Bags
Bracher Emden
Bling fest bags
Since Richard Emden and David Bracher began producing accessories, some of the world's most sartorially confident, style-leading celebrities such as Beyoncé Knowles, Cameron Diaz and Eva Longoria seem unable to walk out of their front doors without brandishing a Bracher Emden bag of maximalist hardware: armour plating for the sexy-chic in-crowd. For these are bags with bells on: not to mention with crystals, leather butterflies, leather lacing and appliquéd exotic skins and padding and tassels and chains.
De Couture
Couture arm candy
Belgian Vinciane Stouvenaker and Italian Massimo Mariotti joined creative forces when Stouvenaker moved to Italy with a mission to design haute couture bags. Unique collections are inspired by classic bag shapes and materials but are given unique twists with the addition of modern metals and design techniques.
Edidi
Bejewelled bags
Wendy Lau founded Edidi in 2000 in New York. Her bejewelled evening bags and clutches involve an astounding amount of careful handiwork; an average of over 2000 pieces of Chaton diamond shaped crystals and semi-precious stones are set or wired on every bag in over a dozen separate procedures. Lau's artisan approach results in the ultimate glamour accessory.
Giambattista Valli
Fashion superstar
After cutting his fashion teeth as senior designer at Krizia and fashion and prêt-a-porter art director at Emanuel Ungaro, Giambattista Valli was more than primed to launch his own label. By 2005 his creations were striding down the runway on a regular seasonal basis and celebrities such as Penelope Cruz, Mischa Barton and Victoria Beckham were being snapped in them on the red carpet. Flowing chiffon, striking shapes and fearless colours are Valli signatures setting him on an astral path of success.
Gina
Ultimate glamour
Gina was established in 1954 in London by master shoemaker Mehmet Kurdash. His dream was to create glamorous handmade shoes and bags and he named the company after his muse, movie icon Gina Lollobrigida. Designing shoes had been a family tradition since 1893 and today Mehmet's sons, Attila, Aydin and Altan Kurdash are the combined talent who create by hand the lasts and heels, using skills passed down from generation to generation.
Kotur
Clutching dreams
With a name like Kotur, it was very apt that Fiona Kotur Marin launch a specialised line of bags and accessories. Inspiration came from vintage brocades found during travels in Asia. In 2006 Kotur was commissioned by Aerin Lauder to produce a special Oscar goodie bag for the 78th Academy Awards, ensuring a multitude of red carpet stars started to be seen out with Kotur bags and accessories which now extend to matching espadrilles.
Lara Bohinc
Material girl
Citing 'Russian constructivism, Japanese graphic prints, nature and architecture, industrial processes and the naked body' as her inspirations, Lara Bohinc has built an accessories range that captured the imagination of her illustrious fans. Madonna and her cohort of dancers wore Bohinc's 'Rachel' sunglasses for her 2006/07 tour, including the much publicised MTV Awards.
Lauren Merkin
Bags of fun
New York based Lauren Merkin makes bags for every occasion. Colourful day bags and more delicate evening pieces have established the company as a pioneer in versatile arm candy.
Liberty of London
Luella
Post-modern punk
After creating the Gisele bag with Stuart Vevers for Mulberry, Luella marked her own position at the cutting edge of fashion with collections given such memorable names as 'Daddy, I want a pony' and 'Daddy, who are the Clash?' Her fashion shimmers with the irreverence of the punk era: slogans and safety pins serving as reminders of an angry youth. But Luella's collections also possess a playful notion of fashion; the colour pink is always present in key pieces.
Maia N
It's in the bag
Polish Lebanese sisters Maya and Joanna Nakhle create bags that reinforce the wearer's femininity. Maya's qualifications from Central Saint Martin's and Joanna's degree in gemmology put the sisters firmly on the glamour accessories map and Maia is the Middle East ambassador for Swarovski. Their travels have made the Maia N bag range popular with Queen Rania of Jordan, Princess Alia of Jordan, Queen Sophia of Spain, Princess Deena Abdel Aziz of Saudi Arabia.
