Herdwyck; Herdwick tweed bags at Pitti Uomo, Italy - 10.01.2011
Our Pop Up stand at Pitti Uomo. We are showing Herdwyck, our first full collection of Herdwick tweed bags, to the international menswear buyers at Pitti Uomo, 11-14 January 2011.
CHERCHBI Herdwyck wins Northern Futures award - 23.08.2010
I am highly delighted to announce that the Herdwyck project took Runners Up prize at Northern Futures awards last week. It’s hugely encouraging for the project to get recognised so early on – the collection isn’t commercially available until the end of this year, and even then only in very limited quantities. It’s been three & half years since we started working on Herdywck bags, last night feels like a small but significant corner has been turned. I also had a encouraging chat with Rita Britton of Pollyanna, more on this in good time, keep an eye on CHERCHBI Facebook page and blog.
It wasn’t all about Herdwyck. There were 12 other winners, all of a fantastic standard, it’s encouraging to see so much innovative and commercial design talent represented. Patrick Murphy, David Sinclair and the whole team at The Civic should be rightly proud of their achievement.
The exhibition of all work in Fashion, Fine Art, Film and 3D Design runs until 10 September at the Barnsley Civic. Free entry. No excuses if you’re anywhere near.
Herdwyck Squires Holdall available November 2010 - 28.07.2010
Fair warning to those of you who have seen the preview sample of the new Herdwyck Squires Holdall, this item will be available to buy in limited numbers from November 2010. If you would like to reserve one, or require more information, please send an email via the Contact link here on the CHERCHBI website.
CHERCHBI on Facebook - 22.02.2010
'Never discourage anyone...who continually makes progress, no matter how slow'.
With trumpets, fanfare and a quote from Plato CHERCHBI comes strolling into the 21st Century. Yes, we're finally on Facebook. Click here to become a fan and follow all the latest goings on.
Twitter? Whats Twitter??
CHERCHBI soon to be available in Kendal - 18.02.2010
Finally! For the first time the entire CHERCHBI collection will be showcased in our home town of Kendal. Being based in Kendal without a shop window was frustrating for our customers and ourselves alike. When the folks at Kendal Upholstery opened their new shop last year in the historic New Shambles yard they created an interiors retail space unique to the Lake District. One into which CHERCHBI will fit perfectly. In this wonderful environment our British leather bags, silk scarves and Herdwick tweeds will sit alongside furniture, fabrics and home accessories by Mulberry, Kenzo, Marimekko and Lush Designs, as well as the company’s own Humpties collection. Esteemed company indeed.
CHERCHBI will launch in The Kendal Upholstery Shop on Thursday 25th March 2010.
The Kendal Upholstery Shop, 11-13 New Shambles, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 4TS. 01539 733 901. Click here to view or download a map to the shop [scroll down to bottom of page].
Open Wednesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm. Closed Sunday to Tuesday but call 01539 739 343 for an appointment.
Charity Sale Update - 10.09.2009
A quick update on the Charity Sale weekend in Ulverston. The weekend event raised over well £600 for the Rumic Foundation Trust through sales of the Cherchbi collection and subsequent donations generated, and also from pledged donations during the Preview Evening on Friday. We all feel it was very worthwhile event as it raised the profile of the Trust, as well as generating funds. An event next year has been discussed already, watch this space.
A Sale for Charity - 23.08.2009
This Sale for Charity is a unique opportunity to purchase the entire Cherchbi collection at specially reduced prices.
For one weekend only the entire collection will be sold at one quarter off prices, we will then donate a third of the Sale proceeds to The Rumic Foundation Trust.
Rumic is a South Lakes-based charity which supports disadvantaged, sick or disabled young people in the Furness, South Lakeland and Copeland areas. Its primary focus is to improve the health, provide for medical assistance and further the educational and employment training of local youngsters. The Trust also provides financial assistance to other local charities and voluntary bodies with similar aims.
The Sale for Charity is a weekend event, taking place on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th September 2009, from 10am to 5pm at 38½ The Gill, Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 7BP. Rumic is a registered charity, number 1099225.
Please contact info@cherchbi.com for more details.
Cherchbi wins Best Fashion award at Pulse 2009 - 31.05.2009
We were absolutely delighted to win the top fashion award at Pulse London 2009, our first major show. At the awards cermony this evening the Quilt Block Silk Scarf was named Best Fashion Product. The design was partially inspired by an antique Arts and Crafts-era patchwork quilt displayed in The Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry in Kendal.
