About
Inspiration
The idea for Design By Drake was conceived in 2015 when founder, Angela Drake, moved from London to Hong Kong.
Whilst the climate, time zone and pace of life were different between cities, one similarity remained – At work or at play, under every arm was the same dull black or tan handbag. ‘The boring bag society’ had taken over and needed to be challenged.
Angela set about creating bags that captured the vibrancy, dynamism, adventure and self-expression of her individual clients, unique designs that brought a ‘Wow! Where did you get that from?’ response at every turn.
Nine years on and Design by Drake is back in London, with the founding ethos of creating original handmade goods still at the heart of every design.
Process
Angela is a passionate advocate of small, artisan businesses.
Materials come from a diverse range of sources such as family run stalls in Hong Kong’s fabric district, market stalls in Vietnam, small batch producers in the Americas or independent stores closer to home, like Fabrics Galore in London’s St John’s Hill. Design inspiration is found in the work of emerging artists like Portugal’s Selma Cardoso.
Fabrics are always purchased in small quantities and only a limited number of each design is made, aiming to make every design exclusive and a unique handmade creation.
While Design by Drake includes a range of ‘ready to buy’ items, Angela’s passion is individual commissions – and collaborating with clients to create the perfect bespoke piece to meet their needs.
Products
Signature items include tote, clutch and beach bags, and each one is hand cut and sewn by Angela.
The goal is to combine fabrics, hardware, zippers and other embellishments in different combinations to ensure every creation is unique.
