Co-founders Julia Dobson and Eddie Knevett set out to design a leather handbag 'you can fall in love with but isn’t so precious that it can’t be thrown in the back of the car'. In other words, the product is fashionable yet functional, a handbag for walking downtown, taking the Tube or driving into the country.
The co-founders have a background in fashion marketing, and they see a promising opportunity in affordable luxury as Mulberry moves upmarket into premium luxury leather bags, priced as high as £2,500. Lately, Mulberry's upmarket momentum seems to be stalled, with the firm issuing profit warnings even as it eyes the buying power of Asian status-seekers who covet British luxe brands with tradition and cachet.
Mulberry's upmarket move leaves a gap in the market, which Village England aims to fill. Most of Village England's handbags are priced below £300, although some (like the Elsworth Black Tote featured in House of Fraser) carry price tags around £395.
Sociable from the start, Village England is building its brand in social media, especially important for building buzz after its pop-up shop shuts. Click to its Facebook page, Pinterest board or Twitter feed to see the brand's messages and its growth trajectory.
