Homepage LIVING
London for a meeting just before lockdown and noticed how empty the streets were on my way home. I started to panic – after all, who was going to buy handbags when no one was going out? At that point, I had one full-time employee and a few freelancers. I had to scale back, so I let some freelancers go. Then I came up with a new idea: if a customer spent £500 over three months, they’d receive a free handbag. It was a hit. I also thought about those who couldn’t afford a luxury bag, and invited my customers to nominate someone deserving. We ended up gifting handbags to some truly incredible people – including NHS workers who were doing heroic work during the pandemic. That’s how the idea of handbags bringing joy started. FTB: How have you changed the way your business operates? SH: I started working with a small maker in Manchester, but as we grew, the volume of orders became too much. I tried Spain, but it was slow progress with them, so I turned to Turkey, which has an excellent reputation for handbag craftsmanship. I now source my leather from Italy and ship it to Turkey for production. I design all the bags myself – they’re quite complex, and everything needs to work together. My goal is to create versatile bags that can take you from the office to an evening out. Our signature feature is the use of poppers to attach accessories, which allows customers to update their look
“I ONLY HAD ENOUGH LEFT OVER TO BUY A BED AND A CHAIR – AND NOT EVEN A NICE CHAIR!”
without buying a whole new bag.We even have a style quiz online that helps people discover their personal style – whether it’s classic and chic or quirky and bold – and we recommend bags and accessories that match.
FTB: What’s next for the brand? SH: I want to keep growing my brand so that our bags are the go-to for stylish women looking for a bag they can style endlessly without having to actually change their bag! I’ve learned that you have to think big and be willing to take risks. Right now, we don’t plan on opening retail stores – it’s hard to rely on them to showcase how the bags work in person – so we’re staying focused on e-commerce, I have lots of ideas for creating a live shopping network, which is starting to emerge as a strong channel. Oh and finding a way to get a bag to Catherine Princess of Wales and Charlotte – that would open a few bag doors! FTB: Finally, do you have any advice for first time buyers? SH: Get your finances sorted early so you know exactly what you can afford. Try to look past the current state of a property and imagine how it could look once you’ve made it your own. It doesn’t have to be perfect. After all, when I bought my first home all I had was a bed and a chair – but it grew into a proper home over time.
FTB: Do you have any celebrity customers yet?
SH: We have been lucky enough to attract quite a few! I met a lovely girl at an event and she asked me to send a bag to Anthea Turner to thank her. Anthea loved the bag we sent and she kindly shared a story about it on social media. She has since become our brand ambassador – she’s so enthusiastic and genuinely loves our bags. Social media is hugely important to us; we have over 10,000 five-star reviews, and fans like Kate Garraway and Vanessa Feltz. I also host a podcast called Three Bags on a Boat from my houseboat in Canary Wharf with Anthea. We chat with guests about their life moments when carrying their handbags and what’s in their handbag – it’s always fascinating. Anthea and I have welcomed guests like Alex Murphy, Jean Johansson, Olga (aka The Big Fat Greek Mama), and celebrity hairdresser Andrew Barton – our first male guest – this season!
sarahharan.com / @sarahharanuk
First Time Buyer October/November 2025 15
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker