I have a brand new bag review for you and I’m excited to share this one as it’s from a brand that I’ve never reviewed or owned before this one! It’s the DeMellier Tokyo Shoulder Bag in Black. You might remember my previous blog post where I spoke about some of the best Saint Laurent Le 5 a 7 dupes, and this was at the top one of that list! I ended up loving it so much that I bought it myself, despite owning the Saint Laurent.
DeMellier London is a wonderful and sustainable brand out of the UK. All of their handbags and leather goods are handcrafted with integrity by skillful artisans that use local techniques and traditions in a family-owned factory in the South of Spain, which is known for their high quality. DeMellier only work with partners who they know very well and trust, who offer fair working conditions and a safe working environment to their workers.
They only use real leather of the highest quality, sustainably sourced exclusively in Italy and Spain and complying with the highest EU regulations and standards. The brand’s suppliers are certified by the European Leather Working Group, guaranteeing the highest standards of sustainability and sourcing.
Their packaging is made of partially recycled paper sourced from FSC accredited suppliers and natural cotton, thus fully recyclable. So, now that you know a little about them, lets get to this DeMellier Tokyo Bag review!
The DeMellier Tokyo Design
The Tokyo draws on the dynamism of city life, while looking classy and elegant. It’s an over the shoulder mini hobo bag with a unique and softer triangular shape. It’s narrower at the top, and wider at the bottom, in a very subtle and feminine way. As soon as I saw how this bag looked on my body (I’m 5ft 4), I could tell just how elegant and feminine it was. It has an open top and is accented with the brand’s clean, elongated magnetic arrow-shaped lock. The Tokyo also features a sleek logo engraved buckle to adjust the strap to many different lengths, meaning that it can be worn over the shoulder, in the crook of your arm or held by hand.
The bag has one interior zip pocket, for storing your valuables, and one main open compartment inside. It’s an extremely practical bag, it’s easy to get into, and it’s actually really comfortable to wear. The way the Tokyo is designed means that it sits on your shoulder very well and doesn’t slip off. I can honestly say that it’s an incredible design and I am completely in love with it!
The Bag Size
There are two sizes of the DeMellier Tokyo bag and this is the regular size, not the oversized larger version. The sizing of this is pretty much perfect. If you have a Le 5 a 7, it’s a little bigger than that, and it has more of a wider shape at the bottom, which means it actually fits a lot more in!
Top Width: 20cm/7.87″
Base Width: 27cm/10.6”
Height: 13cm /5.1”
Depth: 6.5cm/2.5”
Handle drop: 20cm – 28cm/7.9”- 11”
Weight: 320g
Regarding devices, this bag fits up to an iPhone 14 Pro Max or similar, along with my card holder, vitamin holder, lipstick, keys etc. I’d say it’s the perfect size for holding all of your essentials! Plus, it’s just the right size to fit on your arm as a shoulder bag. It’s not too big or too small. It’s perfect.
The Details
The details on the DeMellier Tokyo bag are really minimal. The hardware is a nice pale gold and it’s stamped with the DeMellier logo on the buckle of the strap. There’s also a gold embossed DeMellier logo on the front of the bag beneath the magnetic closure. The closure itself is a leather strap that attaches from the back of the bag, featuring a sturdy metal clasp, which secures really nicely! The magnet is strong. I like that it’s a simple block of gold, instead of a logo as well. This bag is elegant and understated with very minimal detailing.
The Leather & Fabric
The exterior of this bag is made from soft, smooth cowhide leather which has a subtle shine to it. It’s not too buttery soft like lamb is, so it does have more of a durable nature. The interior has a luxurious black 100% cotton lining, which is really durable too. I usually prefer my lining to also be leather, but for the affordable price of this bag, cotton is just fine! I’m not 100% sure what the hardware is made of, but it’s a really sturdy metal and the magnetic closure feels like it’s of a really nice quality.
The Price
The best thing about this bag is that it only costs ￡345! I know that might still be expensive, however, for a bag of this quality and design, it’s not. I’m used to the high price tags of designer brands that are ￡1000 – ￡3000 for a bag, so ￡345 for this one is incredible! If I’m comparing to the similar designer versions, I can tell that the leather isn’t as soft, and the lining isn’t as good, but for the huge difference in price, this DeMellier London bag is a perfect option! It stays on my shoulder as well, unlike the Le 5 a 7, so that makes it more wearable and versatile. If I had a do over, I would buy only this one.
The Ethical Concept
Made ethically and sustainably is one of DeMellier’s core values and we centre our work on three key areas: ethical & sustainable manufacturing, sustainably sourced materials and sustainable operations. Our pledge is to continue to work hard every day to research new materials and practices to ensure we are at the forefront of the ethical and sustainability practices, from extending the life of our products to using as sustainable materials as possible. We would also like to extend the pledge to all of you and all of us, to buy less, buy consciously and find out where the pieces are made, under what social conditions and with what materials. With our collective effort on both manufacturing and consumption, we can make a real difference. – DeMellier.
Giving back – A Bag, A Life:
Giving back is at the core of DeMellier’s DNA. This is where the magic happens, for every piece you purchase from the brand, they fund lifesaving vaccines and medical treatments aimed to save the life of a child in need, which is done through their permanent charity initiative, A Bag, A Life. This is in collaboration with international children’s charity ‘SOS Children’s Villages’ and local vaccine providers.
So far DeMellier has funded over 615,000 vaccines and medical treatments for children in need. The funds are administered in countries such as Somalia, where currently 1 in 6 children do not live to see their 6th birthday. How incredible is that? So not only are you doing good by buying a bag from an ethical and sustainable brand with fair labour, you’re also saving lives. What’s not to love?
The Colours
The best thing about the DeMellier London Tokyo Bag is that it currently comes in 12 different colours! There’s something for everyone as they have nude, black, brown, red, white, crocodile embossed, stripes, coral, green… there’s so many versions. Of course I have the classic black and it’s absolutely perfect, but I’m already eyeing up the nude version, which I have to have in my bag collection as well. I’m saving up for that one next month!
