The young female entrepreneur who is defying Brexit and retail gloom

5 years ago

Edita Macfarlane is a Slovakian-born millennial entrepreneur who in 2016 founded Anglo-Italian luxury leather brand Bucklesbury in London at the age of 26. Fluent in five languages, Edita studied Media in Bratislava followed by an MA at Business School in the South of France before moving to London to realise her dream of creating a luxurious leather goods brand that was the antidote to ubiquitous ‘designer labels' and which instead focused on the self-evident qualities of beautiful design, high-quality materials and solid craftsmanship.

Her first Bucklesbury bag was a stylish-yet-practical Attaché Case that replaced the need for professional women to carry a separate handbag and laptop bag with a single bag that is both beautiful and practical. The Bucklesbury range has since expanded to provide for men and women in equal measure, and now also includes beautifully-made leather backpacks for travellers and professionals. The first ever Bucklesbury handbag, a unique design by Edita that is handmade in Italy by highly-skilled craftsmen, will launch in 2019, and is currently available to preview and pre-order at the ‘Bucklesbury & More’ boutique at The Royal Exchange in London.

Already exporting to many hundreds of customers all over the world and with an enthusiastic fan base in the USA, China and Japan, Bucklesbury is one of a growing contingent of founder-led brands who are defying Brexit and retail gloom by breaking from the traditional paradigm by redefining straight-to-consumer British-European luxury. And Edita's latest venture has brought fifteen of these ground-breaking brands together at a single location for a 'luxurious artisan brands and gifting’ popup boutique at one of London’s most iconic and historical buildings: The Royal Exchange.

Edita believes that part of the reason that major High Street retailers and department stores are struggling is because they have been slow to recognise that shoppers are becoming tired of paying a premium for ubiquitous modern ‘designer labels' and are quickly rediscovering their love for the more traditional values that their parents or grandparents probably valued: beautiful design, high-quality materials and solid craftsmanship – albeit now combined with a playful or contemporary twist to reflect modern sensibilities.

And so the ‘Bucklesbury & More’ popup boutique features British-based brands and designers who are defining this counter-movement and so quietly reshaping the future of British luxury retail. These brands have a strong focus on direct-to-consumer and online, but also on appearing in playful popup stores and beautiful temporary showrooms to delight shoppers with new and exciting discoveries and experiences that turn them first into customers and then into brand ambassadors. Two-thirds of the brands at Bucklesbury & More are founded and managed by female entrepreneurs and designers; and all of the brands reflect the very highest standards in accessible British and European luxury.

Bucklesbury & More is open until Saturday 22nd December from 10:00 until 19:00 Monday to Friday, and 10:00 until 16:00 on Saturdays. The brands and their products include:

Bella Singleton - luxury silk scarves, designed and printed in Britain.

Bucklesbury - leather cases and backpacks, designed in England and handcrafted in Italy.

Connock London - award winning British fragrance and skincare.

Donhall & Bell - British-made men’s slippers and premium footwear.

Elliot Rhodes - London-based specialist in luxury leather and exotic belts.

Jan Constantine - bold and original British-made home textiles.

ManTidy - designer leather travel accessories for men.

Marcel Rodrigues - hand produced British bespoke headwear.

Marmaduke London - Quintessentially British vintage-inspired menswear label.

Martelo & Mo - British bespoke furniture makers.

MintArts - bringing bold and eclectic artworks from artists who stand out from the crowd.

Nui Ami - sophisticated and luxurious British-made sleep and loungewear

Pout Case - the world’s first phone makeup case.

Sherene Melinda - original luxury springbok hair-on-hide handbags.

YOJO - silk and ceramic accessories for men and women.

Google Maps directions: https://goo.gl/maps/3Xofh7hAHeD2

For more information please contact:

hello@bucklesbury.com

Mike: +44 7764 225 924

ENDS

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About Bucklesbury

Bucklesbury is an Anglo-Italian luxury accessories brand that was founded on simple artisan values of beautiful design, practicality, high quality materials and solid craftsmanship. The brand was founded in 2016 by young female entrepreneur Edita Macfarlane, with mission to make people feel special by creating objectively beautiful and timeless items based on classic values but with a modern or contemporary twist. The Bucklesbury creative process takes place in Great Britain and then each bag is handmade in Italy using techniques that have been perfected over many generations. Every piece of beautiful Italian leather is like a fingerprint, so Bucklesbury craftsmen combine artisan with artistry to deliberately nurture these variations to enhance the unique character and beauty of every bag.