In this 'Meet the Maker' we spoke to Bek from Brit Stitch, a leather bag company which heralds from the beautiful Abergavenny. Brit Stitch pride themselves on creating items that are a lifetime investment, using traditional techniques and the best quality materials.

LOCATION: ABERGAVENNY

Can you summarise your journey to becoming a designer in five steps?

I was a child that loved to draw . I was always colouring in!
I LOVED art at school, and was always working with textiles and materials. As soon as I was old enough I took Textiles as well.
This is when I knew I wanted to design fashion. I studied Fashion Design in University of South Wales. It was a fantastic 3 years – showcasing in local exhibits, to Canary Wharf, to Graduate Fashion Week, graduating with a First Class Honours in 2011.
Once graduated I showcased my independent collection during LFW, selling my clothes at Spitalfields Market.
Straight after I graduated I also started working with Brit-Stitch on the launch of their new brand. This is a great brand to be part of- soon it became my full time job!

What inspires your work?

Here at Brit-Stitch we have such a strong heritage and roots in the leather industry. So there was so much inspiration. What we produce today, all stems from Toby, our local Milkman bringing back his leather cash bag in to have the strap replaced.

We could see the huge potential in this classic bag and the rest just grew from there. I have always had a love of minimal style, clean crisp lines and attention to detail. Our bags have a modern and fresh take on our classic.

Toby's original milkman bag with todays version.

What is a typical workday for you?

This ranges from social media, dealing with suppliers and customers, managing production, quality control to developing new designs. I work from an office off the factory floor – a designers dream!

Who is your favourite designer/maker & Why?

I am always excited to see what Christopher Kane and Alexander Wang are going to showcase each. I am a huge fan of the conceptual styles of Comme Des Garcons and of course Alexander McQueen. I was in ore when I saw the Savage Beauty exhibition a few months ago!

What is your most treasured item of homeware?

This has to be the vintage suitcase my Gran gave to me some years ago. It was hers when she was young. It’s a beautiful darkest green shade. It’s all worn and battered from its use over time, adding so much character.

Which of your own designs are you most proud of and why?

Our Half Pint bag! Super cute and definitely our style winner. But I am proud of every bag we produce – every one of our bags are made here in our factory in South Wales by our talented team. We have a bag for every occasion, super compact Half Pint to a Backpack to a Laptop bag.

Thank you Bek and everyone at Brit Stitch! We certainly share the same passion for well made, local goods that are created with love. You can find various brit stitch bags on our online shop and in store, so give us a visit!

Online shop