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Belen Echandia
Company type Private
Industry Luxury goods
Founded2005 [1]
FounderJackie Cawthra (Founder & Creative Director)
Headquarters London, England
Area served
Worldwide
Products Handbags and accessories
Website www.belenechandia.com

Belen Echandia was a handbag and fashion accessory design and manufacturing company. It was incorporated in 2005 [1] and is based in London, England. [2] [3] Belen Echandia produces leather handbags, travel bags, wallets, clutch purses, [2] and accessories for women.

History

Belen Echandia was founded by Jackie Cawthra, whilst she was training to be a lawyer. [3] [4] Jackie says her idea came after experiencing a difference between Spain and London in the supply of luxury handbags. [5] In 2004, Cawthra states she left the law practice [6] to work solely on Belen Echandia. [5]

Jackie Cawtha states that Belen Echandia was chosen as a Spanish girl’s name which reflects the brand’s Spanish origins. [7]

Products

In an interview for Hilary Fashion Jackie Cawthra says the company has been offering handbag collections since 2004. [7] The names of the bags being said to be based on customer comments. [8] Retailers that sell Belen Echandia products include Harvey Nichols in Dubai. [9] [10] Belen Echandia also launched a service on their website in 2009 where customers could design their own handbag. [10] The BEC service that allowed customers to customise their handbags was discontinued in 2012.

In 2007, to mark Belen Echandia's introduction to London Fashion Week, Belen Echandia collaborated with Canadian leather artist Vivien Cheng, who hand-painted a one-off collection of six bags. [11]

In the media

In September 2005, as part of London Fashion Week, Belen Echandia was featured as part of the CNN program Design 360[ citation needed] presented by Dayna Hochfelder.

Belen Echandia has been mentioned in Vogue, [8] [10] [11] Harper's Bazaar [12] and The Daily Telegraph. [13]

References

  1. ^ a b http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/9cb267c6804afca75b59b3df0848ecca/compdetails Companies house entry
  2. ^ a b Muir, Lucie (7 November 2008). "The clutch, in the light of day". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 November 2010. Thanks to a whole slew of designers - from Yves Saint Laurent to Sonia Rykiel and Michael Teperson to Belen Echandia - the clutch purse is moving from an evening standard to seeing the light of day. ... The London-based handbag label Belen Echandia is offering the "Clutch Me" envelope style. According to its creative director, Jackie Cawthra, this soft, ...
  3. ^ a b Parafianowicz, Lydia (24 June 2009). "English designer carries handbag brand to Sweden". The Local. Cawthra, 30, is the founder and creative director of Belen Enchandia, a small company that has quickly made a major name for itself in the high fashion world of handbag production. ... Cawthra, who was born in northern England, says a trip to Madrid sparked her dream to start the company. After finishing her undergraduate degree in law, she applied for a job at a firm in Spain to gain work experience before starting law school. ...
  4. ^ Witchalls, Clint (January 2009). "Bags of Money, Bags of Style" (PDF). Spectator Business. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 September 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  5. ^ a b "Belen Echandia by Jackie Cawthra". Handbagdesigner101.com.
  6. ^ "Handbags for ex-Dentons lawyer". MoretoLaw. Archived from the original on 21 July 2010. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  7. ^ a b Glouberman, Noa. "Belen Echandia: Bags by Jackie Cawthra". Hilary Fashion. Archived from the original on 23 March 2006.
  8. ^ a b Roe, Louise. "Take Me Anywhere and Stroke Me - we're still loving Jackie Cawthra's Belen Echandia handbags". Vogue UK. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013.
  9. ^ Pyle, Ally. "Belen Echandia make-up bag". Vogue UK. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  10. ^ a b c Milligan, Lauren. "Couture It Yourself". Vogue UK. Archived from the original on 31 May 2009. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  11. ^ a b Barnett, Leisa. "The Echandia Allure". Vogue UK. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013.
  12. ^ Harper's Bazaar, January 2008, p. 122.
  13. ^ Luu, Phong (3 November 2010). "I Spied Belen Echandia Nutmeg Inspire Me". London: Telegraph.

External links