For our first leather bag, I scoured the globe for a factory to produce our Hampton totes, I knew I didn't just want the best–I wanted to find someone who believed in the product we were making and, maybe more importantly, the mission behind it – which is to make high quality luxury bags that don’t cost the earth. We don’t offer cheap bags – none of our range is under $100, (we’ll leave that up to the fast-fashion labels) we’re here for the long-run. We produce the highest quality possible, but don’t charge like the international high-end designer labels. Our Hampton Tote would cost around $800 in a traditional designer stores. We want our customers to enjoy having a beautifully hand-crafted bag made from the best leather we can source. We know our customers are looking for good quality products that offer something different, all our bags have a story. We hope you enjoy hearing the story of your bag.

Nikki William Handbag Napa Leather Tote Shopper

How We Found It

The most guarded factories in the world are leather handbag makers. Lucky for me, the factory found me. I know, how did that happen? Well like all beginners, I was posting my hand-made designs up on Instagram and had written about my journey on my website and that’s how Alina found me. Alina wrote to me and said she had a family run business and that she very much liked my brand and concept and thought that we could work well together. I did wait for her to ask twice.

She brought so much experience to the table, she’s worked with many luxury brands (you know the very same ones that produce your favourite designer labels) not to mention - she’s also the most efficient person I know. Alina is a huge part of my business, she’s also a mum, so she understands my fast-written emails and knows when it's best to get me on the phone – it’s so important to work with good people.

 Nikki Williams Handbags Leather Tote Shopper Bag

The Leather

In this case of the Hampton Totes, the process for sourcing leathers was easy. Alina works with the absolute best suppliers of leather. We wanted to find leather that was incredibly soft, yet wore well with time. We needed to find a leather that allowed the bag to hold its structure, but gave it a slight suppleness. That’s how we came to work with the luxurious nappa leather. Do you know where it came from? Surprisingly, there was a man called Emanuel Manasse who worked for a tannery in Napa California in 1875 and he was the guy who first invented it. So there you have it a leather that is know for supple and lightweight properties and wears well compared to other leathers. Perfect for our Hampton Tote.

"We love the way each tote wears in differently, taking on a special character of its own."