FORBES & LEWIS

Forbes & Lewis launched in 2013 and named after its founders, married partners Samuel Lewis Windridge and Katie Forbes. F&L’s fascination with product and fashion design started at a young age imagining ways in which an item could be enriched. Identifying a gap in the market for durable, well-designed bags at entry-level luxury prices that withstand the test of time, alongside a focus on items that could be endorsed by men and women using intelligent androgynous design was their catalyst. F&L’s design process always begins with a sketch accompanied by a few key words scribbled beside it, normally on a scrap of paper or a napkin etc. The design concept for each item begins as a series of technical drawings with the appropriate specifications.

At present F&L are an in-house team of two, with their eye on moving forward and the prospect of imminent brand and designer collaborations on the horizon – branching out seems inevitable. F&L supervise every step of production; they pick their partners and associates very carefully, not only to maintain standards, but also to ensure that they are working with ethical suppliers who are environmentally conscious. They regularly review these relationships to identify and improve these practices.

Essential to F&L’s ethos is that all their products, many which are unisex, are utilitarian and stylish without fuss. Their minimalist design approach is imbued by a strong direction and modest sophistication. Discrete details, unobtrusive pockets, small embossed logos in subtle locations, long carry handles, clean silhouettes, a mindfulness not to overcomplicate the design and a superlative simplicity are all signature F&L properties.