How This Anti–Fast Fashion Handbag Brand Nailed Attainable Luxury

(Image credit: Courtesy of Strathberry)

The luxury market is rife with $3000 handbags with splashy logos. Strathberry is not interested in participating. Instead, the brand has excelled in what its founder calls the “attainable luxury” space. With most of its bags priced between $500 and $975, Strathberry appeals to customers seeking the same quality and craftsmanship of designer bags at a quarter of the price. Instead of paying sky-high markups for a loud logo, Strathberry fans are investing in premium leather products meticulously made by hand in Spain. A single Strathberry bag takes a minimum of 20 hours to craft—the exact opposite of fast fashion.

To learn more about Strathberry, I traveled nearly 6000 miles from Los Angeles to the Spanish town of Ubrique, where the brand makes its bags. During my trip to Strathberry’s pristine workshop, I filmed each detailed step of the bag-making process, condensing hours of craftsmanship into a 90-second TikTok. While in Spain, I also interviewed the brand’s owner and co-founder, Leeanne Hundleby, who shared with me her vision for Strathberry’s future. Scroll down to read my full interview.

(Image credit: Courtesy of Strathberry)

Why did you choose Spain to craft your bags?

My husband and I had been living in Spain with the kids. The Spanish culture is to eat late and to have beautiful dinners where you’re just taking your time. And then along the front of the old town, we would meander on weekend nights when they set up market stalls. And we spotted the beautiful leathers that were on offer. Over time, we got chatting with the people working the stalls. After some time, they started to tell us, “You know, if you go up into the mountains, you can see where these craftsmen and craftswomen are.” So we decided when we went back to Scotland that we would love to do something different with our lives. And, we thought, well, let’s see if we could make beautiful bags with beautiful leathers. And that’s how it came about.

How did you settle on the particular workshop in Ubrique where your bags are made?

Well, Ubrique was recommended to my husband, Guy, so he went to explore it and got a really good vibe. When he saw the attention to detail and the meticulous effort that went into crafting these gorgeous bags, he was blown away by the experience. He just really loved it when he went there. The individuals he met were really nice, really welcoming, very warm. And reputation. They have a brilliant global reputation as masters of their craft. The skills they have are passed down through generations and generations. You can see members of the same family work within the same workshop. It’s absolutely beautiful watching everyone in their stations at work. The workshops that we have are a real extension of us. The craftspeople go out of their way to emulate the Strathberry standards of service and exceptional quality. They make sure they deliver that for us. We’re quite particular, and in turn, they’re very particular about what they are giving us.

(Image credit: Strathberry)

What are your next goals for Strathberry?

If you speak to Guy, my husband, he would say we’re going to be a billion-dollar brand. If others could do it, so could we. The next big milestone is $100 million in turnover. That’s where we’re going and I feel that should be achievable within the next few years. Our growth rate at the minute is really strong. I feel that we’re only just scratching the surface of the world of handbags. We’ve got such a tiny part of the market that there’s so much of an opportunity for us to grow that bit of the business.

Somebody asked me recently whether I would want to go into shoes. To be honest, for the time being, I don’t see that on the horizon. Handbags are what we do best. We think we make the most gorgeous luxury product at a really great price point, and we want to keep sharing that news and building the brand around that. The big brands are pushing their price points up and creating that vacuum in the middle. For us, there’s an amazing opportunity now to continue doing what we’re doing. Instead of bags that are $2500, maybe customers will consider a Strathberry bag this time. So I feel that the world of handbags offers us so much more growth and potential that our sight is really focused on targeting that accessible luxury market.

Can you speak about Strathberry’s quality-over-quantity mindset?

Totally anti–fast fashion. In response to fast fashion, we always say that a Strathberry bag is made to last. It’s still a considered purchase, but when you are buying it, you would expect to be using it for years to come. Hopefully, eventually, mums will pass their bags to daughters. So we are only making a product with that in mind. In-store, we offer a series of measures that allow you to extend the life cycle of a Strathberry bag, such as cleaning services. But ultimately, the response to fast fashion is just simply that that’s not where our sights are set. We are really building the product to last. The bag should be cherished and cared for for years to come.

I don’t personally have a massive handbag collection, because I don’t need a massive collection. I’ve had some bags for 12 years. The bags I have I’m still bringing out again and again. I’m still carrying little Nano Totes, which was our first-ever silhouette, and I just love it because we made it at home in the kitchen. We introduced the Midi Tote because phones have gotten bigger, and I love it, but I’m still carrying those original Nano Totes. I think that’s what it’s all about. We’re trying to create that timeless piece. We have a timeless approach to color and silhouette. Less trend-oriented and more thinking about what’s chic and sophisticated. It’s about the way you make a customer feel. You want to look good and feel good with the Strathberry product. It’s about your attitude when you’re carrying a Strathberry bag.

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