The Very First Bag

The start of an era

Having failed A-level Textiles and Dress, I left school at 17 and secured an apprenticeship in cutting, design and tailoring at Angels Theatrical Costumiers in the heart of London’s Theatreland. It was 1976, and the next three years went by in a blur of sumptuous fabrics and a cast of exotic characters.

I was working alongside experts in their fields, usually to crazy deadlines, and loving it. I was tailoring a waistcoat for Anthony Hopkins and, with the offcuts, created my first bag. Using the printed velvet remnant for the centre sections, I used cut velvet for the end panels, a design element which endures today in my bespoke travel bags. Carried on many of my travels around the globe, this bag is a reminder of my amazing days at Angels days and the skills I learned and honed from there.