Pulse organisers, Clarion Retail, invited a broad range of industry experts to judge the 2009 awards. The panel was made up of Michelle Alger of Liberty of London, Katie Law of The Evening Standard newspaper, Janet Fitch journalist and jewellery consultant, Nigel Carrier Director of Clarion Retail and Poul Madsen the founder of Normann Copenhagen.
Janet Fitch said of the Cherchbi scarf, “This product is beautifully designed, authentic, eco-friendly and had a vintage look with a modern take, and they’re unisex too.” The award was presented to Adam Atkinson by Neil Gaisford, the Pulse London show director.
Very many thanks to Janet Fitch, Nigel Carrier, Neil Gaisford and all at Clarion Retail.
A Preview of the 2009/10 Collection - 14.05.2009
Here's a preview of some of new items from the 2009/10 Collection. We have full leather bags and handmade leather belts with new buckle designs in solid brass and pewter. All of these items are made from our newly developed British leathers (see News item below, 'British Leather Project'). We also have the first in an artist series of prints on our signature double layer Macclesfield silk scarves. They feature beautifully hand illustrated drawings of teasels and wild ferns, a collaboration with Tricia Lyon.
These goods and more will be shown to the trade at Pulse London 2009 www.pulse-london.com (see below News item 'Cherchbi showing at Pulse London 2009'). Many items from the new collection will be available from our stockists in the summer and the entire collection will appear in the Cherchbi online Shop. We hope you find something to your taste.
British Leather Project - 10.03.2009
When we established the company we forged relationships with the best British factories and workshops. We began making sample bags, belts and accessories, slowly defining Cherchbi's benchmark British quality. When it came to selecting leathers we were offered Italian, Russian, Polish, Chinese, Norwegian, American, and the list went on. We reviewed leather of exceptional quality, with innovative finishes, numerous colours and many other attributes. Despite the huge selection we were unable to find the look, feel and quality we sought.
Also, we worried that many of these leathers could travel thousands of miles during the course of their development before reaching the factory. For example, the majority of Italian leather is created from imported hides, some from the USA, Russia or China. The finished Italian leather is then often exported to be manufactured into leathergoods elsewhere. A finished leather bag may have travelled ten or fifteen thousand miles, including the raw leather itself, before finally reaching the customer. Lots of airmiles. Too many for us.
So, we started the British Leather Project. The challenge; to create a range of Cherchbi signature leathers in robust yet luxurious qualities, each perfectly suited to our designs. We wanted to make them as environmentally sound as they could be, and to be as involved as possible in the creation process.
We have developed this first Cherchbi leather range with one of Britain's oldest tanneries. They have been making leather for over 400 years and what they don't know about tanning leather is probably not worth knowing. The hides we use for all Cherchbi leather are only sourced from the same English and Irish farms to ensure consistency. We can also proudly claim that the distance traveled by our leather items, including the leather, is a just few hundred miles. The hides are received by the tannery, and after some initial cleaning they are 'pit-tanned' for up to 12 weeks. Pit-tanning - a variety of vegetable tanning - is an ancient process, essentially unchanged since medieval times. The hides are immersed in pits containing a natural tannin solution, the recipe is closely guarded but the main ingredient is a mix of selected tree bark. The end result is our uniquely robust and luxurious leather.
For 2009 we have developed a new leather specifically for our bags called Polished Shoulder. This is a very dark chestnut colour with incredible natural texture and is highly polished to emphasise the natural lines and creases. For our new belts we are working with a premium waxed saddle leather we are calling British Saddle. We are continuing to use our original belting leather, Standard Shoulder, on the Pugin belts. If you refer back to the website in late Spring you will be able to view all these items. We hope you'll forgive our rambling enthusiasm when you see the goods.
Solid Oak Signage - 25.02.2009
We have recently introduced the first Cherchbi signage into our stockists. Our name is engraved into a block of solid English oak which is then hand polished.
The Guardian - 28.10.2008
We have just heard that The Guardian selected Cherchbi for a listing in their Ethical Directory. Kate Carter, the Life & Style editor of guardian.co.uk said 'What a marvellous company, really love the products'. Praise indeed, we're all very pleased.
