wear, to trying my hand at pottery and ceramics. Whilst studying textiles design at De Montfort University, I specialised in Mixed Media Textiles. It was during this time where I truly fell in love with the qualities of leather and just how versatile it is to work with. I can remember a nearby leather merchant coming in to show us their latest range and I was completely mesmerised. The colours and textures of each hide, plus the luxurious feel... I was instantly hooked. I have always loved experimenting with textures and in the early days I would smock, embellish and laser cut my leather samples to see how far I could go with it. One of our projects was to construct a bag from a fabric sample we had created, and it just reinforced what I wanted to go on and do. There is something so satisfying about being able to hold a physical item that, only a few hours before, was merely a piece of leather or swathe of fabric.
Who is DS London? DS London is an exclusive independent British luxury accessories brand, specialising in unique luxury & bespoke leather bags, keyrings & travel accessories. Tell us your background; do you have any formal training? Ever since I was a child I’ve loved creating things, from painting, making little dresses for my dolls to 44 | ukhandmade winter 2017
Your bags have a very luxurious and high-quality finish. How did you go about creating such a strong brand? My branding has most definitely evolved over the years and become more refined as I’ve grown. From day one, I’ve known I wanted to use ethically sourced leathers and pride myself with sourcing them all from suppliers across the UK. Understanding my customers’ needs is a very important part of my branding. Making sure they are aware of what DS London is and stands for is essential. It also helps them get to know my brand and I, and most importantly, trust us. We are constantly running between meetings, lunches, nights out, etc., and we like to look our best without having to repack our bags for every outfit.