Bernadette’s story
“A bag is a vessel, transporting lives and dreams. Creating them is my passion.”
— Bernadette Erskine-Hornyold, Founder and Creative Director
I served my sewing and cutting apprenticeship at Angels, the famed theatrical costumiers, in late 70’s London. It was here that I made my first bag, from the offcuts of a waistcoat I tailored for Anthony Hopkins.
After two years travelling the world as nanny to an American family, I landed in New York, where I indulged my love of fabrics by wandering the garment district on 7th Avenue for hours at a time.
Inspired, I hired a heavy duty sewing machine that an amiable cabbie helped drag up to my Greenwich Village apartment. Fast forward six months, and almost all of my fellow tenants had bought a Weekend bag to take with them to the Hamptons.
Returning to London, I saw that the Apple Market in Covent Garden had just opened for business. For the next eight years, this was to be the place where I developed my style and built my brand.
In the late ‘80’s, I leased a large display case at The Savoy while also supplying bags to other London luminaries such as Asprey, Fortnum & Mason and Harvey Nichols. It seemed a natural progression to go on and open two shops of my own - one in Notting Hill and the other in Glasgow's Princes Square, which Prince Charles opened in 1990.
The following year, I decided to expand my horizons to New York and determined to sell to Bergdorf Goodman, one of the city's top department stores. Sharing an elevator with the vice-chairman, I seized the moment...and by the time we'd reached the seventh floor, I'd secured an order for every bag from my collection.
If there was a defining moment for my business, it came with the introduction of my bespoke Rabbit tapestry. Subtle yet playful, the collection reflects and retains a unique and exclusive appeal.
With each of my bags comes a bond. Today, my list of private clients is a truly eclectic mix of people. Some may have only just discovered me, while others may have known me since my days at Angels.
After 45 years, my creative journey from a stall in Covent Garden to a concession at Bergdoff Goodman continues to drive my passion to make beautiful, functional bags.
Bernadette’s unique bags have featured in prestigious shops around the world…
London -Aspreys, Harrods, Purdeys, Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols
Munich - Eduard Meir
New York - Bergdoff Goodman
San Francisco - Gumps
Scottsdale - Stefan Mann
Palm Beach - Barzina
Chicago - Greenes Luggage
Aspen - The Baggage Claim