Former Mulberry staffer’s handbag range, Hill & Friends, has all the style but more affordable prices

Hill & Friends is the brainchild of former Mulberry creative director Emma Hill and brand director Georgia Fendley, which launched to critical acclaim in 2015 when Anna Wintour graced the front row at London Fashion Week.

Since then the label has built a reputation on bringing the fun back into fashion, and this season Hill & Friends relaunches with a brand new aesthetic that stays true to their British heritage.

Including four new styles named after up and coming female British artists Bridget Riley, Cecily Brown, Vanessa Bell and Barbara Hepworth, the new collection which launches next week, features geometric shapes, Crayola brights and embossed croc leather finishes across shoulder bags, mini bags and totes. Prices ranging from £75 for a purse to £750 for a large satchel, with an average price point being around £450.

While many accessory brands source production overseas, Hill & Friends’ entire supply chain has recently been brought back to the UK, with every stage from concept to design and manufacture taking place out of the brand’s HQ in Somerset. By our calculations, that means by purchasing a new handbag from Hill & Friends we’ll be supporting the British economy… Which is a great excuse to add one to the Christmas list, right? With celeb fans including Fearne Cotton, Vogue Williams and Millie Mackintosh we’ll be in good company.

Talking of Christmas, we asked Emma Hill what she expects to be most popular for Christmas. She revealed, “we’ve seen a huge shift towards mini-bags this season, with our Tweency’s and mini camera bags being particularly popular in the run up to the party season. Our iconic Slouchy Tote, which is one of my personal favourites, is always a great-seller for us, but I think we’ll see our brand new Hepworth Tote from our Spring Summer’20 collection to be this year’s Christmas number one!”

Emma also explained what makes Hill & Friends bags stand apart from the crowd: “We like to think that we have fused the quality, craftsmanship and desirability of a luxury brand with the democratic, emotional appeal of a brand created for people like us!  We pride ourselves on the fact that all our handbags are handcrafted in the UK, which gives is the benefit of being able to use the latest technology, ensuring our production minimises waste, without losing traditional artisan leather working skills that make a handbag truly a luxury item. As a brand our distinctive aesthetic celebrates individuality, independence and of course friendliness which is evident in our signature hardware.”

If you can’t wait until next week to get your hands on the new collection, then shop our edit below of some of their best pieces online now.

SHOP NOW: Hill & Friends Happy satchel, £750

 

 SHOP NOW: Hill & Friends Happy Tweency bag, £595

 

SHOP NOW: Hill & Friends Slouchy tote, £395

If Hill & Friends’ mainline collection is out of budget – fear not. You can still snap up the label’s Mix/Hill collaboration with high street fashion favourite Next where prices range from £65 – £119.

The new Hill & Friends range lands online on November 5th.