Queen’s favourite handbag brand unveils medal-inspired range for Olympics

June 19, 2012 | World News | Written by

London, June 19: The Queen has been hailed as a fashion icon for her wonderful sense of style.

But while her busy team of dressmakers stitch wonderful outfits for her countless public engagements, there is one constant in the 86-year-old Queen’s closet: the structured handbags by British firm Launer that she has been carrying for almost as many years as she has reigned.

The Queen has been a loyal customer of the handbag brand for over 50 years, she even awarded the firm with the Royal Warrant in 1968, and four new bags are made especially for her every year.

The Queen usually carries the distinctive black Diva or Traviata styles in black to go with the broad gamut of pastel colours she is fond of.

But now, in time for the Olympics, the royal bag maker has turned its talents to something with a little more colour.

Launer has come up with a range of three metallic bags in patent calf leather to represent the gold, silver and bronze of the Olympic medals.

The style that has been given the Olympic treatment is the Lydia – the same as that carried by the Queen on the day of Prince William and Kate’s wedding last year – only the Queen had hers designed a fraction smaller than usual so as not to detract from her primrose yellow outfit.

The traditional structured style – a favourite with Launer customers ever since it debuted more than 18 years ago – is set to be launched on the same day as the Games opening ceremony on 27 July and will be on sale via the brand’s website, www.launer.co.uk.

“Launer is such an intrinsically British brand (from its manufacturing plant in Birmingham to its relationship with the Queen and its long-standing customers), so it was only right with all eyes on the country this year, that Launer be part of that in a big way,” the Daily Mail quoted a spokesman for the firm as saying.

“The Lydia range is inherent to the Launer London name, being amongst one of our earliest styles in one guise or another, so it felt right when doing something to celebrate the Olympics to use this range as a jump-off point,” he said.

But most likely the Queen will not be carrying one of the blingy new creations during the Olympic games.

Launer does give the Queen special edition bags when they release them, the firm made the Queen a one-off Diamond Jubilee bag to celebrate the her 60 years on the throne – but the monarch almost always plumps for one of the trusty black bags from her collection.

She may be a style icon, but she’s a traditionalist at heart. (ANI)