I am an accessories designer specializing in handbags. I have over twenty years of experience designing for leading retailers and independent brands. My career has included diverse areas of the fashion industry, from design and product development to trend forecasting. In addition to my work, I also mentor fashion entrepreneurs and am a consultant for established brands, advising them on trends, colour, shape, and materials, helping them to develop their product ranges.
I began my career as a fashion textile designer, working in Italy on silk prints for the couture market. I then moved to Denmark working for Inwear Matinique as a print designer with an ever greater involvement in accessories – products that had practical as well as decorative values.
My Danish experience left me with the desire to broaden my work beyond fabrics. Returning to the UK, I was able to pursue my growing interest in the accessories market, working as a designer and product developer with the Arcadia Group and subsequently with the classic British lifestyle brand Laura Ashley. Recognizing the importance of the handbag as the key accessory for the fashion industry led me to concentrate on handbag design. They are products that have transitioned from unadorned utility to become a defining fashion statement for women everywhere. It’s a passion I share and one I have followed ever since, working for major high street brands as well as the bespoke luxury market, and gaining hands-on experience in Italy and China, of the whole production process.
As a by-product of my design work, I created a course in handbag design specifically for new designer entrepreneurs. It aims to equip them with the broad range of skills needed to establish their businesses in today’s highly competitive market. To date, my former students have established over twenty new handbag companies around the world. The experience of creating and refining this course led me to write my new book, Design, Manufacture and Sell Your Bag Collection, which aims to summarise the whole complex process of being a successful designer/entrepreneur. It also includes contributions from a number of my former students who have established their own brands and offer valuable advice to those starting out on this journey.
