[ Made In Britain. ]

Not long ago, if someone had said the word 'satchel' to me, I would have thought of quite boring, plain, "dated" bags. Practical? Yes. Beautiful? Probably not. But this was before I was introduced to Zatchels...





Launched April 2011 Zatchels is an exciting new UK fashion brand, in the heart of Leicester, a city once famous for it's leather shoe manufacturers. Zatchels produces hand-made, bespoke leather satchels and it has been created, developed and driven by Dean and Brian, who already had history in the footwear and leather industry.

The media snapped them up, featuring their bags in newspapers and magazines across the country. When Zatchels.com launched they were an instant hit, with thousands of clicks and amazing feedback (not to mention a lot of very lovely tweets!) people fell in love with their vibrant and beautiful bags.
And it's really not hard to see why! Polka dots, plains (both vibrant and pastels), floral prints, reptile skin style, distressed, tartan, metallic, crackled and even union jack prints, there really is something for everyone. Made from wonderful quality leathers, the possibilities are endless. The only problem I found was that I loved them all so much I would have no idea which one to choose!

Even if you finally decided on a design...what size? Zatchels come in a variety of sizes; 16" perfect for a laptop and notebook or folder, 14.5", 13" and the smallest at 11.5" perfect for sliding your iPad into. Needless to say I'd love one of each for every eventuality if I had the opportunity!

Aside from their gorgeous classic appearance they proudly carry a slightly off kilter, quirky union jack design on their labels - and its not just to be 'pretty'...they are 100% British manufactured and proud of it. Keen to promote British manufacturing because unfortunately many of these long held traditional skills are being lost to overseas competition. Another excuse to buy one (as if you even needed one!).

On Thursday July 28th I was lucky enough to get to attend Zatchels' informal 'launch event', with the From Dusk To Dawn magazine team. It was held at the actual factory where 'the magic happens' in Leicester and I absolutely loved it. You could really tell how passionate the guys were about their products and their brand, and it was really fantastic getting to see where and how the gorgeous leather creatures are born.  Although I had been drooling over them on my laptop screen for weeks it wasn't until I actually picked one up, felt the quality, the weight, the strong yet elegant design and the sheer perfection of every stitch...that I truly fell in love.

The meeting room was covered in satchels in all the different colours and designs, with a big window all one side looking out onto the factory floor. It was so interesting seeing all the bits coming together to create the final product and it was even better when we got given the chance to be shown round and told about each stage they go through. We even got a sneak peek of a possible new addition to the Zatchel family...Ahoy me Heartie!

Whilst there we also saw some bags that were a result of a collaboration between Zatchels, and La Maison De Sacs, a small exclusive boutique in Leicester. It is run by a group of young, creative and product focused individuals with over 8 years experience in fashion and retail, who aim to create a forward thinking retail/lifestyle store/website, that not only keeps their customers interested but also informed. They say they make every effort to constantly look out for and globally source products that are renowned for their quality, design and craftsmanship.

They have brands such as Lulu Guinness, Galliano, Rick Owen, Alexander McQueen/ Hussein Chalayan x Puma, Ugg, Alexander Wang, and Matthew Williamson to name but a few. They also say that they are keen to support young talent, which is always good, whilst also nurturing ongoing partnerships with established labels. All sounds very exciting, especially the collaborations they seem keen to be involved in; I will definitely be keeping my eye on these guys.

 "We are keen to support young talent and nurture ongoing partnerships with established labels, so that we provide our customers a truly unique shopping experience and one that they can rely on for new, innovative and rare examples of the most premium and sought after products, upcoming designers and rare collaborative pieces." -- La Maison De Sacs

All this talk of beautiful bags has got me lusting after one big time, I better start saving up my pennies, after all...my laptop really does NEED a new travel home, and anything less than a Zatchel would just be cruel!

E   x