PHOTOGRAPHY: KENSINGTON LEVERNE
I’ve been at Globe-Trotter for the past four years but I’ve been in the business since I was 16. I used to work for my dad’s company, House of Patric, which Globe-Trotter bought out a few years ago. We used to do small leather goods such as wallets and passport covers, that kind of thing. Some of the staff came over from my dad’s company (which he set up in 1982) and they’ve been with us for a few years, which is nice. My sister, brother-in-law and two sons work here too – so we’ve really kept it in the family!
I’m the leather assistant manager. My job is to run the factory floor; to make sure jobs are done properly and go out on time. I always muck in and help out if I need to. My role has changed quite a bit over the years; more and more the leather and suitcase departments are coming together. There’s always a lot going on in the factory and you need to make sure everything is being done on time so it can be quite full-on but it’s nice to be busy. There’s also a lot of variety in the leather department, you don’t do the same thing every day.
The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the products through to completion. We’re really bespoke. Anybody can come in and ask for something specific and we can deliver it. I love making bags, it’s such a great achievement when you see the individual pieces of leather being put together and all of a sudden it’s a lovely bag. And in Japan they really know how to display the bags, they look stunning.
One of my favorite ever designs was last year’s St John collection. The clutch bag is so lovely. I like that range and it was nice to make. The John Booth collection was memorable too – it was quite wacky!
We’ve recently launched the new Toscana collection, which is the first time that we’ve designed leather bags to match the cases. It’s always exciting when we make something new. I love the new A/W tote bags; the colours and the softness – it’s definitely a style of bag that I’d use myself. I love the new colourways and the suede linings. Some of the bags are from our previous range but with new tweaks to make them look more like our suitcases. Hopefully they will sell well.
In my spare time I like doing what most people like to do: drink wine and chill out. I like socialising with my friends and switching off. I love going down Portobello Market and enjoying nice food. It’s such a great vibe in London.
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