I’ve recently had the pleasure of being introduced to the world of Sam Cross via the wonder of Twitter. Sam Cross, handbag designer extraordinaire.  Sam has been designing handbags for just over 15 years, it started as progression from her fine art and sculpture studies.  Myself and Sam share a bit of a fetish for statement handbags and shoes. Sam developed her design business of sewing and pattern cutting from her seamstress mother and the rest is self taught.

Sam Cross – Cloth Magpie

This season Sam releases her Cloth Magpie range – Sam described to me that the concept behind the range “was born of a desire to turn some of the fantastic vintage textiles that I have collected over the years into something beautiful and functional – in a sense, to breathe new life into them”

The Cloth Magpie range of handbags comprises of a number of stylish shapes produced in a wide variety of vintage prints. The very nature of the materials and their limited availability means that only a small number of each shape/fabric combination will ever be made, hence the limited edition status assigned to each bag.

Bobble Kiss Spring Tide, by Sam Cross

As with Sam’s previous collections, every bag is hand crafted in Britain either by the lady herself or carefully selected skilled crafts people. This aspect of the production is something that Sam says she “has always stood firmly on and which now, in our current economic climate I believe has even more relevance”.

Meadow Cream Canteeni, Sam Cross

Her plans for 2010 include designing Cloth Magpie’s Autumn Winter 2010 and planning to expand the Cloth Magpie range over the oncoming year.

Golden Buttercup Bagel Shopper, Sam Cross

For bags that suit any occasion check out Sam Cross’s work at http://www.samcross.co.uk/