While we were all excited to see Meghan Markle make her first “royal” appearance, there was perhaps no one more excited than a small brand from Edinburgh, Strathberry, whose Midi Tote purse Meghan carried in Nottingham.
Photo by Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock (via Strathberry)
We were delighted to sit down and speak with the co-founder of Strathberry, Leeanne Hundleby, to talk about the Meghan Effect and how the brand is doing following their “royal” début!
How did it feel to see the future Duchess carrying a Strathberry bag?
We were simply thrilled and honoured that Meghan chose to carry a Strathberry bag on her first public engagement with Prince Harry
Photo by Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock (via Strathberry)
Did you know she may be spotted with one of your pieces?
We had no idea Meghan would be wearing the bag in Nottingham. The bag is part of our AW17 collection and only a limited number of bags were produced.
Meghan loves a stylish handbag – how would you describe her handbag style?
Meghan has a sophisticated, glamorous style which is reflected in the bags she carries.
What was your inspiration behind the Midi Tote?
The first ever Strathberry Tote we designed will always be special to us. We began by building paper models of the style which would go on to become our iconic Strathberry bag. We experimented with shapes and proportions, lining up the paper models in a row. We would adjust handle sizes and bag depths until we felt the final design was perfect. To this day we often still pull together a quick and easy paper model to get a feel for a bag and its diameters. We started with a full size Tote, went onto a Midi Tote and now we also sell a Nano Tote.
Photo by Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock (via Strathberry)
Can you tell us more about the signature bar closure, which is so noticeable and defining?
As you can see from the bags, The Strathberry collection is defined by its signature metal bar, which is part of our DNA and is inherited from the leather sheet music folios of musicians and performers. Both functional and elegant, the bar is clearly and easily recognizable which was something very important to us from the beginning. We wanted people to be able to easily identify a Strathberry bag.
Your company is based in Edinburgh, but you have styles exclusively for Saks, an American retailer. Why do you think your British aesthetic appeals so much to Americans?
Strathberry juxtaposes inherently Scottish spirit with an international outlook. We have exclusive designs for Saks but we have also produced exclusives for Lane Crawford stores across China. Our brand has an incredible international reach and our customers are based all around the globe
If you could pick one additional style for Meghan to wear, which one would it be? Why do you love that style so much?
I would love to see Meghan with one of our new East/West bags. It is a super classy and chic – which would nicely compliment her style. All the bags in the collection are special to me in different ways. I just love the shape of the East/West and its versatility.
Strathberry also let us know that the bag is currently available for purchase with shipments happening in January 2018.
Omg, someone needs to bring me the smelling salts! I’m literally swooning over this tote!!!
Great interview MM! And thanks for such a fun post, it’s great to read these tidbits between Meghan sightings.
Thanks, Lauri! We love that brands that we had previously been unaware of are getting their turn in the spotlight, and it certainly looks like Strathberry is! Now, we just need a Meghan sighting… 😉
I found this a super-interesting interview, thank you so much for posting.