As Autumn arrives, one company that I think conjures up images of crisp mornings and turning leaves is this quintessentially British company.  We posted about the Alexa a couple of months ago but thought you might like to know a little about the  company behind that most popular bag.

Mulberry was established in 1971 by the 21 year old Roger Saul and his Mother, Joan. He used just £500 of capital and set up in the garage!

The Company's roots are in Somerset and it grew worldwide over the next 30 years. There were tough times in 1998 when the company struggled with rising operating costs, but restructuring enabled Mulberry to get through and return to profit. In 2003 Roger sold the last of his stake in the company following a huge argument with Christina Ong - one of the Singapore billionaires who by this time owned 42% with her husband.

Mulberry the brand manages to be iconically British, but not old fashioned and with Emma Hill as the new Creative Director, Mulberry bags have never been so sought after.

Emma debuted with the Spring/Summer 09 collection and in 2010 she won Accessory Designer of the year award at the Glamour Woman of the year event.

The Somerset Tote is 'Bag of the month' this month - so try out a piece of Mulberry for only £10/week - you will love it!

Until next time,

Tobi-Jane x

Hello all you LHC blog followers - hope August is being nice to you!

I thought I would say a little something about one of our favourite British bag designers - Anya Hindmarch.

Anya comes from a very business savy family with both her parents and her siblings all very talented in the world of business, so it is hardly a surprise that she is so successful.

Her 'Bag Affair' started at the tender age of 15, when her Mother gave her one of her Gucci bags and Anya states "There was a sense that whenever I wore it, whatever I was wearing, it made me feel glamorous - it was a real confidence boost".

When she was 18 and fresh out of her Roman Catholic convent school, Anya went to Florence on a language course. Whilst in Italy, she saw a bag - a drawstring duffel bag no less - which she thought would sell well in Britain, so she brought one back, found manufacturers and convinced Harpers & Queen magazine to feature the bag as an offer to its readers. She sold over 500!

The next step was for Anya to design her own bags, which she did from her kitchen table, and this was the 'bleak' time in her empire building, as all her friends were away at university and she felt quite isolated. Steadily her client base grew, and she opened her first shop in South Kensington.

Anya says "Slowly but surely everyone came up those little steps on Walton Street: Princess Diana, Elle Macpherson, Royal queens and princesses from European countries".

Today she has well over 50 stores worldwide and an empire worth over £22 million.

On a personal level she has 5 children and is blissfully married to James Seymour - who co-owns the clothing chain Jigsaw with Anyas' best friend.  Anya was 25 when she met James, who was recently widowed with 3 young children and she knew he was 'the one'. "I remember meeting James and thinking he was the most lovely man I had met. The thing is, wierdly, I knew the moment that I met him I was going to marry him. It was sort of like HOME written in neon on his head"

If you weren't feeling inadequate before you read this - I apologise if you do now! I know I do! Anya Hindmarch seems to have it all - although I feel pretty certain she has worked blimin' hard to achieve such perfection! She is someone about whom nobody has a bad word to say and is designing jackets with Barbour this year and has been asked to be a consultant for the London Olympics on how to best present the city.

We have a couple of very popular Anya Hindmarch bags available to hire - The Handsfree - a lightweight alternative to a clutch or shopping bag for those days when you are literally on the run from a.m to p.m and need your hands-free! (£15/week), and the Bespoke Maud - a classically framed clutch with embossed initials and stone embellished twist closure. (£15/week).

That completes my ramblings for the moment I think! - until next week!

Tobi-Jane x

Welcome to the LHC Blog!

This is the part of the site where we keep you informed and updated with the latest news, gossip, celebrity pictures and general small talk.

Now that the site has been re-launched with a new face and the merchant banking is now sorted, we feel there is much to celebrate!

Our "Bag Of The Month" is the Mulberry Alexa in Dark Oak Leopard Print. As I'm sure you already know, this bag was created for and inspired by the style icon Alexa Chung and is a clever amalgamation of the popular Bayswater and mens briefcase, resulting in this gorgeous feminine and practical Mulberry which is set to be a classic and has proved incredibly popular.

Celebrities that own an Alexa include Olivia Palermo from "The City" and Cheryl Cole.

As "Bag Of The Month", you can hire the Alexa at HALF PRICE - that's ONLY £17.50 a week!!! And we have free postage and packing throughout the month of August (normally £11.99). WOW!

Let me know what you think of the Alexa once you have tried and tested it for yourself.

Til next time

Tobi-Jane x