Bag-maker celebrates M&S success
25/02/2014
Styles, include a semi-structured satchel bag with an optional cross-body strap and a classic tote shoulder bag. They are made using leather sourced from UK tanneries and colours for the Marks & Spencer range include duck-egg blue, shocking pink, navy and chocolate.
On announcing the development in February, Marksbury managing director, Andrew Cater, said: “We have been quietly making for a number of Bond Street brands for several years. It’s our speciality, providing great production services to brands in the luxury market.”
The company has a core team of 36 craftspeople working on its bags, expanding to 50 when production demands require. Mr Cater told leatherbiz that average output is ten luxury bags per person per week, which he says compared favourably to rival manufacturers. In fact, he said: “We are a unique manufacturer in the UK. There is no other modern manufacturer in the UK with our combined high-level quality and bulk capacity. Many UK brand owners are quickly coming to recognise us, having hitherto believed that our quality and capacity could only be found in Italy or Turkey or the Far East.”
Although Markbury has much bigger and better known luxury leathergoods manufacturer Mulberry on its doorstep, Mr Cater insists he has had no difficulty recruiting, training and retraining artisans for his workforce. “The loyalty in our team is immense,” he said, “and has a combined 150 years of working together at Marksbury. We have not experienced a problem recruiting, retaining or training good, skilled craftspeople from the immediate area. Indeed many others, locally employed, would choose to work at Marksbury out of preference.”
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