Hello, I’m Rachel, founder of Shrew, a handcrafted, luxury leather goods brand based in Bath, Somerset.

I grew up on the outskirts of Bath and trained in Fashion Design at Manchester Metropolitan and then Creative Pattern Cutting at Central Saint Martins before pursuing a career in Design in London, where I worked in numerous roles within the fashion industry; from production and sampling to design, high end to rag trade.

After moving back to Bath and having a family, I taught in schools for many years before returning to my creative roots as a stylist and Style Editor of Circus Journal. I also visited primary and secondary schools to teach students about the damaging impact of fast fashion and how we can try to make more sustainable choices (It made sense to merge together both professions!)

The Catalyst

My nan sadly passed away during Covid (she’d had a good innings) and left me a little sum of money, some of which I used to renovate the heavily 90’s wallpapered house I’d just moved into. The rest I decided to invest in myself and build a business to create a legacy. I’d shaken off the dreaded imposter syndrome which had been plaguing me for years and knew I had the talent, the drive and now the funds (albeit small) to start.

I booked an intensive leather working course and switched from designing clothing in my spare time to designing bags and accessories. I had worked with leather and sheepskin in the past so already had some experience and loved the material.

My Mission

As a small brand, my mission is to create beautiful made to order leather goods that have a considered approach, are modern yet timeless, excellent quality and sustainably made.

I work from my home studio/ dining room (hey, you’ve gotta start somewhere!) Everything is scored, cut, sanded, stitched and burnished by hand using traditional leather working tools and techniques.

The bags are made to order or bespoke. I craft each piece specifically to the client’s needs and create items to cherish. See something you like but not quite right? Get in touch, I can make it happen.