“Sustainability isn’t about following trends. It’s about asking hard questions, doing the research and making informed choices – even when the answers aren’t the obvious ones,” says Georgie Stacey, co-founder of Apatchy London – the accessories brand she launched alongside friend and fellow school mum Sam Tolhurst back in 2009.
But the journey to the successful handbag label we know today perhaps wasn’t the most obvious. “We met when our youngest daughters were in the same class at school and explored ideas about what we would do next, since all our children were in education,” she says. What came next was Apatchy in its original form.
“We started a small business creating personalised gifts such as rugby and football boot bags, sports kit bags, hockey stick bags and pencil cases for children – with a unique method of personalisation that became a huge success. The company grew quickly, and in 2015 we were named one of the fastest growing women-led businesses in the UK.”
But in 2020 came the Covid pandemic, which saw team sports drop overnight and children’s birthday parties disappear from the diary. “Demand for our products collapsed almost instantly,” she says.
Like many businesses facing adversity during the UK lockdowns, the pair were faced with some big decisions. “Rather than press pause, Sam and I decided to pivot. Working remotely, we reimagined the business and launched a small collection of leather bags and accessories using our bag design skills and experience. That collection became the foundation of the brand as it exists today,” Georgie says.
The Esme Chocolate Suede Bag
These days, Apatchy London is known for making classic leather handbags with a trending twist. More recently, the brand has moved into chic suede styles with the chocolate Esme bag – proving very popular online – while the Holly bag is made in woven suede with an oversized, slouchy look. Now stocked in both Fenwick and John Lewis, the brand is regularly featured by trend-loving fashion site Sheerluxe.
The Holly Chocolate Suede Bag
“Throughout the pandemic, we continued trading and chose not to furlough any of our staff. At the same time, we invested significant time into sourcing manufacturers that aligned with our values. Today, we work with several factories that source leather exclusively from gold-rated tanneries certified by the Leather Working Group. Crucially for us, this gives us full traceability of the leather we use,” says Georgie.
She adds that while that brand has investigated leather-free alternatives, there was never a solution that solved their sustainability concerns. “More recently, we commissioned an independent study into non-leather alternatives – like many brands, we wanted to explore materials that might address consumer concerns around leather,” she says. “We examined a wide range of options from apple, mushroom, pineapple and cactus-based materials to cork, grape and olive leathers.”
“But our research revealed a more complex picture. While these materials are innovative and often derived from waste, many still rely heavily on chemical processing and significant water consumption. In many cases, this undermines their sustainability credentials.
“Our conclusion was clear: responsibly sourced leather remains the most sustainable choice for us. As a by-product of the meat industry, leather that is properly tanned and fully traceable avoids waste and offers durability that synthetic alternatives often can’t match.”
All Apatchy London handbags are designed in-house in London and made in Italy – where artisans “advise on the most suitable leathers for each design,” according to Georgie. Undoubtedly, the brand’s biggest challenge is maintaining its ‘accessible luxury’ price point. “Our aim is to offer exceptional quality, using sustainably sourced materials, while keeping our prices realistic and attainable,” she says.
Looking ahead to 2026, the brand is only expecting bigger things, with a Spring/Summer collection on the way and some new styles featuring raffia and leather trims. “It’s a lighter, seasonal evolution of the brand,” says Georgie.
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