From Britain with Love

Milo & Saint was the result of years of designing and making bags as a hobby. I started getting enquiries for my own personal bags and realised there was a market for my designs. I found a little workshop in London to manufacture them for me and set up the website. I've got a very definite personal style and I think this follows through to my bags. I like English style and interesting combinations of colours which was the inspiration behind my signature peach and white stripe lining.

At the moment we’re in London, I love how innovative fashion is in London - unlike Paris and Milan there are no rules. I think London is now the fashion capital of the world and each of my handbags is named after a London street. However, for the last two years we have been building our own 'Grand Design' in the Cotswolds so we plan to re-locate in February. I’m sure this will influence my collections in the future so look out for a more country flavour!

All of our bags are handmade in our London workshop. Surprisingly the framing machines used to make the Hardwick and Chantry Clutch are quite rare and not many manufacturers have them.

The most popular is definitely the Hardwick (below, left). I think frame bags are quite unusual these days and it stands out from the crowd. There’s a combination of very bold colours such as plum and more subtle shades of greys and browns. All the colours are available in a glazed, antiqued leather which adds lots of character to the finish. I’m also developing a special edition range of English Inspired handbags to include some classic colours such as British Racing Green.

Seeing someone enjoying their handbag! I saw someone recently with a Drayton in denim and it looked even better with age, I actually had handbag envy!

I feel very strongly about supporting UK manufacturing and preserving artisan crafts like leatherwork. So much of our manufacturing industry has disappeared and with it has gone the skills we’ve had in this country for hundreds of years. I like having control over the manufacturing process, overseeing it at every stage to make sure the finished product is the highest quality possible. I also have comfort in knowing that I have paid a fair price for the work involved in creating a Milo & Saint handbag.

I think selling my first handbag all those years ago is still my top moment - it’s a great feeling and still delights me now.

I mainly sell through my own website www.miloandsaint.com but also on my favourite website – Etsy! We're also stocked in boutiques in London and Bath and will be at the Country Living Fair in December.

I love Rachel Goodchild’s designs - she does fabulous wrapping paper and cards.

My absolute favourite place to shop is Daylesford Organic - they have a farmshop in the Cotswolds and a shop in Pimlico. They do great food but my favourite product is actually the lavender washing liquid.

I’m a bit biased here because we own a little holiday bungalow in Cornwall. It’s right on the sea front at Widemouth Bay and is very well placed for lots of Cornwall’s attractions. It also has some great pubs in the area and it’s perfect for walking the coast path.

I do love a bit of shopping, nothing beats a bit of retail therapy!