Meghan Markle's favorite bags are from a Spanish designer

Interview The firm DeMellier, founded by the Catalan Mireia Llusia-Lindh in 2017, has gained positions in the market thanks to the favor of the British royal house (in addition to Markle, Camila de Cornwall, Pippa Middleton or Princess Beatrice, she has also worn their designs) , but also to its environmental and social ethics

By Sarah Hernando

Although the list of celebrities who have fallen in love with the beauty of DeMellier's designs is long (from Beyonce to Emily Blunt, Lara Stone or Irina Shayk) it is Meghan Markle (in addition to other members of the British royal house) who have put the map to this English firm founded in London in 2017 by a Spanish, Mireia Llusia-Lindh. “The British royal family is a great ambassador for English brands like ours, and for us it is a great pride that they have trusted us, we will always be grateful”, concedes the businesswoman. And it is that her designs, with a polished and minimalist aesthetic, have been hanging for months from the shoulders of Princess Beatrice, Camilla of Cornwall or Pippa Middleton, reaching a share of popularity worthy of their carriers.

Daughter of a businessman and a creative mother, Mireia Llusia-Lindh worked in firms such as Burberry or in the LVMH group – “Before this adventure, my career was very focused on the business area. I studied at Harvard and worked in strategic consulting with large companies. From that time I learned all the work behind the development of the brand image, something that seems easy but is the most complicated in a luxury brand” – before launching her brand, just after giving birth to her first daughter : “I felt a creative impulse. Something that had never happened to me before. I wanted to create, but in a new way, with values. I wanted to design bags thought by and for women, that were contemporary in design and of the highest quality, but also functional and attainable, while also supporting social causes.”

His bet was the bags, all made with quality materials, in Spanish workshops and with highly competitive prices (most of his designs are around 400 euros), but also a different way of doing business, in which social commitment is placed at the center of the firm with actions such as 7 Women, 7 Causes, or A Bag, A Life, a permanent initiative through which they dedicate part of the profits from each bag sold to vaccines and medical supplies for children in disadvantaged countries through of the NGO SOS Children's Villages. We talked with the founder of the brand about the ethical and aesthetic values of her project, and the success of the firm.

Why bags?

Because I never found the perfect bag, everyone had something wrong, especially when it comes to values. For me it was key that they were bags made with integrity, offering the highest quality at the most affordable price possible, and not the other way around like many brands do. And I also wanted to create a brand that was truly and consistently committed to social causes, and it's something that is also very rare to find in luxury brands.

What would you say those DeMellier values are?

At DeMellier we have three core values that guide everything we do. Create pieces by women for women, supporting women in everything we can. Create pieces that are made with integrity, using the highest quality materials, using luxurious craftsmanship, and at an affordable price. And help those most in need. Through A Bag, A Life, our permanent charity project, for every piece we sell, we finance vaccines and life-saving medical treatment for children in need in collaboration with the NGO SOS Aldeas Infantiles (SOS Children's Villages).

Where does the name come from?

DeMellier symbolizes the mix of old and new, traditional and contemporary. 'De' symbolizes the tradition in the techniques we use and in our idea of creating products that last for years. It has its origin in my maternal grandmother. Years after her death, I discovered that the endearing stories she told me as a child, about her descent from Spanish nobles and court knights, were true. Her story goes back more than five centuries, in the south of Spain, close to where we make our bags today. 'Mellier' comes from my name which is of French descent 'Mireille', capturing the more modern and creative spirit of the brand.

Although your firm is British, why did you decide to produce in Spain?

From the first moment it was clear that I wanted to manufacture in Spain since we have one of the best leather goods industries in the world and it is always easier to understand each other being from the same culture.

What importance then does craftsmanship have in your firm?

very much. In the manufacture of our bags we preserve many of the artisanal techniques that have been used for many years. We have bags that need up to 50 different pieces and more than 12 artisans are involved in their creation. Each piece requires a very elaborate and handmade process, making each bag a small work of art. Nowadays, where unfortunately fast-fashion and low-cost production are becoming the norm, we want to treasure and support the artisanal processes that we believe luxury should represent.

Can you tell us what the 'A bag, A life' initiative consists of and why you decided to launch it?

A Bag, A Life is our permanent charity project, through which for each bag we sell, we finance vaccines and medical treatments to save the lives of children in need in developing countries in collaboration with the NGO SOS Aldeas Infantiles (SOS Children's Villages).

What about using your factory in Spain to manufacture masks during the pandemic?

In March of last year, when the first wave of the pandemic was spreading through Spain, we spoke with our factory and decided to close to protect the workers. Fifteen of the 60 workers who were not in risk groups decided, with our support, to use the facilities to manufacture masks and visors. Thousands of units were manufactured for local hospitals. We all believed that it was very important to contribute our grain of sand at that time.

What does the 7 Women, 7 Causes collection consist of?

7 women, 7 causes is a collaboration between DeMellier and six women (Oumayma Elboumeshouli, Angela Fink, Fong Min Liao, Natasha Ndlovu, Tania Sarin and Christie Tyler), who share our values in the world of fashion, with the idea of raising awareness and raise funds for seven charitable causes that are very important to each of us. Together we have designed a collection of seven bags, each one supporting an NGO and incorporating a word into the design that is inscribed on the outside and evokes the cause that each bag supports. Peace, earth, soul, learn, love, mind and life. 100% of profits are donated to seven charities: War Child, No More Plastic, PEERS, The Black Curriculum, #HashtagLunchbag, Malala Fund and SOS Children's Villages.

How important is sustainability to your brand?

I would tell you that it is capital. I think it's vital that everyone, both on a business and personal level, do our best to protect our planet in any way we can. In our case, we use leather certified by the European Leather Group, ensuring its origin and sustainability, we repair the bags that need it at no cost for life and we do not throw anything away, we produce in limited quantities to prevent excess stock and we donate all the materials that we we spare the schools of local artisans.

How has the current crisis affected you?

As for most people, it has not been an easy year, but we have been lucky that, in addition to the large multi-brand stores where we sell (Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Le Bon Marché, etc.), most of our sales they are online. This has allowed us to take care of our staff (which remains intact) and maintain an honest and very close relationship with our followers and clients, through our website, our newsletters and social networks.