The real test of a handbag isn’t just how it looks with an outfit for a season or two. It’s whether you’re still wearing it years from when you originally got it. Does it withstand daily trips on the train or messy little fingers reaching for it? Does it play as well with your rotation as it did when you first got it? London-based DeMellier has built its business on this notion, the idea that a solid handbag should hold up to real life and outlast every micro-trend that comes pounding on the door.
And for its latest launch, the Icons collection, the brand asked five stylish women, from Montreal-based style figure Grece Ghanem to Paris creator Lena Mahfouf and models Taylor Hill, Romee Strijd, and Rebecca Donaldson, to rework its best-known designs to reflect their own perspective and personal style. “We chose five different women, across generations, backgrounds and experiences, who were already part of our community and connected with our values,” shares founder Mireia Llusia-Lindh. “They are united by a strong sense of self, determination and purpose, and each has forged her own path.”
Llusia-Lindh launched DeMellier in London in 2017 after years in the luxury industry, with a focus on well-made bags priced below the big heritage houses. That approach quickly gained traction, and in the decade since, the brand has become a go-to for structured, polished styles that work for everyday and beyond. The lineup covers the DeMellier classics – including the Midi Hudson, the New York, the Large Siena Bucket, the Stockholm, and the Stockholm Shoulder – each updated in textures and colours that reflect their creator’s unique point of view.
Model Taylor Hill gravitated toward the large Siena Bucket for its wearability and longevity, rendering it in a deep burgundy. “It feels timeless and is one of those colours that goes with everything,” she says. Grece Ghanem chose the Midi Hudson, which she has owned and carried for years, and reimagined in dark navy croc-effect leather. “It was a natural choice to reinterpret it in my own way,” Ghanem says. “I chose to reimagine it in a navy croc-effect as it can elevate any outfit, by complimenting neutrals while still satisfying my desire for some edginess.”
Scottish model and entrepreneur Rebecca Donaldson selected the Stockholm Shoulder for its structured ease and finished it in a dark sage with fine grain leather. “It feels very true to my style because it’s understated and neutral but still has a little something unexpected about it,” Donaldson shares with . “I also added the white stitching as a subtle contrast, which gives the bag a soft point of difference without taking away from its simplicity.” The sage sits somewhere between green and grey, and works well as a neutral. “An iconic handbag is one that feels instantly recognisable without having to try too hard,” Donaldson shares. “It has a strong, distinctive silhouette, but also a sense of ease.”
Lena Mahfouf went with the New York in a fern-coloured suede, while Romee Strijd chose to bring the Stockholm to life in a dark brown fine grain leather – a shade she said felt very true to her personal style. “I wanted something that works with everything but still feels special,” Strijd says, and was drawn to this bowling bag shape because it felt “feminine, timeless, and comfortable.”
The pieces, of course, are just as easy to wear as the originals, yet offer a twist that feels personal to each woman. The Icons collection is available to Shopping readers exclusively for 24 hours before its official launch date, below.
X Romee Strijd The Stockholm bag
Grece Ghanem: The Midi Hudson
X Grece Ghanem The Midi Hudson bag
Lena Mahfouf: The New York
X Lena Mahfouf The New York bag
Rebecca Donaldson: The Stockholm Shoulder
X Rebecca Donaldson The Stockholm shoulder bag
Taylor Hill: The Siena Bucket Bag
