
Price: From £250
Key style: Clemence
Best for: Instagram savvy ladies keen to bag accessories owned by fashion plates Olivia Palermo and Poppy Delevingne.
Alfie Douglas
Story: An ‘organisation of creatives’, fledgling brand Alfie Douglas was formed in 2014 with the sole aim of making singular, minimal leather goods.
USP: ‘Alfie creatives’ fashion their leather pieces altogether in an English hub; the bags are your chance to support a local learning process.
Price: From £110
Best for: New design champions
Key style (below): Alfie One
Milli Millu
Story: After running a survey among other professional women, business strategy advisor Mireia Llusia-Lindh found that 95% could not find their perfect handbag. All of Milli Millu’s day bags boast pockets for work essentials and are large enough to fit a laptop in.
USP: For every bag purchased, Milli Millu funds a set of lifesaving vaccines and treatments aimed at saving the life of a child in need.
Price: From £235
Key style: The Helsinki (below) and Gstaad
Best for: Businesswomen