LDC Top 50 2024
Guy and Leeanne Hundleby
Founders
Strathberry
When Guy and Leeanne Hundleby took a career break to move to Spain with their young family, little did they know it would spark the idea for a business. “We learned about the local craftsmanship and fell in love with the leather,” says Guy.
In 2013 they launched Strathberry, which has since gone on to become one of the world’s fastest growing luxury brands. Today, their sustainably-made bags are worn by the Princess of Wales and Katie Holmes, and exported across the globe. “I get a buzz every time I see someone wearing our bags,” says Leeanne. “We have created something unique: a Scottish luxury accessories brand with global ambition.”
We have created something unique: a Scottish luxury accessories brand with global ambition.”
Q&A
What drives you?
Leeanne: We are still just as passionate about the craftsmanship that goes into our bags as we were at the beginning. Up to 63 pattern pieces go into a Strathberry bag and we offer customers the same quality as some of the most revered luxury brands, but at a more accessible price point.
Guy: We love working alongside our talented team and having the opportunity to make creative ideas and concepts become reality. The potential is huge and we believe our mix of design, quality and price point offer the platform to consolidate our position as a global luxury brand.
We also both come from entrepreneurial families, so we weren’t scared by the idea of doing our own thing. We knew it was possible to achieve great things. Every time you get a win, that pushes you on to the next.
Tell me about your sustainability strategy?
Leeanne: Our products are made to last and to be enjoyed for years to come – this isn’t fast fashion. We offer cleaning and repair in our stores, and we are about to open an atelier in Edinburgh to reduce the number of bags we need to ship to and from our workshops in Spain.
Guy: We continually evaluate and challenge all aspects of our production and operations to minimise our impact upon the environment.
Where will future growth come from?
Guy: There’s no limit to where we could take this brand. We could reach a turnover in the hundreds of millions. We have really excelled in e-commerce and 60% of our sales are online now. A quarter of revenue is generated from our retail stores and we will open a new Edinburgh store later this year, we also have plans to move to larger premises in Covent Garden. Wholesale represents about 15% of sales so there’s still a lot of room for growth there too. There is so much potential.
