Coterie was established in 2007 where it all started above a little shop in West Wales. From little acorns Coterie has gone from making bags from scraps of upholstery leather to the refined collections you see today. Founded on strong eco-conscious and sustainable ethics, simple and functional pieces inspired by the natural qualities of leather hide, skilfully designed and made with great attention to detail.
Character & Quality
From our distinctive trademark natural raw edge, patina and markings of the leather, to the unpretentious detailing of the seams. The smell and touch of the leather, the colours and patterns of the traditional Welsh wool tapestry combined with the signature defining details, all give your Coterie leather bag its character. The luxurious quality of the materials, the texture which influences the design and character of each bag, the smallest detailing, the solid hardware, the thought which goes into each and every bag gives it its quality.
Care About Authenticity?
Tracy makes each bag personally, ensuring from design to production unsurpassed attention to detail. Here at Coterie we're passionate about sustainability and minimising waste, most of all we want you to love and cherish your bag for a lifetime. Each bag is stamped with the Coterie mark ensuring its provenance, with a fully transparent supply chain, every part of its history and journey traceable right down to the thread.
Meet the designer, Tracy Watkins
With a background in furniture design, product development and manufacture, Tracy has an eye for detail, aesthetic, technique and process, all of which are involved in the production of every Coterie leather bag. Trained as a furniture and related accessories designer, Tracy studied in London, leaving university with a First Class BA (hons) Degree in Furniture & Product Design, later followed by a Masters Degree in Design. Also working for a time in Milan and then for an internationally renowned furniture and accessories manufacturer and retailer. It was whilst working as a product developer that Tracy honed her upholstery and leather working skills. It became obvious to her how wasteful the manufacturing process is, inspiring her to turn the waste leather into luxury leather goods.
Working mainly in leather, initially because she wanted to do something with the large scraps, but also because she loves the smell, the way the texture alters throughout the hide, thick and tough in some places, soft and supple in others, complete with holes, scratches and scars, all hallmarks as a result of the tanning process, and a testament to the natural origin of the hide. Inspired by the natural qualities of leather this is the basis for each product, using the texture and markings to dictate the form the end product will take. Never pre-designed or pattern-cut, the leather is lightweight, supple yet strong and full of character.
Tracy is also a 'Role Model' for Big Ideas Wales a Welsh Government initiative for the young people of Wales, providing inspirational workshops for schools and colleges promoting entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial skills.
Tracy makes each bag personally, ensuring from design to production unsurpassed attention to detail. Here at Coterie we're passionate about sustainability and minimising waste, most of all we want you to love and cherish your bag for a lifetime. Each bag is stamped with the Coterie mark ensuring its provenance, with a fully transparent supply chain, every part of its history and journey traceable right down to the thread. 