More Blair Sorley stock has arrived today, so pop down to Concrete Wardrobe as soon as possible, to get the full colour range. Hot pink, red and mustard yellow have been added. And they look and feel amazing.

There are beautiful bags a plenty at Concrete Wardrobe this month. Not only do we have the scrummy designs of Blair Sorley as May Maker of the Month, we also have a selection of Catherine Aitken's new summer range in store. Made in linen with waterproof bases, these simple yet spacious bags will see you elegantly through summer, holding all your beach and shopping essentials.

Blair Sorley's handbags and purses are so delicious, they need to be handled carefully, so you don't accidentally pop a corner of one in your mouth. 

Her colour palette is spot on for this season, and the designs are so deceptively simple you automatically feel engaged with each piece. 

Here's a sneak preview of the new Frame Bag, in case you've not been down to Concrete Wardrobe yet. £57.50 each.

News Release – Immediate Release

The Essential Styles

This month the perfectly formed accessories of Edinburgh based Blair Sorley are on display at Concrete Wardrobe for its May Maker of the Month exhibition.

Specialising in women’s leather accessories, Blair Sorley is run by ECA graduate Caitlin Blair. With extensive experience in the world of theatre costume, Blair has honed her skills as a maker, and indulged her joint passions for period costume and women’s accessories. The result is a range of practical and stylish bags and purses, whose designs are inspired by history, but have a distinctly contemporary feel.

The signature bag, a compact clutch with metal frame and oversized ball closures has been part of the Blair Sorley range since the start, and continues to be a best seller. Blair explains, “It has the feel of a vintage piece, but at the same time is very modern. With new colours available each season, it’s perfect for a special occasion at any time of year.”

Focussing on simple, classic designs, Blair allows the leather to speak for itself, without the need for embellishment. She says, “I prefer simplicity and people seem to appreciate that in my work.”

New work for the May Maker of the Month exhibition includes a new small cross-body bag. Large enough for your essentials and hand crafted in sumptuous Italian leather. It is available in the new colours, Ruby and Hot Pink.

A regular feature at Concrete Wardrobe, this is Blair Sorley’s second solo exhibition at the Edinburgh design led shop. Blair describes the exhibition as “A brilliant opportunity to show current work as a larger collection, and to showcase new designs in front of an appreciative audience.”

Fiona McIntosh, accessories aficionado and co-owner of Concrete Wardrobe commented, “Blair Sorley’s designs are popular with Concrete Wardrobe customers because of their good design and quality craftsmanship. They’re the sorts of bag that will always have a place in your wardrobe. Investment pieces that will serve and delight you for years to come.”

Blair Sorley will be on display at Concrete Wardrobe from 1^st to 31^st May 2013.

Concrete Wardrobe is open Monday to Saturday 11am to 7pm. (Sunday 12 - 5pm.)

Concrete Wardrobe 50a Broughton Street, Edinburgh EH1 3SA

ENDS

PR: Katherine Emtage. Co-Owners: James Donald & Fiona McIntosh. 

Just in today is new work by Edinburgh based duo Blair Sorley. Their bags and purses are getting ever more scrummy and with evocative leather colour names like conker, seashell, ground pepper and daffodil, how can we not be entranced?

   

July's edition of ICON magazine has just arrived instore today, featuring all that's new in the world of international design, architecture and culture.

Also, we have just taken delivery of the classic heart decorated purse by Blair Sorley in electric tourquoise. Ouch it's cool!

 We also have one in red available too.

All of what follows is a flavour of what you can expect to see in Concrete Wardrobe as part of our Christmas and New Year collections! All of these fantastic pieces are by Scottish based and trained designer makers, so making a purchase from us you will be supporting and promoting Scottish craft at its best, but to truely appreciate these amazing artisans they really do command that you  come in and see the pieces in  the flesh ... also we have numerous other Scottish makers for you to consider for that perfect Xmas gift

Be sure to look at the labels of the individual images to find out who made what and share with all your friends, colleagues and other interested parties!

