My London: Sarah Haran – Founder of Sarah Haran Accessories

After 22 years of being immersed in the world of technology as Chief Operating Officer at Scottish computing firm iomart, Sarah had her lightbulb moment after finding it near to impossible to find a stylish, high quality, versatile handbag that could take her from day to night with ease. So, she decided to design her own!

Driven by her entrepreneurial spirit and passion for handbag design and leatherwork, Sarah dedicated herself to extensive training and apprenticed under the former Creative Director of Mulberry. This invaluable experience laid the foundation for Sarah’s vision of creating handbags that not only met practical needs but also allowed women to express their unique sense of style.

Receiving praise from the likes of The Guardian, The Scotsman, The Times and Marie Claire, as well as Anna Murphy, Fashion Director at The Times, who refereed to Sarah’s designs as “a stroke of genius”, the hallmark of Sarah Haran handbags lies in their exceptional versatility.

Going beyond creating exceptional handbags, Sarah Haran Accessories fosters a sense of community and connection. The brand proudly hosts events throughout the UK, providing customers with unique opportunities to gather, celebrate the exquisite accessories, and forge lasting bonds.

We caught up with Sarah Haran for the latest edition of our ‘My London’ interview series.

Favourite neighbourhood: 

I’m pretty fond of the whole city having worked here for many years – I love all of the different nooks and crannies that exist. If I’m looking for something a bit posher though, then it has to be Chelsea (laughs).

Favourite place for brunch: 

I love the Bluebird in Chelsea. It’s always fun on the terrace, and the menu is perfect for an informal meal.

Best coffee in London: 

Hmm… that’s hard as I don’t drink coffee! I more into getting a smoothie from Joe & The Juice.

Favourite gallery or museum: 

The British Museum, particularly the Egyptian section. I find it fascinating thinking about how people lived so many thousands of years ago.

Tell us a secret: 

We have already planned our collections for 2024 with 3 new styles of bags!

Favourite place to shop: 

I love to wander along Bond Street and look at the beautiful designer clothing, and then head over to Spitalfields to enjoy a more laid back approach to shopping.

Favourite place to find inspiration: 

Walking along the South Bank. I love the peace of the river and the little enclaves that are dotted along it.

Best London destination for a date: 

Drinks at The Gun (they have the best Pornstar Martini) and then an Uber ride on the River Thames – obviously in the summer (laughs). If we’re talking winter dates, then I’d say head to a pub like The Princess of Shoreditch – there’s a great ambience there, and they do fab food.

Favourite park: 

St James’s Park – who doesn’t love the Pelicans.

Favourite food market: 

Whitecross Street – it’s the best place to go for laid back Asian dishes over a lunch hour.

Your sanctuary in the city: 

St Dunstans. It’s an old abandoned church that has semi wild gardens round it, and early morning or late afternoon, it tends to be nice and quiet. A wonderful little oasis in the middle of the city!

What inspires you? 

Our customers! They adore our handbags and that inspires me to continue to design beautiful, but functional bags that can be used for all occasions. They have so much feedback and often a little nugget can turn into an amazing new product.

This season I’m loving…

Metallics! An all year round favourite that you can style for work and play. A little bit of shine never hurts anyone.