Introducing Mae Cassidy, the female-led Sustainable British accessories brand celebrating traditional Indian craftsmanship. Designed by London-based founder, Georgina Mae, and beautifully realised by skilled artisans in India, Mae Cassidy’s beautifully bejewelled, attainable statement bags add an effortlessly cool twist to any outfit and ‘look just as good with jeans and a tee as they do on the red carpet’.
Each bag is individually handmade using 95% metalwork which is 100% recyclable, and designed to be a seasonless heritage piece to be worn repeatedly and treasured for generations.
The uniquely charming, outspoken shapes pay homage to India’s rich jewellery craftsmanship heritage. Each collection draw's nostalgic inspiration from an East Meets West fusion of the 'Golden Age' of Bollywood and classic Hollywood vintage glamour; to create bags "As beautiful as a piece of jewellery". You won't need any other accessory.
Every aspect of the Mae Cassidy brand is designed to honour and celebrate India’s rich and colourful heritage; from each bag being named after iconic Bollywood starlet's, right down to the logo, which was inspired by vintage Indian signs and postage stamps.
“Like a fabulous, wearable Fabergé egg” - The Evening Standard ★★★★★
Loved by fashion editors, Hollywood stars and rock royalty alike, Mae Cassidy bags have been spotted on the arm of everyone from Jessie J to Lizzo, Lilly Allen, Paloma Faith, Millie Bobby Brown, Ella Henderson, to Gabrielle Union. Sold by some of the world’s most prestigious retail partners including Harrods, Selfridges and Net-A-Porter.
MEET THE MAE CASSIDY MAKERS
ABOUT
GEORGINA MAE
Mae Cassidy was founded in 2017 by British designer Georgina Mae. After graduating from The London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martin’s, Georgina honed her skills at luxury fashion houses around the world, including Christian Dior, Giles Deacon, Jenny Packham and AV Robertson. She was inspired to launch Mae Cassidy after discovering the unique capabilities of a group of artisans she met in India, and whom shared her passion for handmade craftsmanship.
Georgina’s love of vintage glamour, ornate accessories and historic stories was sparked by her grandmother. She would pass down family heirlooms to the young Georgina; jewellery, poetry books and dresses embroidered with the name ‘Mae Cassidy’.
ABOUT
OUR LEAD ARTISAN
A passionate and talented artist himself, our lead artisan began his trade making intricate props for Bollywood movies sets, before turning his hand to jewellery.
The Indian art of adorning oneself with jewellery has been significant for thousands of years. A mode of creative self-expression, it is believed to enhance beauty and symbolise wealth, power and status.
After immersing himself in the jewellery-making process, was inspired to translate these newly-honed skills into creating ornate and colourful bags, in partnership with Georgina.
“Decked in sumptuous velvets, in colours of olive gold to ruby red, and dripping in jewels from the tiny golden bell encrusted strap that jingles on your wrist to the chain mail tassel trim that swings as you sashay into your soirée.”
“...studded in over 1,000 micro pearls and lined with raw silk.”
The Evening Standard
★★★★★
ABOUT
OUR ARTISANS
Mae Cassidy bags are handmade by a small collective of incredibly talented craftspeople in India.
The entire development process for each bag is a collaboration between our artisans and our founder, Georgina. They work together from start to finish, continuously learning from each other, swapping techniques and combining their skill sets to push the boundaries of design and create accessories that are truly special.
Because of this intimate creation process, our artisans are like family; there is nothing more fulfilling than working together to create an exquisite piece.
BEHIND THE BAG
Step 1:
PROTOTYPE IS PERFECTED
It all begins with Georgina developing initial sample structures with her London-based artisans – metal work, weaving and embroidery – to reduce the brand’s shipping impact and support local business across the city. The final sample is then sent to our artisans in India.
step 2:
FINAL DESIGN WELDED AND PERFECTED IN INDIA
The perfecting of the final design begins with a skilled artisan carefully shaping the skeleton of the bag structure, which is 100% by hand using metal alloy (did you know that most mass-produced bags are made from a mould by a machine?).
STEP 3:
HANDLES ARE CRAFTED
Over 1000 bells are hand-threaded to create the bell handles.
STEP 4:
EMBELLISHMENTS
The outer shell detailing is skilfully crafted from metal alloy and intricately welded to the outer skeleton of the bag.
STEP 5:
PLATING
The bag structure undergoes the plating process with a high shine silver or antique gold-tone finish.
STEP 6:
EMBELLISHMENTS
Final outer embellishments are added. Over 1000 beads or stones are individually hand-threaded onto exterior of bag and shimmering crystal detailing is individually hand-set.
STEP 7:
FABRIC
Our leading fabric artisan skilfully pattern-cuts and sews the panels of fabric to be attached to the outer layer of the bag, or each bag is individually hand-woven by a skilled artisan, depending on the specific design.
Sustainability
At Mae Cassidy, we believe in conscious glamour. Our pieces are timeless rather than trend-driven, designed to be treasured for a lifetime and passed down from generation to generation.
HANDMADE
Each piece is handmade by a highly-skilled artisan collective in India, using traditional jewellery-making techniques. You can learn more about their process here.
MATERIALS
95% of our bags are created with a metal structure which is 100% recyclable. We work with London-based artisans for our samples and materials to lower our carbon footprint, while supporting local businesses.
SMALL-SCALE PRODUCTION
We have a carefully-curated approach, producing each style of Mae Cassidy bag in limited quantities to minimise waste.
REPAIRS
Our founder, Georgina, is a big believer in mending and repairing items so that they last a lifetime! To this end, Mae Cassidy offers a repair service to our customers.
PACKAGING
Our packaging is designed to last, providing a safe and elegant place for our customers to store their Mae Cassidy heirlooms.
SHIPPING
Wherever possible we reuse shipping materials and use biodegradable and recyclable packaging.
As a small, independent business in the fashion industry, we know that it is vital to keep pushing ourselves and implementing sustainable business practices. We are passionate about innovation and committed to making improvements at every stage of our operations so that we have a positive impact on people and the planet.
IN THE PRESS
★★★★★
Featured in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Grazia, ELLE, Tatler, L’Officiel, Town & Country, Marie Claire, The Sunday Times Style, The Evening Standard, ES Magazine, The Independent, Conde Naste Traveller, The Times, Hello Magazine, The Stylist, Culture Whisper, House of Solo, Fashionista, Yoyokulala, The Huff Post, Cosmopolitan, Nylon, Lifestyle Asia, Phoenix, The Venduer, Nicotine Magazine, The Daily Mail, IN Magazine, and Hello Fashion's ‘One to Watch’
Loved by the likes of Jessie J, Lizzo, Lilly Allen, Janelle Monáe, Ella Henderson, Paloma Faith, Gabrielle Union, Millie Bobby Brown, Becky Hill, Daisy Lowe, Hayley Hasslehoff, Anne Winters, Rochelle Humes, Vick Hope, Sophie Tea, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Joy Crookes, Ashley James, Luba Mushtuk, Janette Manrara, Juliet Simms’s, Frances Bean Cobain, Leanne Best, Janette Manara, Ashley James, Nadia-Lee-Cohen, Cristina Musacchio, Soki Mak, Penny Goldstone, Natalia Shustova, Nikki Lilly, Tara Milk Tea, Aureta, Sofie Valkiers, Kate Tik, Natalie Rushdie, Georgia Toffolo, Rosanna Falconer, Kelly Eastwood, Hannah Martin, Issey Moloney.