Adrain Baird Ba Than - NEW IN & more available!

Blair Sorley - Loads new pieces in by these fantastic Edinburgh based leather worker.

Blair Sorley - NEW COLOUR RANGE!

Blair Sorley

Blair Sorley

Blair Sorley - Loads new pieces in by these fantastic Edinburgh based leather workers, including the beautiful new colour range "Dove Grey".

Claire Heminsley - "Auld Reekie" Print Framed and Unframed available.

Claire Heminsley - "Plockton" Print Framed and Unframed available.

Emily Hogarth - Screen Print.

Emily Hogarth - Greetings Cards and Kitchen Apron Print.

Freak Carousel jewellery - other pieces available.

Grainne Morton -Kittie Jones -Greetings Cards and Xmas Tree Decorations.intage Cabochon Earings. Others available.

Kittie Jones - Framed Screen printed print, unframed prints available.

Kittie Jones -Greetings Cards and Xmas Tree Decorations.

Claire McVinnie - Laser Cut Dog Brooch.

Claire McVinnie - Laser Cut Stag Brooch.

Claire McVinnie - Laser Cut Dog Brooch.

Perspex Clutch

We at Concrete Wardrobe have an embarrassment of riches this month with not one but two August featured Makers of the Month, the first in no order whats so ever is Edinburgh based duo Blair Sorely who produce these fantastic hand crafted leather hand bags ... some of which are presently exclusive to us in Concrete Wardrobe!

Heart Clutch

Perspex Clutch

Perspex Clutch

Coin Purse

Zip Clutch

Zip Clutch

Sporran Bag

Zip Clutch

News release: Immediate Release                                            

Wild Weaves and Smooth Leathers

Scottish trained Mhairi Wild will be getting us in the mood for all things cosy this August with her first textile collection shown in Scotland. Blair Sorley are an Edinburgh based design duo specialising in handbags, purses and accessories. These tactile works will be shown alongside each other’s at this August’s Maker of the Month Exhibition on Broughton Street.

Wild graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in 2003, with a first class honours in Interior and Environmental Design.  Since graduation, Wild utilised her skills in a variety of projects before concentrating her efforts on developing her textiles collection. Her collection includes a range of scarves, home wares and a showpiece cape made from felt and Harris Tweed, lined in hand dyed silk.

‘Working with fibre and fabric in one form or another has been part of my life since learning to knit and embroider pre-primary school,’ she explains.

Wild uses locally sourced luxury lambswool to create individually felted and hand-dyed pieces for her collection. There is no batch dying.  Even the merino pre-felt embellishments are dyed specifically for each piece. 

Wild’s ‘Gather’ collection is inspired by the rugged Scottish coastline and the communities who live and work alongside it, while the pattern and colours of peat stacks and burning peat fires form the core of the design for her new tea cosies, egg cosies and cushions.

Blair Sorley both come from a costume design background, and have over 25 years combined experience of working in theatres throughout the UK. They are influenced by costume and fashions from the 1930's - 1970's, updating classic designs with a beautiful range of coloured Italian leathers and suedes, combined with a range of metal and perspex fittings, creating contemporary pieces with a very subtle element of the past. Oversized baubles on shiny metal purse frames illustrate this twist on the traditional, playing with our sense of proportion and scale.

Blair Sorley are exhibiting a range of accessories; small brightly coloured coin purses, soft leather zip clutch bags, metal frame clutch bags, perspex handle bags, structured leather box bags and cute brightly coloured sporran bags. 

Their prices range £29 - £230.

Mhairi Wild and Blair Sorley’s work will be on display at Concrete Wardrobe from 1^st to 31^st August 2011.

Concrete Wardrobe is open Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm. (Sunday 12 - 4pm.)

Concrete Wardrobe 50a Broughton Street, Edinburgh EH1 3SA

ENDS

PR: Katherine Emtage. Co-Owners: James Donald & Fiona McIntosh

Black Box Bag

Black Box Bags

Heart Clutch

Frame Clutch