The Handbag Clinic was first launched eight years ago by Charlotte and Ben Staerck as a spin-off to the leather repair business run by Ben and his father in County Durham. The company offers cleaning and restoration for handbags and small leather goods, working both for members of the public, as well as department stores and fashion houses.
Since then, the firm has expanded into the resale market, and now operates through a chain of four stores, with locations including Kings Road in London, Leeds and Newcastle – as well as franchise stores in Europe and the Middle East, restoring around 700 bags each month in total.
The company has achieved record growth despite the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching £1m in turnover last year.
Tom Shearsmith, News & Featured Writer at TheIndustry.fashion speaks to Charlotte about founding the business, the process of repairing a bag at the Handbag Clinic, her own particular fashionable favourites and where the company may be heading in the future.
