As a huge advocate of real leather accessories with an undeniable penchant for luxury purses and pretty phone cases, I was quite excited when I heard about new designer, Greenwich. Based in Brighton but drawing their heritage from the South London borough, the self-professed ‘non-brand’ is quintessentially British, using our maritime history as their inspiration for product names.
I’ve come to learn that each piece in the Greenwich collection is meticulously hand-crafted from the leather which is used to upholster Bentley vehicles, which might divulge that products in this range are a little on the expensive side. At £90, the real leather wallet (‘Shamrock’), is actually quite reasonably priced (I’ve had Michael Kors and Kate Spade wallets which are more expensive, but where the leather used isn’t nearly as good quality, or it’s not even real leather in the first place). The folio case will set you back £80, though, so it really does depend on how much you value your iPhone looking luxe.
As pictured below, I have the Greenwich CHRONO Folio Case for iPhone 6* and the Greenwich SHAMROCK Purse*, both in the shade Linen. Items are available in a selection of premium shades, including Beluga (black), Fireglow (autumnal red) and Portofine (blue), among others. The colour names are definitely unusual, but not just thought up at random; instead, they’re based on the leather shades available for your Bentley. (Which I guess is great, if you plan to match your new purse with your car – I mean, who doesn’t have a Bentley, right?)
Each of the pieces feel unbelievably tactile in the hand, and you can instantly tell that the leather is out-of-this-world quality. Right down to the hand-stitching around the exterior to the finer details which make up each item, Greenwich clearly pay very close attention to their design and product quality.
I absolutely love both of the items from Greenwich, however it’s the leather purse which has me sold. The wallet opens to reveal the usual coin pockets and card slots, but there’s an interior device slot which can hold a variety of smartphones, including my iPhone 6. It’s the perfect size for holding all of your important cards, cash but also your phone, and I often use this as an alternative to carrying around my backpack. (I’m currently using a leather/suede mix slouchy backback from Warehouse, which has now sold out I believe.)
Like Kate Spade and Aspinal of London – who are similarly priced – Greenwich accessories might be something you choose when you’re looking for a real treat. What’s great though, is that the fine leather construction of these items will definitely outlive its cost. I can’t even begin to explain how beautiful the packaging is too (think carefully-designed, luxury black box with a map print around the product, wax stamp seal of approval and lots of extra goodies included – yes, really). If not for you, I urge you to check their website out around gifting times. I bought my boyfriend one of their iPhone 6S cases and he absolutely adores it.
What do you think of the Greenwich collection? If there’s any other small British brands you think I should know about, please let me know in the comments below! I love championing infant British designers, so definitely share the love.
The Style Intervention 