In Conversation with Collagerie

The Strathberry X Collagerie collaboration process has been a labor of love, using innovation and artistry. Join us in recalling the design process as we start at the beginning, in the heart of our brand, the Edinburgh Townhouse.

It was a sunny morning in August. Lucinda Chambers, the co-founder of Collagerie and former Vogue editor, headed to the Strathberry Townhouse for the first design meeting. Strathberry and Collagerie have been long-time brand friends since 2019 when Strathberry supported the launch of Collagerie.

A woman looking at a purse while another woman looks on

A couple of women standing next to each other

Behind the Brand: An Interview with the Founders of Collagerie.

Strathberry had the most wonderful conversation with Lucinda Chambers and Serinna Hood, the iconic duo behind the brand Collagerie. This exclusive interview brings you all of the insider information about this phenomenal collaboration between Strathberry and Collagerie.

For people who might not have heard of Collagerie - could you tell us more about the platform?
Serena: Collagerie is a revolutionary digital platform putting pleasure and passion into shopping, expertly curating fashion, beauty, and interiors across all price points. Offering a truly unique online experience, Collagerie offers inspirational ideas, trusted advice, and beautiful buys to suit every budget.

Why was designing a collection of luxury leather goods with Strathberry so appealing?
Lucinda: Quality and accessibility are just two of the key strengths that stand for Strathberry so it is always so appealing to play to those strengths while doing something a little different. Serena: Collagerie is a revolutionary digital platform putting pleasure and passion into shopping, expertly curating fashion, beauty, and interiors across all price points. Offering a truly unique online experience, Collagerie offers inspirational ideas, trusted advice, and beautiful buys to suit every budget.

Strathberry first collaborated with you on the launch of Collagerie back in 2019 - how did that happen?
Serena: We have always been admirers of Strathberry from the quality, and the craftsmanship, to the beautiful colours you can find across the range. We had a coffee with the Strathberry team to tell them more about our new platform and vision for Collagerie. We all thought it would be wonderful to marry our shared passion of beautiful product and colour with a dinner together. This was our very first event!

How did you find the design process when you visited the Strathberry Town House?
Lucinda: It’s a family-run business in Edinburgh so it was great to jump on the train, meet the small and enthusiastic team and bring ideas that were fresh and exciting. Playing around with colour is always a dream and everyone was so open about the possibilities of what we could do.

How would you describe the style of Collagerie and how that’s translated to the collection?
Lucinda: At Collagerie it has to be said we love a stripe! And colour combinations that are appealing and chic, it has been the thread that runs through the visual heart of Collagerie. The unexpected too! What we always love is to inspire and delight with everything we do so we wanted to bring this into the collection.

Bold colour and print are a Collagerie signature - where does this aesthetic stem from?
Lucinda: When Serena and I started Collagerie we wanted to build a website that felt very appealing, not black and white and an endless scroll but a beautiful platform that bought the very best of everything out there and across all price points. This was really important to us, the most beautiful experience outside of the physicality of an actual shop.

What are your tips for styling the collection this season?
Serena: The beauty of the collection is how versatile it is, I will be wearing the collection with everything… everywhere!
The piece on my wishlist is the striped green Bollo. I look forward to pairing it with my CEFINN denim dress and Le Monde Beryl flats for days when I am running around London from meeting to meeting. I am also dreaming of packing it with me on my summer escape ahead, opting for a Pippa Holt kaftan and Neous flat sandals.

What should we be looking out for from Collagerie in the future?
Serena: Exciting developments, building our community and more brilliant collaborations are just a few of the things that lie ahead.

From your years in the fashion industry, what has been the biggest lesson or best advice you’ve been given?
Lucinda: My biggest lesson is that yes we can have divine inspiration and that can come from anywhere, literally, anything can be inspiring, but then it is the graft you put into it, discarding ideas, honing whatever the project is in hand, and putting in the thought and effort in turning over the ideas. That, and not to be afraid of change!

Discover more about the collaboration here.