Hemmingford Grey is a new British accessories brand and online store that offers handbags and shoes that let the leather and the design do the talking. There are no visible logos or fussy hardware, just stylish staples and elegant statement bags in excellent quality leather.
Hemmingford Grey was founded less than a year ago by retail expert Julia Reynolds, whose long career in high street fashion has included a stint as CEO of figleaves.com. Each bag and pair of shoes is named after a street or location in or just outside London.
Prices range from £30 for a bright and bold Newport Small Patent Bag to £495 for the dazzling Royce Baguette Crystal Clutch Bag. Everyday leather handbags are priced around £200-£250, which is very reasonable considering the high quality and the amount of leather used (designer equivalents would be at least double).
Hemmingford Grey kindly gave me one of their bestsellers, the Belgrave Large Soft Nappa Leather Tote Bag in red and it hasn’t left my side since. The gorgeous, slouchy tote bag is made by Italian craftsmen and features butter-soft, grainy nappa Italian leather.
The handles are sturdy and I can fit an impressive amount of things inside it. The cotton-lined bag includes a large central zip compartment, an inside zip pocket with a discreet leather Hemmingford Grey logo patch and a leather mobile phone pocket.
The bag could perhaps benefit from a magnetic clasp to keep it closed, however, nothing has fallen out of my bag in the time that I’ve been carrying it.
Hemmingford Grey is a great online brand for timeless, beautifully-crafted handbags and accessories that are made to last.
Belgrave Large Soft Nappa Leather Tote Bag c/o Hemmingford Grey
Photos by Chérie City