Missoni
Close knit family
A legendary love story between Ottavio and Rosita Missoni has spawned a fashion empire now three generations and a home-wear line old. The first Missoni collection walked down the runway in 1966 and was celebrated for its unique knitwear and textile patterns. Today this signature style has evolved under the influence of their daughter Angela who designs it and given birth to a perfume range fronted by granddaughter Margherita Missoni.
Mulberry
English heritage
With classic bags such as the Mabel and Roxanne, authentic English heritage leather goods manufacturer Mulberry has become a cult classic accessories range itself in the past few years, under the Creative Direction of Stuart Vevers. Even though Vevers has now departed, Mulberry is looking forward to an exciting season with a new creative at the helm.
Pauric Sweeney
The art of leather
Pauric Sweeney moved from his native County Donegal in Ireland to Florence in 2005 when he fell in love with the harmony between the past and present in this destination Italian city. The move also placed this internationally renowned creator of bags closer to the production as some of the world's best tanneries and leather factories are located nearby in the Tuscan countryside.
Piatonna
Seductive style
Pia Tonna worked with such luxury brands as Chanel before launching her own line of glamorous bags in the autumn/winter of 2004. UK based and born to an English mother and Maltese father, Tonna's leather collection, which now spans both bags and a matching shoe line as well, is a seductive combination of English style and Mediterranean spice and spirit.
Pierre Hardy
Footwear maestro
Formerly with Hermés, Pierre Hardy kick-started his shoe career with Christian Dior in 1988, so brings together elements of haute style with a modern flair. Apart from his eponymous line, Hardy also designs footwear for Balenciaga. A celebrated footwear maestro, Hardy is the shoe designer of choice who is called upon by celebrities (such as Nicole Kidman) when they want a bespoke pair of heels to be created for red carpet events.
Rika
See by Chloé
I see you, baby
See by Chloé, Chloé's diffusion line, subscribes to the baby-doll length but applies sophisticated touches with waists and trims.
Sigerson Morrison
The art of design
London born Miranda Morrison (sister of designer Jasper Morrison) and Nebraska-raised Kari Sigerson's eponymous label became famous when they launched the rubber flip-flop with a kitten heel. The girls now both live and design their main line and diffusion range called Belle by Sigerson Morrison in New York.
Temperley
Fashion legend
Specialising in fabric technology and print, Alice Temperley's collections stand out for their glamour, craftsmanship and poetic beauty. Since graduating from London's Central St Martins College of Art and Design, Temperley has built up an internationally respected fashion empire and was recently named one of Britain's top 30 businesswomen. Her dresses are often snapped at red carpet events and Scarlett Johannson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Charlize Theron, Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts count amongst her fans.
Thomas Wylde
Wylde about fashion
Thomas Wylde is the fictitious creation of ex-model Paula Thomas. The label is loved for its signature skull print motif, available on jersey dresses, sneakers and bags. Thomas brings imbues her chic designs, which include figure hugging leather gear with biker attitude to produce a collection that is the darling of some modern day rock'n'roll girls such as Lindsay Lohan and Kate Hudson.
Twenty8twelve
More than a date
If one sister is a fashion designer with a reputation crafted on the tailoring rooms of Matthew Williamson, Anya Hindmarch and Shanghai Tang, and the other sister is a style icon and cover girl, it was perhaps inevitable that Savannah and Sienna Miller joined forces to launch their own fashion label twenty8twelve in 2007. The abstract name refers to Sienna's birth date, but there is nothing abstract about their on-trend collection.
VBH
Beyond bags
When the ex-president of Valentino, Victor Bruce Hoeksema, decided in 2000 to create his own uber-luxury brand, it was bound to have all the right ingredients to satisfy the style seeking appetite of today's fashionistas. Style, beauty and classical simplicity, blended with a touch of edge and excitement form the core of luxury accessories brand VBH.