What inspired you to start your business/brand?

Lacy and her co-founding partner were out shopping and a bag with embellishments on the front caught their eye, but it didn’t quite fit what she was looking for, and in fact she couldn’t find something that was unique yet timeless in the whole department store.

We felt like the handbag market was a bit flat and saw an opportunity to build a brand that was doing things differently. We had an idea for a product where you could connect charms to the front and completely customize your look, which had never been done before - and Lacylou London was born!

We’re all too aware of the fast fashion industry and how clothes and accessories became almost throwaway, so saw a gap in the market for a range of premium leather bags that you could invest in then customize and show your personality.  Lacy got straight to work on developing the bags designs, considering everything from the size, materials, trimmings and pockets (not to mention the extensive range of charms!) and her co-founder Steve got straight to work on developing the mechanism to securely attach and swap the charms.

 

What are your brand’s values?

At Lacylou London we all live & operate by our company values which are Purpose & Passion, Integrity, Empowerment and Collaboration.

Lacylou London’s key messaging as a brand is

• A bespoke product through customisation and personalisation

• Premium quality & thoughtful design

• Designed by women, for women, with women in mind 

• Empowering women to express their personality, individuality and creativity

 

What is your biggest motivation?

Our biggest motivation is to build a brand we’re proud of!

We’re a small but ambitious team and are excited to see what we can achieve together. We’re also motivated to build the brand to a point where we can make a difference and help animals within the communities where we work and manufacture. Lacy’s first passion is animals and the profits from our very first sale were donated to a dog charity. Lacy would love to open an animal sanctuary one day!

 

Where did the inspiration for your product(s) come from?

Our bags are completely unique to the market - a premium, investment product which you can customize to match your look. We design each one with women in mind, thinking about every detail, pocket and trimming and what today’s woman needs from a bag. 

Our customization goes far beyond simply changing the strap, we’ve taken customization to a new level with our unique and collectable range of charms.

Our charms are really special and each expresses a unique personality, from the Wandering Globe & Wonderlust Compass for our travel-loving customers, to the Tree of Life to represent a family bond.  

 

What has been a highlight whilst creating and building your brand?

Seeing an idea come to fruition! We’ve worked really hard on product development, from the bags to the charms and technology so it’s been incredible watching it all come to life.

 Of course getting that first sale was a real highlight! And every bit of feedback we get from our customers is great to understand what they love and how we can continuously improve the range.

 

What advice would you give to business owners, creators, designers and brand owners just starting out?

GO FOT IT! Live your dreams and just do it. 

Be prepared to have challenges along the way, but see those challenges as exciting and each one a learning step to get you closer towards your goals and dreams.

Invest in product and marketing first but develop the brand at your own pace. 

Make the first hire’s in the Marketing team and network as much as you can – you never know when you could meet the next person who could help to support your business growth.

 

At the Spring/Summer edition of Top Drawer, will you be launching any new collections and if so, can you give us a sneak peek? 

YES  – it will be our first time exhibiting at Top Drawer and presenting our collection for wholesale! We’re excited to talk to buyers and get feedback on the range.

 

What is your personal favourite from your new collection? 

It would have to be our iconic ChiChi bag which you can style up to 7 different ways!

Our new Mimi Phone bags have been really popular so far too, especially with the gorgeous new range of colours. All of our bags are made from premium leather and have been thoughtfully designed in the UK by our in-house team.

Personally I love gold so always select from our fabulous range of gold charms, but the silver and dark metal ranges are probably the most popular! We have a super-cute range of star sign charms in development and some charm collaborations in the pipeline too.

 

If applicable, how do you operate your brand sustainably?

At Lacylou London we’ve put quality first from day one, specially selecting an expert team and carbon neutral manufacturer with more than 30 years experience in crafting leather goods. 

Our products are made from the highest quality European leather, responsibly sourced by gold rated tanneries and expertly handcrafted with meticulous attention to detail.

Our carbon neutral manufacturing partner works with some of the biggest global brands and is fully Sedex & SA8000 audited & REACH compliant. They work tirelessly to support their team and the wider community providing free hot meals, transport and partnering with a local charity to offer employment opportunities for local disabled people.

Visit them at Top Drawer at stand 300.