Julie Deane, Founder of The Cambridge Satchel Company

Okay now, who doesn't know The brit 'it' bag The Cambridge Satchel or been wanting to own one (or every colors they have!)



We absolutely love the story of Julie Deane, who founded The Cambridge Satchel Company in 2008 and has since grown her business to an almost £12m turnover and 70 employees. Her satchels are now sold in 100 countries worldwide.
The icing on the cake is that Julie has recently been selected to star in the new Google Chrome advert, which is currently being shown on television and cinema and being promoted via social media. Google chose Julie for her amazing entrepreneurial spirit, the success of her brand and the role that the internet played in the success of her business.
The 60 second advert, tracks Julie’s business journey from sourcing UK manufacturers, to liaising with top fashion editors and engaging with big name celebrities who have since become both fans and advocates of the brand.

Julie's quirky, colourful leather satchels, modelled on the 1970s original, have been carried by everyone from Zooey Deschanel and Alexa Chung to Daniel Radcliffe and Russell Kane, and even the cast and crew of Mad Men. They have also featured on Gossip Girl. The brand collaborates with prestigious designers and retailers including Comme des Garcons and Christopher Shannon, further securing its role and international acclaim as the ‘Brit “it” Bag’.

Julie founded The Cambridge Satchel Company at her kitchen table in 2008 with just £600.

The inspiration for the company came from Julie’s love of an old satchel she had as a child and her desire to find a similar version for her own children when they started school. When Julie discovered no one was producing traditional leather satchels she set about designing and producing them. Since then she has sold them online and created a global fashion craze.
Julie is committed to preserving British manufacturing and all of her products are carefully handmade to order in the UK. Her team ships all internet orders from an office in a village just outside Cambridge to countries around the world.
An unlikely fashion entrepreneur, Julie graduated from Cambridge in 1987 and worked as a chartered accountant at Deloitte before returning to the University, where she was the Fellow for Development for her college, Gonville and Caius. Before starting The Cambridge Satchel Company, Deane, who founded the business with her mother Freda Thomas, was a full-time mum.

READ the original article and interview with Julie about the transition from kitchen table entrepreneur to leader of a 70-strong organisation; about the vital role that bloggers have played in the success of her business; and the moment she realised her company was taking off. HERE.

source: www.thenextwomen.com (awesome, awesome web!)