Cambridge Satchel wins Footwear & Accessories Design Team

With her story shown in the recent Google Chrome ad, Julie Deane set up the company in 2007 when she wanted to raise money to send her daughter to a new school and came up with an idea to make traditional leather satchels for the schoolchildren of Cambridge.  Investing just £600 to get the idea off the ground, The Cambridge Satchel Company is now a pioneering 62-person enterprise, experiencing phenomenally fast growth around the world. In 2012 The Cambridge Satchel Company is forecasting a turnover of over £10m and now sells in over 100 countries.

 

The Cambridge Satchel Company won 'Footwear & Accessories Design Team' at the star-studded WGSN Global Fashion Awards at London#

Deane is committed to preserving British manufacturing - a luxury rarely afforded by start-up businesses. Despite enormous pressure to satisfy demand with an overseas production model, Deane has ensured that each stage in producing every bag sold has taken place on British soil.  All bags are made of 100% Bovine Leather.

 

The Cambridge Satchel Company won 'Footwear & Accessories Design Team' at the star-studded WGSN Global Fashion Awards at London#

The quirky colourful leather satchels modelled on the 1970s original are now stocked in Selfridges and Dover Street Market, and the company has collaborated with Commes des Garcons at Paris Fashion Week and, more recently, with Christopher Shannon for unique spring/summer 2012 capsule collection.  The bags have even made it to big US hit programmes including Gossip Girl. The cast of Mad Men were also given a satchel each as a gift from creator Matthew Weiner.

 

The Cambridge Satchel Company won 'Footwear & Accessories Design Team' at the star-studded WGSN Global Fashion Awards at London#

Staged by WGSN, the world's leading fashion forecaster, the Global Fashion Awards recognise and reward brilliance in fashion and retail design across the globe. They are the only fashion awards that enable the winners to lay claim to being the best in the world in their field. 

 

The Cambridge Satchel Company won 'Footwear & Accessories Design Team' at the star-studded WGSN Global Fashion Awards at London#