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Ganni
Think Ganni and it might not be the Scandi brand’s bags that first spring to mind. But, look beyond the viral dresses, trending tailoring and cult-status tees, and you’ll find a selection of truly great bags offered at a great price point, too.
As a brand, Ganni has long been aware of its environmental impact and its hero bag, the Bou, tells the same story. The bag is made from majority recycled leather and is available in a rainbow of shades, as well as other fabrications like faux fur and satin. The petite style is the perfect bag for girls on the go, whether you add on the shoulder strap and wear it cross body or prefer to use the top handle. An It-bag is born.
Prices start from £145.
Tory Burch
Handbags have long been Tory Burch‘s ‘thing’. The New York-based designer understands the sweet spot between a cult style and a friendly price point, which is how she’s become synonymous for knowing her totes from her clutches world over.
Today, Burch’s bag selection is expansive with a style for every fashion persuasion. Roomy tote? Check! Ladylike top-handles? Check! Monogram bucket bag? Check! You can have it all with Tory.
Right now, it’s the shining example of the Kira bag in glossy metallic from the holiday collection that is the must-have style of the season. The perfect party plus-one.
Prices from £250.
Mashu
‘Style that doesn’t cost the earth’ is Mashu’s slogan, speaking to both its sustainable and price-friendly approaches. But don’t get to thinking that style is sacrificed. The brand, founded in 2017 by Ioanna Topouzoglou, is all about designs that are most often bright, with statement hardware and in interesting silhouettes. Jaunty handles are also Mashu’s things with its clever details making them easily recognisable.
Moreover, every Mashu bag is vegan and the result becomes beneficial on two fronts as the lack of leather also keeps the pricepoint down. Whether you’re gifting a loved one or choosing your next style, you’d do well to start and end your search here.
Prices start from £200.
Staud
Staud’s contemporary approach to handbags has aided it to assert itself as one of the most covetable carries on the market. For almost a decade (the brand was founded in 2015 in LA), its been at the forefront of every cool-girl movement with them fast becoming a celebrity and fashion editor favourite. Hailey Bieber, Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner are well initiated in the Staud hall of fame, for instance.
At its heart, however, is a brand that was created to make great fashion accessible. A consideration that has never wavered. Prices remain competitive making the temptation to become not just a carrier but, let’s say, a collector very, very tempting.
Prices start from £190.
Strathberry
A favourite of the British royals, Strathberry has fast become the hot Brit name in handbags. Based out of Edinburgh, the brand was born of the genius of husband-and-wife team Guy and Leeanne Hundleby in 2013 and has flourished ever since.
Strathberry’s bags are all about clean lines, earthy colours and striking standout hardware, like its signature bar closure, that speaks to those that prefer to stay on the minimalist side of things.
For those starting out on Strathberry, its Mosaic bag at £395 is a great place to begin.
Prices start from £345.
DeMellier
DeMellier is the handbag brand loved by celebrities like Beyoncé, Jourdan Dunn and Irina Shayk, but it’s also one of the few rising London labels championed by the royals. And we mean championed: Kate Middleton, The Princess of Wales, rotates this £330 Nano style in camel and navy, while Meghan Markle and The Queen Consort both have the Venice in bottle-green, and Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Pippa Middleton are also fans.
DeMellier prioritise responsible sourcing and small production lines. A portion of profits from every sale go to its permanent charity initiative ‘A Bag, A Life’ – funding life-saving vaccines for children in collaboration with SOS Children’s Villages.
Prices start from £225.
Bobbies
Bobbies is the brandchild of childhood friends Antoine Bolze and Alexis Maugey. The duo started the brand in Paris back in 2010, its USP being quality leather footwear crafted in its São João da Madeira, Portugal, workshop. We’ve been obsessed with these comfortable-but-directional shoes for years, so we were thrilled to hear handbags were afoot in 2023. The Ancône bag is true Instagram catnip – this top-handle flap design is affordable, versatile, and available in a rainbow of colours (our favourite is Dulche De Leche).
Prices start from £190.
Reformation
Following on from its expansion into shoes a few years back, Reformation has launched its handbag department this week, alongside a campaign starring actress Camila Morrone. The 19-piece collection sees timeless shapes with the same 1990s vibes as the ready-to-wear – fuss-free leather styles, sans hardware, in playful but timeless colour palettes. The LA-based brand is working with the same European tanneries that supply major luxury brands, so these babies are built to last. Nonetheless, they are 100% recyclable through RefRecycling (this scheme is currently US only but it is coming to the UK asap).
Prices start from £198
Wandler
Elza Wandler launched her namesake label in 2017 and still works from her hometown of Amsterdam. The handbag brand quickly catapulted to fame with its cult Hortensia model: the capacious, trapeze design felt like a breath of fresh air a time when micro bags reigned supreme. Wandler has since expanded to footwear and ready-to-wear, but its USP is still – architectural, elegant, but just a little ‘out there’ – handbags.
Prices start from £520.
