Handbag label Sophie Hulme is closing down

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
May 10, 2019

Handbag designer Sophie Hulme has announced that this year will be the last for her affordable luxury brand beloved by influencers and fashion editors.

The London-based designer said she is closing the business, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, due to health reasons.

“As some of you may be aware, I have been battling with two very rare medical conditions. Over the years they have become increasingly problematic so, after some difficult deliberation, I have decided to close the company after 11 years in business,” she revealed in a statement on Friday.

“It was an extremely tough decision and it is with a heavy heart that I have had to make it. However, it is undoubtedly the right one. Ultimately my health, and its impact on my family, has to be my priority, especially now I have a little boy to think about,” she added.

The British brand had recently launched its first ever outerwear collection and opened its first permanent bricks-and-mortar store in London's Marylebone district in August to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

The news will no doubt come as a shock to London’s fashion set, but the brand will continue to trade until December. The Pre-fall collection will be launched this month, followed by the winter collection in August. Both collections will be made up of individually numbered limited-edition products, and 10% of all sales will go to the Kleine Levin Syndrome Support and the Ehlers Danlos Society, which support people with Hulme’s conditions. Other special projects will also drop in due course.

“This will be an orderly closure and we will meet all our obligations,” said Hulme. “My conditions are rare and very few people understand them. Some people suffer far more than me and many remain undiagnosed. I can’t imagine how isolating that must be. I hope that, in some way, by raising awareness we can help them.”

The young fashion designer suffers from KLS, a rare and complex neurological disorder characterised by recurrent periods of excessive sleep, reduced understanding of the world and altered behaviour. Her support of the Ehlers Danlos Society suggest she has also an Ehlers–Danlos syndrome, which is a group of disorders that affect connective tissues supporting the skin, bones, blood vessels, and many other organs and tissues.

“I have absolutely loved having this brand. It has allowed me to do amazing things and meet and work with incredible people over the years. It has been a privilege to have so many interesting and talented people show so much loyalty to me and the brand. I would particularly like to thank my team who have all worked so hard and been so supportive over the years,” the designer said.

But this may not be the absolute end for her creations, with Sophie Hulme reassuring fans that she would “love to return to design in some capacity” in the future.