DeMellier — maker of several excellent mid-luxury handbags — sounds French but it’s not. We cannot hold this against them — and in fact, a close look at this line reveals that outside of its name, the brand is deeply reflective of its London base: It’s chic but work minded (as opposed to a French brand, which would be chic but leisure minded). DeMellier bags look amazing in a meeting — for example at a bank! — while French bags are made to look amazing en terrasse. Kate Middleton is reportedly a fan and owns three: a Small Hudson in mocha brown suede, plus two Nano Montreals (the latter are currently out of stock). And like so many of London’s best inventions, it comes courtesy of an outsider — in this case, founder Mireia Llusia-Lindh, who’s Spanish by birth, a Londoner by adoption, and trained in the arts of business administration by Harvard.
Here, five things you should know about DeMellier before picking up a bag. For the record: no gifted merch is accepted; affiliate links below.
1. The Hudson is their best bag….
The Hudson is a terrific English work tote: a newer, sleeker version of the Mulberry Bayswater. That’s the bag I would take to my first day on the job if I worked for the sort of business that might show up on Industry. Or if I had the sort of job that involved both gallery openings and Excel.
The Hudson comes in three sizes: the Hudson, the Midi Hudson, and the Small Hudson. The regular Hudson is a sizable bag: The base width is 16″, while the width at the top is 13.8″. (Meaning that 13″ laptop will slide right in.) The Small Hudson isn’t quite half the size of the full-size version, but it feels like it (officially the base width is 9.4″, while the top is 7.9″ — now we’re talking about a modestly sized phone, not a laptop). Everyone (read: Princess Catherine) seems to like the suedes, but the small grain tan is the superior choice. The Small Hudson in Pacific Blue, however, is the top selection from across the entire Hudson collection — it’s a dream.
2. But there’s room for the New York, too
The New York is a gorgeous bag, even if I’m not entirely sure about the connection between the bag itself and the city it’s named for. This is a big bag, with a top width of 22.1″ — that’s almost two feet! That is an enormous bag. Suited for New Yorkers dragging their whole life around the city? Fine.
The full-size New York comes in 11 materials/shades — as above I would skip the suedes and in this case opt for the black croc-print. It reminds me of an inside-out version of Polène’s Cyme — the New York is more accessible bag, while the Cyme is for sure the artier one.
The Midi New York does the same thing on a slightly smaller scale, while the Shoulder New York transforms the shape into a streamlined east-west. A beautiful bag — especially in Pacific Blue — but it feels very different from the full-size, and it makes me think of other competitors in this shape, like Mansur Gavriel’s Mini Filo.
3. And one more: The Stockholm
Excellent in both its Shoulder (above left) and regular (above right) versions.
4. A warning, and a sadness
I love the berry suede version of the Midi New York so much, but I wish that intarsia suede stripe was any color but red, which feels inescapably Gucci-esque.
5. Consider the texture
DeMellier’s biggest red flag: the hardware, which is often deployed in a very pretty way but also has a reputation for scratching easily. Something to keep in mind when purchasing, and absolutely something to keep in mind if you’re buying secondhand. There are fewer, but still a considerable number of, concerns re: the scratchability of the leather itself. Textured finishes — like the black croc — will help hide scratches, should they arise.
6. Rankings! DeMellier versus….
DeMellier vs Mulberry
Love DeMellier but if you can afford either one, the edge must go to Mulberry — the Hudson feels more like a descendant than a rival of the Bayswater, and if the whole heritage thing means something to you, Mulberry it is. My first high-end bag purchase was a Mulberry. An icon’s an icon for a reason.
DeMellier vs Polène
These feel like very different use cases. Polène’s ideal customer seems to me like a sculpture major who gave up art to marry someone incredibly wealthy (but loves all of Polène’s dramatic folding and organic shapes); DeMellier feels more corporate. Who is making the money around here?? Both have slightly rocky vibes around quality (see #4 above), though I would give Polène, as a whole, the edge. Otherwise, I’m not convinced these bags are often in competition with each other. In terms of a specific bag match-up, tote-y work bag division, I prefer the Midi to the Cyme, but only just. [Read our full Polène report.]
DeMellier vs Le Tanneur
If I had to choose between an Émilie and a Hudson, I’d go with an Émilie. Unless I was an extremely powerful publicist, in which case I’d be sleeping on piles of money — well, in that case I’d get Dior, but otherwise, a Hudson. DeMellier’s bags just say “money-centric ambition” to me in a way most French brands (including Le Tanneur) do not. God bless! [Read our full Le Tanneur report.]
DeMellier vs Strathberry
I really feel like they’re doing very different things. Strathberry is cooler, DeMellier is sleeker. Have to give the edge to DeMellier as ultimately I’d swap a Mosaic for a Hudson. [Read our full Strathberry report.]
DeMellier vs Manu Atelier
Manu Atelier wins for materials and feel (especially the suede pieces) — but DeMellier wins on style. Manu Atelier’s Le Cambon 40 is an alternate timeline version of the Hudson…but the Hudson is better.
