Introducing Demellier SS14

Demellier montreal bag

“I see all these magazine articles aimed at business women proposing clutch bags for the office,” laughs Mireia Llusia-Lindh, “and it’s like, are you crazy! My customers need more than a clutch for their office bag, but it needs to look good.” Llusia-Lindh started life as a management consultant before bringing her business and creative brains together to launch her handbag line, Demellier (formerly Milli Millu – not to be confused with Meli Melo). A few seasons ago, I spotted one of her structured totes across a crowded networking event and discovered its designer was sitting right next to it. Then, months later when I carried my Zurich tote to a store event, the store owner admired it and sent her buyers to investigate.

The main appeal is a sleek aesthetic married with practicality and a fair price point. The design is intuitive – bags are a sensible size and weight, and they’re device-friendly for today’s flexi-worker. Crucially for Llusia-Lindh’s clients who work in law and finance, the bags are designed to fit a combo of laptops, tablets and phones in their many pockets.  “My customers multi-task, so they want a stylish bag that does it all, not a laptop bag,” says Llusia-Lindh.

For SS14, Demellier’s signature understated colour palette has expanded to include pops of citrus orange and yellow (“they’re the editorial bags really, but we do sell a few!”). The Montreal is an excellent all-season bag in citrus calf-hair or two-tone neutral leather, although my favourite is the snake-print version (top and below)…

Demellier Montreal bag - orange
Demellier bag

The Helsinki is a great off-duty bag in understated neutrals or orange accents…
Demellier Helsinki bag in orange
Milli-Millu Helsinki blue and white bag

The expandable Bilbao is popular with fashion editors, including me. I carried my calf leather and lamb hair Bilbao throughout London and Paris Fashion Weeks and happily toted my camera, iPad and phones for 12+ hours a day scooping up strokes and compliments along the way…

Demellier Bilbao white bag
Demellier Bilbao grey

And the best bit about all this is DeMellier’s latest pledge. For every bag bought, a lifesaving kit is donated to a child in need as part of its A Bag A Life scheme. Working with the charity SOS Children’s Villages, kits of of vaccines and treatments are supplied to save the lives of vulnerable children. Shop the collection here.

[UPDATED to reflect the name change from Milli Millu to Demellier.]