Loveli Designs

I recently ‘met’ Sarah on Twitter when she got in touch to see if I’d like to take a look at her Loveli Design vegan leather bags and purses. Based in Cardiff and working on the handmade collection from her home studio I took the opportunity to go and meet her, see how she makes her collection and how it all began.

I’d actually bought my first vegan leather purse recently but wasn’t really aware of why people prefer to by vegan, so decided to do a little research. There’s been an aversion to buying real fur products in the UK for sometime, but the movement towards consciously buying non-leather products is still relatively small and pretty niche. Vegan products are of man made synthetics and in principle many of the materials have been around for some time. Advancements in the development of man-made textiles are always progressing though, including the development of materials produced from waste products, like our previous post about Ecoalf. Buying vegan products is generally about satisfying a conscience about not wanting to buy animal based products and technically vegan leather items should be cheaper than the real thing.

Sarah at her Cardiff design studio

For Sarah the choice of vegan leather was down to cost and the sheer variety of colours and textures. A real creative at heart Loveli Designs has become a labour of love for her. She’s spent a number of years working in costume design in the TV, film and theatre industry and when I met her, instantly warmed to her and her infectious enthusiasm for how much she loves what she does and how delighted she is that the business has really taken off.

Initially based on Etsy Sarah received loads of really positive comments from customers, not just about the products, but about the service and delivery, incredibly important with an online store. Sarah’s designs are now also stocked in a number of offline independent stores across Wales and she’s also just launched her first dedicated website, which is also bilingual (English/Welsh).

The bags and purses are simple but fun, and come in a wide range of colour combinations. You can even design your own bag or purse for a little extra, choosing the colour, lining, zip and tassel. Prices range from £22 (purses) to £42 for a bespoke large tote bag.

Our very own Cardiff Fashion intern and contributor Ujana features on the website too, as accessories model – doesn’t she look amazing!

For more info and to order from the collection go to Loveli Designs.