Appreciation for Appropriation: The Cambridge Satchel Company

Here at MSL, we pride ourselves on the fact that you cannot put an age on clothes. With the correct care and attention, garments can treasure memories and carry archives of stories for generations. Each item has a history, but no matter how old or dated that history may be, there is nothing that can prevent it from becoming the latest trend setting statement piece. Julie Deane is a lady who did just this, finding a new life for her old original Oxford and Cambridge satchel design school bag. In 2008, the Cambridge Satchel company was born, and with it, a brand new appreciation for old school designs and vintage remakes. We could go into detail about how the company came about and discuss what has quite literally been a wonderful success story, but I am sure all of you have seen the company’s heart warming collaboration with Google which does just this. Instead, we want to share with you our appreciation for a lady who has shows that clothes and accessories, are not just for Christmas.

Julie Deane, loving mother and founder of the Cambridge Satchel company notes the success of the company is in the versatility and longevity of the must-have accessory. “The beauty of it is it can be worn by anyone – any age with any style. It is evocative of the traditional satchel and brings back fond memories for many of our customers.” Mirroring our ethos here at Maggie Semple Ltd, the Cambridge Satchel design is in essence, a captured memory; an item that will carry a story forever.

Julie’s determination to fund her son and daughter through private schooling brought about the Cambridge Satchel Company but also this new appreciation for appropriating old classics. What was once a thick, stitched leather bag which carried our tattered school books and cucumber sandwiches, is now the latest must-have shoulder bag which houses our fashion diaries and glossy lipsticks, and comes in every colour one could dream of.

The bags are instantly recognisable of the modern craze for old school designs and retro vintage looks, and this will always make them a deserved purchase. But what we love most about the Cambridge Satchel bags here at MSL, is that for every person seen walking down the street carrying one, a story of a time gone by and a dedicated mother is told.

By Marni Banks