Ba&sh
You might love Ba&sh for its ethereal blouses, printed dresses and denim separates, but did you know the French brand has a great handbag lineup, too? It shares the same effortless, bohemian aesthetic as the ready-to-wear – whether you’re plumping for the brand’s metallic Swing designs (a real Mary-Kate and Ashley circa 2008 vibe), a fringed suede cross-body, or its recently launched logo-embossed Sign bag.
Prices start from £160.
Manu Atelier
Manu Atelier was founded by Beste and Merve Manastır (the daughters of one of the oldest hand craftsman and leather goods manufacturer in Istanbul, Turkey) back in 2014. Despite a very successful expansion into footwear, handbags are still at the heart of the brand – with its cult Cylinder bags still being a best-seller nearly a decade on. The sisters count The Princess of Wales, SJP and Bella Hadid among their stylish fans.
Prices start from £292.
JW Pei
Vegan handbag brand JW Pei was founded by a husband and wife duo Steph Li and Yang Pei in 2018. It didn’t take long for the LA-based label to rack up a celebrity fan base; the likes of Hailey Bieber, Gigi Hadid, Irina Shayk and Em Rata have been spotted wearing its bags on repeat (in particular the cult ruched Gabbi style). The affordable price point is what keeps customers coming back, and you can also choose from detachable handles and chains to switch up your chosen design and make your purchase go the distance.
Prices start from £59.
Cambridge Satchel
Known for its classic satchels toted around by celebs including Taylor Swift, Emma Stone, and Alexa Chung, Cambridge Satchel has since graduated into a sleek, modern offering of handbags.
While staying true to its heritage of English craftsmanship, the brand has launched limited-edition collaborations with Vivienne Westwood and Comme des Garçons. One of its newest designs, The Kate, is a favourite of ELLE editors.
Prices start from £175.
Been London
It was Genia Mineeva’s first career as a political journalist that led her down the path of investigating global issues of waste and sustainability. After studying Sustainable Value Chains at Cambridge University and subsequently Accessories Design at London College of Fashion, Mineeva launched her Been London in 2018.
The handbag brand’s poppy, playful accessories are made right here in London, from recycled materials, and both vegan and off-cut leather. The brand is so invested in the lifespan of its bags, it offers customers free repairs for a year after purchase.
Prices from £295.
J&M Davidson
J&M Davidson was founded by photographer and designer (not to mention, husband and wife) duo John and Monique Davidson in 1984. Working from their Golborne Road studio in Notting Hill, the pair soon expanded from a single studded belt into leather goods, and quickly picked up celebrity fans such as the late Princess Diana and Jerry Hall. The brand has continued this legacy since the Davidson’s moved on, adding ready-to-wear into the mix but focussing mainly on its Spanish-made handbags – we’re obsessed with the sculptural Quiver bucket bags and the fringed Carnival design.
Prices start from £475.
Hereu
Hereu specialises in leather goods – from elevated boho totes and basket bags to fisherman sandals and moccasin Mary Janes – produced by family-run manufactures in Spain. Founders José Luis Bartolomé and Albert Escribano are committed to creating beautiful pieces that are kinder to people and the planet: they only use responsibly-sourced Italian and Spanish leather, vegetable dyes, organic cotton, and try to incorporate recycled materials where possible. The brand’s signature is cool hand-woven detailing – it makes each item you buy totally one of a kind.
Prices start from £350.
Jacquemus
Jacquemus might have launched on runways as a designer womenswear brand, but it was the French label’s handbags that helped propel it to global mega-success – in particular the micro-mini Le Chiquito that went viral on Instagram shortly after it launched. Beloved for their ice-cream colours, graphic gold logos and playful proportions, Jacquemus handbags are in a league of their own. No wonder Lizzo, Bella Hadid, Hailey Bieber, Rihanna and Kendall Jenner keep coming back to them.
Prices start from £495.
Cult Gaia
Founded in 2013, Cult Gaia put itself on the map in with the launch of its Arc bag – the slatted bamboo style that went viral on Instagram and was soon snapped up by Beyonce, Jessica Alba and Rosie HW. The LA-based label has since expanded to ready-to-wear, swimwear and shoes, but its object d’art bags are still the shining stars (quite literally: we’re obsessed with this season’s crystal-chainmail styles).
Prices start from £110.
Radley
Radley’s had a bit of a makeover in recent years. There’s a whole lot less of the Scotty dog motif you’ll remember spotting in department stores as a kid, and a whole lot more style going on. Don’t get us wrong, the brand is still quite rightly serving its loyal OG customer base, just throwing some directional handbags into the mix – we especially love the poppy sling Camden bags from the 25th Anniversary collection.
Prices start from £129.
C. Nicol
LCF-Grad Cathleen Nicol launched her namesake handbag brand, which is based in the Scottish Highlands, fresh out of university in 2015. Since then, we’ve witnessed every peak and trough of trends. From Phoebe Philo’s peak-Celine era of understatement, to Logomania and the Y2K renaissance, back full circle to 2023’s Quiet Luxury craze. C. Nicol has stayed true to itself throughout, sticking to its signatures of sculptural (but alway practical and capacious) shapes, clean lines, and bold-but-wearable colours. We love the new poppy, cobalt and sage colourways for AW23.
Prices start from £299.
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